01603 ZIP Code — Worcester, MA
Worcester County, Massachusetts
ZIP code 01603 is located in Worcester, Massachusetts, within Worcester County. It covers approximately 4.53 square miles and serves a population of 20,678 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 508/774.
About ZIP code 01603
The housing stock consists of a mix of housing types. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $269,000. Owner-occupancy sits near the national average at 50%.
Median household income is $58,797. SNAP benefit usage at 26% of households reflects economic stress in the area.
The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 24 minutes is near the national average.
Educational attainment is near the national average, with 22% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.
20,678
population
4.53
sq mi land
Standard
ZIP type
Eastern (ET)
timezone
01603 ZIP code map
Cities in ZIP code 01603
Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 01603. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.
| City | Status |
|---|---|
| Worcester | Acceptable |
| Worcester | Preferred |
Nearby ZIP codes
01610 Worcester (1.8 mi)
01602 Worcester (2.1 mi)
01608 Worcester (2.3 mi)
01653 Worcester (2.5 mi)
01655 Worcester (2.5 mi)
01609 Worcester (3 mi)
01607 Worcester (3.2 mi)
01501 Auburn (3.4 mi)
01524 Leicester (3.8 mi)
01605 Worcester (4 mi)
01604 Worcester (4.1 mi)
01542 Rochdale (4.5 mi)
Demographics
updated 05/2026
| Population | |
|---|---|
| Total population | 20,678 |
| Population density | 4,565 / sq mi |
| State FIPS | 25 |
| County FIPS | 027 |
| Geography | |
|---|---|
| Land area | 4.53 sq mi |
| Water area | 0.13 sq mi |
| Latitude | 42.2447 |
| Longitude | -71.8448 |
| Timezone | Eastern (ET) |
| Area code | 508/774 |
Total population by age
Gender
Race & ethnicity
Economics
updated 05/2026
Household income
| Income range | This ZIP | County avg | State avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under $50k | 52.3% | 33.6% | 31.3% |
| $50k – $100k | 27.3% | 27.5% | 25.9% |
| $100k – $200k | 17.7% | 28.7% | 28.5% |
| Over $200k | 2.7% | 10.3% | 14.3% |
Demographics & statistics
20,678
Population
4,565
People per sq mi
35.3
Median age
$58,797
Median household income
$30,374
Per capita income
$269,000
Median home value
$1,243
Median monthly rent
50.1%
Home ownership
14.8%
Poverty rate
8.7%
Unemployment
4,396
Housing units
22.2%
Bachelor's or higher
Age distribution
Male
Female
573
Under 5
596
325
5–9
338
614
10–14
640
722
15–19
753
933
20–24
971
1,850
25–34
1,928
1,397
35–44
1,455
1,333
45–54
1,388
576
55–59
599
584
60–64
609
779
65–74
812
387
75–84
403
55
85+
58
← Male
Female →
Age summary
| Group | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 3,920 | 19.0% |
| 18 and over | 16,758 | 81.0% |
| 65 and over | 2,494 | 12.1% |
| Median age | 35.3 years | |
Race & ethnicity
White
48.7%
Hispanic or Latino
13%
Asian
12.1%
Two or more races
11.8%
Black or African American
8.8%
Other race
4.9%
American Indian / Alaska Native
0.6%
Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander
0.1%
| Group | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| White | 11,575 | 48.7% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 3,093 | 13% |
| Asian | 2,877 | 12.1% |
| Two or more races | 2,808 | 11.8% |
| Black or African American | 2,086 | 8.8% |
| Other race | 1,159 | 4.9% |
| American Indian / Alaska Native | 139 | 0.6% |
| Native Hawaiian / Pacific Islander | 34 | 0.1% |
Household income
| Income range | This ZIP | County avg | State avg |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under $50k | 52.3% | 33.6% | 31.3% |
| $50k – $100k | 27.3% | 27.5% | 25.9% |
| $100k – $200k | 17.7% | 28.7% | 28.5% |
| Over $200k | 2.7% | 10.3% | 14.3% |
Under $10k
6.1%
$10k–$15k
6.3%
$15k–$25k
10.2%
$25k–$35k
10.9%
$35k–$50k
11.0%
$50k–$75k
15.9%
$75k–$100k
11.5%
$100k–$150k
15.8%
$150k–$200k
6.6%
$200k+
5.7%
| Range | % of households |
|---|---|
| Under $10k | 6.1% |
| $10k–$15k | 6.3% |
| $15k–$25k | 10.2% |
| $25k–$35k | 10.9% |
| $35k–$50k | 11.0% |
| $50k–$75k | 15.9% |
| $75k–$100k | 11.5% |
| $100k–$150k | 15.8% |
| $150k–$200k | 6.6% |
| $200k+ | 5.7% |
| Median income | $58,797 |
Housing
Home values
Under $50k
2.8%
$50k–$100k
1.6%
$100k–$150k
5.1%
$150k–$200k
12.4%
$200k–$300k
42.2%
$300k–$500k
34.5%
$500k–$1M
1.4%
$1M+
0.1%
Housing overview
| Metric | Value |
|---|---|
| Median home value | $269,000 |
| Median rent / month | $1,243 |
| Owner occupied | 50.1% |
| Renter occupied | 49.9% |
| Vacant | 5.4% |
| Single-family detached | 34.5% |
| Large apartment buildings | 8.9% |
| Mobile homes | 0.0% |
| Median rooms | 5.3 |
| Avg household size (owned) | 2.82 |
Year built
| Era | % |
|---|---|
| 2020 or later | 0.0% |
| 2010–2019 | 2.2% |
| 2000–2009 | 5.2% |
| 1990–1999 | 4.8% |
| 1980–1989 | 12.3% |
| 1970–1979 | 5.0% |
| 1960–1969 | 5.6% |
| 1950–1959 | 7.2% |
| 1940–1949 | 4.9% |
| 1939 or earlier | 52.8% |
Bedrooms
| Size | % of units |
|---|---|
| No bedroom (studio) | 3.1% |
| 1 bedroom | 13.0% |
| 2 bedrooms | 30.1% |
| 3 bedrooms | 40.3% |
| 4 bedrooms | 10.3% |
| 5+ bedrooms | 3.3% |
Vehicles per household
| Vehicles | % of households |
|---|---|
| No vehicle | 17.8% |
| 1 vehicle | 41.9% |
| 2 vehicles | 26.7% |
| 3 or more | 13.6% |
Heating fuel
| Fuel type | % |
|---|---|
| Utility gas | 59.1% |
| Electricity | 22.6% |
| Propane / LP gas | 1.2% |
| Fuel oil | 14.8% |
| Wood | 1.0% |
| No fuel used | 0.2% |
Households & families
| Household type | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Married-couple family | 2,435 | 30.9% |
| Cohabiting couple | 840 | 10.7% |
| Male householder, no spouse | 1,885 | 23.9% |
| Female householder, no spouse | 2,725 | 34.6% |
| Households with children under 18 | 2,374 | 30.1% |
| Households with seniors (65+) | 2,013 | 25.5% |
| Average household size | 2.54 | |
Marital status
| Status | Male | Female |
|---|---|---|
| Never married | 47.7% | 44.8% |
| Married | 33.4% | 30.7% |
| Separated | 4.1% | 2.5% |
| Widowed | 2.2% | 7.1% |
| Divorced | 12.6% | 14.9% |
Education
Less than 9th grade
6.0%
Some HS, no diploma
9.3%
HS graduate
31.2%
Some college, no degree
22.3%
Associate's degree
8.9%
Bachelor's degree
16.7%
Graduate / professional
5.5%
| Metric | % |
|---|---|
| HS diploma or higher | 84.7% |
| Bachelor's or higher | 22.2% |
School enrollment (ages 3–17)
| Type | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Nursery / preschool | 241 | 4.5% |
| Kindergarten | 101 | 1.9% |
| Elementary school | 1,537 | 29.0% |
| High school | 1,243 | 23.4% |
| College / grad school | 2,179 | 41.1% |
Employment
Industry of employment
Education & healthcare
29.6%
Manufacturing
13.8%
Retail trade
10.9%
Arts, food & hospitality
8.8%
Professional & management
8.3%
Other services
7.3%
Transportation & utilities
6.6%
Construction
5.1%
Finance & real estate
4.4%
Wholesale trade
2.1%
Public administration
1.8%
Information
0.9%
Agriculture & mining
0.2%
Occupation
| Category | % |
|---|---|
| Management, business & arts | 30.5% |
| Service | 26.9% |
| Sales & office | 18.8% |
| Natural resources & construction | 7.4% |
| Production & transportation | 16.3% |
Employment type
| Type | % |
|---|---|
| Private sector | 82.2% |
| Government | 12.0% |
| Self-employed | 5.6% |
| Unpaid family workers | 0.3% |
Commute
| Method | % |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 69.4% |
| Carpool | 12.9% |
| Public transit | 2.3% |
| Walk | 4.9% |
| Work from home | 7.9% |
| Other means | 2.7% |
| Avg commute (minutes) | 24.0 |
Poverty
All people
14.8%
Under 18 years
11.9%
18 and over
15.5%
Married-couple families
9.0%
Female-led households
23.5%
Income support
| Source | % of households |
|---|---|
| Social Security | 27.1% |
| Retirement income | 13.4% |
| Supplemental Security | 8.7% |
| Cash public assistance | 8.6% |
| Food stamps / SNAP | 25.8% |
Health indicators
| Condition | % |
|---|---|
| Obesity | 33.6% |
| High blood pressure | 30.3% |
| High cholesterol | 29.4% |
| Diabetes | 10.8% |
| Heart disease | 6.0% |
| Stroke | 3.1% |
| Asthma | 11.4% |
| Arthritis | 25.7% |
| Kidney disease | 2.9% |
| Pulmonary disease | 6.6% |
| Cancer | 5.5% |
| Behavior / access | % |
|---|---|
| Smoking | 18.9% |
| Binge drinking | 15.7% |
| No physical activity | 29.1% |
| Less than 7 hrs sleep | 36.1% |
| Depression | 19.4% |
| Fair or poor health | 16.3% |
| Poor mental health | 16.0% |
| Poor physical health | 10.8% |
| No health insurance | 11.2% |
| Visited doctor (checkup) | 79.4% |
| Visited dentist | 62.5% |
| Cholesterol screening | 87.1% |
| Teeth loss | 18.5% |
Veterans & disability
| Veterans | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Civilian veterans | 685 | 4.1% |
| Disability | % |
|---|---|
| Any disability | 15.3% |
| Under 18 | 4.8% |
| 18–64 years | 13.6% |
| 65 and over | 42.2% |
Health insurance coverage
| Type | % |
|---|---|
| Private insurance | 55.0% |
| Public insurance | 49.8% |
| No insurance | 5.5% |
| Uninsured under 19 | 1.7% |
Language & origin
Language spoken at home (age 5+)
| Language | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| English only | 19,509 | 94.3% |
| Spanish | 3,193 | 16.4% |
| Other Indo-European | 1,374 | 7.0% |
| Asian & Pacific Islander | 736 | 3.8% |
| Other languages | 983 | 5.0% |
Place of birth & citizenship
| Origin | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Native born (US) | 15,466 | 74.8% |
| Born in same state | 13,993 | 67.7% |
| Born in different state | 11,233 | 54.3% |
| Foreign born | 1,473 | 7.1% |
| Naturalized citizen | 5,212 | 25.2% |
| Not a US citizen | 2,988 | 57.3% |
Ancestry
| Ancestry | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Italian | 2,733 | 13.2% |
| Arab | 993 | 4.8% |
| French | 957 | 4.6% |
| German | 692 | 3.3% |
| Norwegian | 141 | 0.7% |
| Ancestry | Count | % |
|---|---|---|
| Polish | 66 | 0.3% |
| English | 63 | 0.3% |
| Irish | 49 | 0.2% |
| Dutch | 11 | 0.1% |
Technology access
| Metric | % of households |
|---|---|
| Computer access | 38.1% |
| Internet access | 92.3% |
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.
Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 01603
What city is ZIP code 01603 in?
ZIP code 01603 is primarily assigned to Worcester, Massachusetts.
What county is ZIP code 01603 in?
ZIP code 01603 falls within Worcester County, Massachusetts.
What is the population of ZIP code 01603?
ZIP code 01603 has an estimated population of 20,678 residents, with a density of 4,566 people per square mile.
What is the median household income in ZIP code 01603?
The median household income in ZIP code 01603 is $58,797, below the national median of ~$75,000.
What is the typical home value in ZIP code 01603?
The median home value in ZIP code 01603 is $269,000.
What timezone is ZIP code 01603 in?
ZIP code 01603 observes the EST timezone.