FIPS 25027 · population 867,788 · part of Worcester, MA
The latest county-level Zillow ZORI is $2,185 per month in 2026-06. It is a typical asking-rent index across rental types—not an arithmetic average, signed lease or quote for one property.
| Bedrooms | HUD monthly FMR | Geography | Measurement boundary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,206 | Worcester County, MA | HUD administrative benchmark; compare with same-bedroom listings, never treat it as observed asking rent. |
| 1 bedroom | $1,410 | Worcester County, MA | HUD administrative benchmark; compare with same-bedroom listings, never treat it as observed asking rent. |
| 2 bedrooms | $1,749 | Worcester County, MA | HUD administrative benchmark; compare with same-bedroom listings, never treat it as observed asking rent. |
| 3 bedrooms | $2,247 | Worcester County, MA | HUD administrative benchmark; compare with same-bedroom listings, never treat it as observed asking rent. |
| 4 bedrooms | $2,637 | Worcester County, MA | HUD administrative benchmark; compare with same-bedroom listings, never treat it as observed asking rent. |
Zillow asking rent, ACS gross rent and HUD FMR describe different housing universes. They remain separate and no metro, city or neighboring-county value replaces missing county evidence.Zillow pulled 2026-07-26 · HUD pulled 2026-07-26
Everything here joins on the county FIPS code, so each figure comes from the agency that publishes it with no name matching in between.
Zillow estimates a current home value. FHFA tracks repeat mortgage transactions. Their growth rates should be read side by side, not averaged.
Survey source: Census ACS 5-year — county housing value, tenure and stock · ACS 2024 5-year · pulled 2026-07-30. These values describe different housing universes and are not combined into gross yield.
Workplace source: BLS QCEW — county employment and wages · annual county employment and wages 2021-2025; latest 2025 vs 2024 · pulled 2026-08-02. QCEW counts covered jobs located in the county, not employed residents or the metro score’s CES/LAUS series.
BEA per-capita personal income divides all personal income by the county population. It is broader than wages, but it is not household income or a measure of what renters can afford.
HUD CHAS separates renter households by income relative to local HAMFI. Moderate burden means housing costs above 30% through 50% of income; severe burden means more than 50%.
These Apartment List observations match the exact county Census code 25027. They are kept separate from Zillow asking rent, Census occupied-home rent and wider metro measures.
Monthly overall-rent index; missing observations are not filled from another geography.
Worcester County presents a yield-versus-demand tension: published rent supports a preliminary income screen, while softer listing conditions and net outmigration counsel caution. The county merits investigation by an underwriter who can validate operations and flood exposure, rather than rely on appreciation or rent alone. Zillow’s county observation is June 2026, whereas FHFA’s repeat-transaction HPI observation is 2025; they are different vintages and methods. Zillow price growth was 1.72%, versus FHFA HPI growth of 3.36%. FHFA supports the same positive direction but is not a home value.
The Zillow median home value is $507,049 against $2,185 in median monthly market asking rent, producing the supplied 5.17% gross yield before costs. It remains a screen because vacancy, concessions, insurance, maintenance, management, and financing are not published. HUD’s two-bedroom FMR is $1,749, but it is a payment standard, not an asking-rent estimate; it cannot replace measured market rent. A 1.28% effective property-tax rate and $5,438 median annual tax make carrying cost material and require parcel-level testing.
Demand evidence is mixed. Realtor.com MLS evidence shows median listing prices down 1.91% and visible active listings up 19.63%; those are asking prices and supply, not closed-sale prices or proof of buyer demand. Net migration was -1,359, and the average AGI gap between incoming and outgoing movers was -$5,624, adding demand caution. QCEW covered jobs located in the county rose 1.30%, but that is not resident employment or unemployment. Its largest disclosed private supersector is education and health services. Investors were 784 of 8,643 purchase mortgages, or 9.07%, which is participation, not market dominance.
Risk limits are parcel-sensitive because inland flood is the dominant hazard. The modeled county climate-loss ratio is 0.10% of building value expected lost per year, but that county-level measure cannot price a specific parcel, deductible, interruption, or flood-insurance requirement. Before underwriting, obtain a parcel flood-zone and elevation review, insurance indications, rent-roll and lease comparables, closed-sale comparables, and full operating expenses. The record does not publish vacancy, realized collections, debt terms, renovation needs, or property-level hazard costs; without them, gross yield cannot become net cash flow or a reliable purchase-price conclusion.
This view uses 12 direct Zillow ZIP markets matched to Census ZCTAs. Each ZIP is assigned by its largest HUD residential county share; this is not an exhaustive county inventory.
Within the selected direct-evidence set for Worcester County, Zillow’s June 2026 ZORI—a typical observed asking-rent index—runs from $1,603 in ZIP 01440 to $2,452 in ZIP 01757. The $849 span establishes a meaningful local rent spread, but it is not a countywide inventory of all listings. The decision question is therefore not merely which ZIP has the lowest index; it is whether a particular unit’s bedroom count, lease terms, and quoted total cost fit a household budget when rent, affordability burden, and vacancy measures give distinct signals. The selection contains 12 ZIP/ZCTA matches covering 68,926 renter households, sufficient for comparison but not a complete county map.
These sources should not be merged into a price ladder. The county ZORI is $2,185 and its annual change is 1.75%; within selected ZIP readings that have a year-over-year value, change ranges from -1.38% to 7.53%. ACS 2024 five-year survey estimates describe a different measure, median gross rent: selected ZCTAs range from $1,109 to $2,116, while the county estimate is $1,426. HUD’s two-bedroom FMR is $1,749 throughout this set; it is an administrative standard rather than asking rent. The listed Zillow-to-HUD relationship, 91.7% to 140.2%, is useful for program or budget screening, not a market-value judgment; differences among the series are not discounts or premiums.
ACS burden and vacancy estimates frame a separate trade-off. The county survey estimates that 50.6% of renter households pay 30% or more of income toward rent; across selected ZCTAs, the range is 42.4% to 56.6%. The county vacancy estimate is 5.45%, compared with a selected range of 3.36% to 11.44%. ZIP 01609 pairs the high vacancy endpoint with a 55.6% burden estimate. That combination does not establish why either measure is high, nor does a higher vacancy estimate demonstrate low rent, an available listing, or suitability for a particular household. Read these ACS measures as survey signals alongside—not combined with—the current Zillow index and HUD standard.
Geography and coverage limit precision. Census ZCTAs are statistical areas, not USPS delivery ZIPs, and ZIPs can cross county lines; display assignment uses the county with the largest HUD residential-address share. Each displayed record has a 100% primary-county share, but the direct-evidence selection is only part of 25 eligible matches and is not exhaustive. Before a leasing, assistance, or comparison decision, verify the actual address ZIP and county, unit bedroom count, quoted rent, fees and utilities, lease length, availability date, income qualification, deposit, and any program-specific rent rule. Confirm comparable units and the offer directly: neither ZORI, ACS estimates, nor FMR replaces property-level documentation.
25 ZIP profiles passed the county gate; the 12 with the most renter households are shown.
| ZIP / ZCTA | Zillow asking rent | ACS gross rent | HUD 2BR | Burden 30%+ | Vacancy | Income screen | HUD county share |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01604 | $2,212 | $1,584 | $1,749 | 44.8% | 8.1% | $88k | 100.0% |
| 01605 | $2,419 | $1,421 | $1,749 | 56.5% | 6.8% | $97k | 100.0% |
| 01610 | $2,157 | $1,523 | $1,749 | 56.6% | 8.8% | $86k | 100.0% |
| 01420 | $1,798 | $1,222 | $1,749 | 48.3% | 6.1% | $72k | 100.0% |
| 01453 | $1,920 | $1,354 | $1,749 | 47.0% | 4.0% | $77k | 100.0% |
| 01609 | $1,788 | $1,275 | $1,749 | 55.6% | 11.4% | $72k | 100.0% |
| 01602 | $2,404 | $1,590 | $1,749 | 50.1% | 4.7% | $96k | 100.0% |
| 01550 | $1,928 | $1,256 | $1,749 | 53.7% | 4.5% | $77k | 100.0% |
| 01545 | $2,399 | $2,116 | $1,749 | 42.4% | 4.5% | $96k | 100.0% |
| 01603 | $2,094 | $1,372 | $1,749 | 52.9% | 5.1% | $84k | 100.0% |
| 01757 | $2,452 | $1,909 | $1,749 | 55.8% | 3.4% | $98k | 100.0% |
| 01440 | $1,603 | $1,109 | $1,749 | 47.3% | 5.7% | $64k | 100.0% |
Open a five-digit report for asking rent, affordability, rent history and resale liquidity. Each row keeps its ZIP/ZCTA measurement scope.
| ZIP report | City label | Zillow rent | 1Y change | ACS burden 30%+ | Population |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ZIP 01604 rental reportWorcester County | Worcester, MA | $2,212 | ▲ 4.1% | 44.8% | 39,812 |
Zillow ZORI is an asking-rent index. ACS burden and population describe the Census ZCTA; missing observations remain n/a.
Census-recognized incorporated places and CDPs that intersect this county. The list does not pretend to include every neighborhood or informal community.
Population is the total place-wide ACS estimate, not an allocated county share. A place crossing a county line is labelled explicitly. Source: Census ACS 5-year — cities and communities · ACS 2024 5-year · pulled 2026-07-30.
0.098% of building value expected lost per year
$5,438 median annual bill
15,603 in · 16,962 out
$77,931 arriving · $83,555 leaving
784 of 8,643 mortgages
Listing price is an asking price, not a closed sale. Quality-flagged county rows are withheld instead of displayed.
The record provides median monthly market asking rent. HUD FMR is a two-bedroom payment standard, not an estimate of asking rent, so it should not substitute for the market measure.
No. Realtor.com supplies MLS listing-market evidence rather than closed-sale demand, while migration is negative. The record therefore does not establish strong buyer demand.
The record does not publish vacancy, realized collections, operating expenses, financing terms, renovation needs, or property-level flood and insurance costs.