01609 ZIP Code — Worcester, MA

Worcester County, Massachusetts

ZIP code 01609 is located in Worcester, Massachusetts, within Worcester County. It covers approximately 3.73 square miles and serves a population of 23,256 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 508/774/978.

About ZIP code 01609

The housing stock consists of a significant share of large multi-unit buildings. Most homes were built in the pre-1940, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $386,400. Renters make up the majority at 59%, typical of denser urban areas.

The gap between median ($58,246) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. Poverty affects 22% of residents, above the national average. SNAP benefit usage at 24% 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 22 minutes is near the national average.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 45% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Overall, ZIP code 01609 reflects a community defined by economic challenges above the national average and elevated reliance on food assistance.

23,256

population

3.73

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

01609 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 01609

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 01609. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Worcester	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

01602 Worcester (1.3 mi) 01605 Worcester (1.8 mi) 01653 Worcester (2.2 mi) 01655 Worcester (2.2 mi) 01608 Worcester (2.4 mi) 01606 Worcester (2.5 mi) 01603 Worcester (3 mi) 01610 Worcester (3.3 mi) 01520 Holden (3.4 mi) 01604 Worcester (4.3 mi) 01607 Worcester (4.8 mi) 01583 West Boylston (5.5 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	23,256
Population density	6,235 / sq mi
State FIPS	25
County FIPS	027

Geography
Land area	3.73 sq mi
Water area	0.02 sq mi
Latitude	42.2876
Longitude	-71.8307
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	508/774/978

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	53.2%	33.6%	31.3%
$50k – $100k	20.6%	27.5%	25.9%
$100k – $200k	17.8%	28.7%	28.5%
Over $200k	8.4%	10.3%	14.3%

Demographics & statistics

23,256

Population

6,235

People per sq mi

31.9

Median age

$58,246

Median household income

$37,039

Per capita income

$386,400

Median home value

$1,239

Median monthly rent

40.6%

Home ownership

21.5%

Poverty rate

7.5%

Unemployment

4,102

Housing units

44.9%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

331

Under 5

286

476

5–9

411

403

10–14

349

1,466

15–19

1,268

2,531

20–24

2,190

1,493

25–34

1,292

1,400

35–44

1,212

1,079

45–54

934

816

55–59

705

688

60–64

595

1,001

65–74

865

440

75–84

380

346

85+

299

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	2,770	11.9%
18 and over	20,486	88.1%
65 and over	3,331	14.3%
Median age	31.9 years

Race & ethnicity

White 62%

Two or more races 10.5%

Hispanic or Latino 9.9%

Black or African American 7.9%

Asian 5.3%

Other race 4.2%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.1%

Group	Count	%
White	16,003	62%
Two or more races	2,721	10.5%
Hispanic or Latino	2,550	9.9%
Black or African American	2,047	7.9%
Asian	1,373	5.3%
Other race	1,091	4.2%
American Indian / Alaska Native	21	0.1%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	53.2%	33.6%	31.3%
$50k – $100k	20.6%	27.5%	25.9%
$100k – $200k	17.8%	28.7%	28.5%
Over $200k	8.4%	10.3%	14.3%

Under $10k 7.4%

$10k–$15k 6.6%

$15k–$25k 13.1%

$25k–$35k 7.5%

$35k–$50k 10.5%

$50k–$75k 12.2%

$75k–$100k 12.0%

$100k–$150k 11.6%

$150k–$200k 6.3%

$200k+ 12.9%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	7.4%
$10k–$15k	6.6%
$15k–$25k	13.1%
$25k–$35k	7.5%
$35k–$50k	10.5%
$50k–$75k	12.2%
$75k–$100k	12.0%
$100k–$150k	11.6%
$150k–$200k	6.3%
$200k+	12.9%
Median income	$58,246

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 0.7%

$50k–$100k 1.1%

$100k–$150k 6.4%

$150k–$200k 3.7%

$200k–$300k 18.9%

$300k–$500k 42.1%

$500k–$1M 24.9%

$1M+ 2.1%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$386,400
Median rent / month	$1,239
Owner occupied	40.6%
Renter occupied	59.4%
Vacant	6.9%
Single-family detached	29.5%
Large apartment buildings	20.3%
Mobile homes	0.0%
Median rooms	5.0
Avg household size (owned)	2.50

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	3.1%
2000–2009	4.5%
1990–1999	5.1%
1980–1989	9.0%
1970–1979	9.9%
1960–1969	11.5%
1950–1959	8.5%
1940–1949	8.3%
1939 or earlier	40.1%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	5.5%
1 bedroom	27.9%
2 bedrooms	18.5%
3 bedrooms	25.7%
4 bedrooms	18.2%
5+ bedrooms	4.2%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	22.2%
1 vehicle	40.7%
2 vehicles	25.5%
3 or more	11.5%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	59.0%
Electricity	23.1%
Propane / LP gas	1.7%
Fuel oil	14.9%
No fuel used	0.3%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	2,829	33.1%
Cohabiting couple	357	4.2%
Male householder, no spouse	2,589	30.3%
Female householder, no spouse	2,761	32.3%
Households with children under 18	1,487	17.4%
Households with seniors (65+)	2,317	27.1%
Average household size	2.17

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	58.4%	51.1%
Married	29.1%	32.5%
Separated	0.4%	1.5%
Widowed	4.1%	7.6%
Divorced	7.9%	7.3%

Education

Less than 9th grade 4.6%

Some HS, no diploma 7.2%

HS graduate 22.6%

Some college, no degree 14.2%

Associate's degree 6.5%

Bachelor's degree 21.1%

Graduate / professional 23.8%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	88.2%
Bachelor's or higher	44.9%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	118	1.2%
Kindergarten	126	1.3%
Elementary school	1,416	14.9%
High school	622	6.5%
College / grad school	7,225	76.0%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 35.1%

Retail trade 12.6%

Professional & management 11.9%

Arts, food & hospitality 9.7%

Manufacturing 8.8%

Finance & real estate 4.7%

Public administration 4.3%

Transportation & utilities 4.0%

Other services 3.7%

Construction 2.8%

Wholesale trade 1.3%

Information 1.1%

Agriculture & mining 0.1%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	50.8%
Service	16.2%
Sales & office	19.4%
Natural resources & construction	2.8%
Production & transportation	10.9%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	80.2%
Government	15.2%
Self-employed	4.5%
Unpaid family workers	0.0%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	59.7%
Carpool	8.3%
Public transit	2.0%
Walk	12.5%
Work from home	14.2%
Other means	3.3%
Avg commute (minutes)	21.6

Poverty

All people 21.5%

Under 18 years 13.1%

18 and over 22.9%

Married-couple families 1.9%

Female-led households 13.7%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	28.5%
Retirement income	16.0%
Supplemental Security	9.3%
Cash public assistance	5.9%
Food stamps / SNAP	24.4%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	29.9%
High blood pressure	25.8%
High cholesterol	25.2%
Diabetes	8.6%
Heart disease	5.2%
Stroke	2.6%
Asthma	11.6%
Arthritis	21.7%
Kidney disease	2.6%
Pulmonary disease	5.6%
Cancer	5.0%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	15.8%
Binge drinking	17.4%
No physical activity	25.2%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	33.5%
Depression	20.1%
Fair or poor health	14.1%
Poor mental health	16.8%
Poor physical health	9.4%
No health insurance	10.0%
Visited doctor (checkup)	78.7%
Visited dentist	65.4%
Cholesterol screening	83.3%
Teeth loss	16.0%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	652	3.2%

Disability	%
Any disability	14.4%
Under 18	5.9%
18–64 years	11.8%
65 and over	37.0%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	68.9%
Public insurance	40.4%
No insurance	2.5%
Uninsured under 19	2.1%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	22,639	97.3%
Spanish	2,740	12.1%
Other Indo-European	1,552	6.9%
Asian & Pacific Islander	720	3.2%
Other languages	285	1.3%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	18,809	80.9%
Born in same state	17,658	75.9%
Born in different state	11,975	51.5%
Foreign born	1,151	4.9%
Naturalized citizen	4,447	19.1%
Not a US citizen	1,997	44.9%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
Italian	3,394	14.6%
French	1,297	5.6%
Arab	804	3.5%
German	726	3.1%
Polish	137	0.6%

Ancestry	Count	%
Irish	122	0.5%
Norwegian	106	0.5%
Dutch	86	0.4%
English	68	0.3%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	36.7%
Internet access	92.1%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 01609

What city is ZIP code 01609 in?

ZIP code 01609 is primarily assigned to Worcester, Massachusetts.

What county is ZIP code 01609 in?

ZIP code 01609 falls within Worcester County, Massachusetts.

Is ZIP code 01609 mostly rentals?

59% of occupied units in ZIP code 01609 are renter-occupied.

What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 01609?

22% of residents in ZIP code 01609 live below the poverty line, above the national average.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 01609?

The median home value in ZIP code 01609 is $386,400.

What is the population of ZIP code 01609?

ZIP code 01609 has an estimated population of 23,256 residents, with a density of 6,228 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 01609 in?

ZIP code 01609 observes the EST timezone.