ZIP Code 01603 — Worcester city, MA Demographics & Data

ZIP code 01603 covers Worcester, MA in Worcester County with a population of about 21,034.

At a glance, the area shows median age of 35.4 versus a U.S. median of about 38.9.

It sits in telephone area codes 508, 774; U.S. House district MA-2; the BOSTON (MANCHESTER) media market.

Worcester, MA sits in a university / college context (near clark university (1.1 mi)). Expect stronger interest in student housing, rentals, walkability, transit, and a younger adult age mix versus typical suburban ZIPs.

Median household income in ZIP 01603 is about $63,646 — about 15% below the U.S. median ($75,149).

On socioeconomic markers, US5 shows a poverty rate of 17.1%; unemployment rate near 8.3%; 24.2% of adults with a bachelor’s degree or higher (about 9.5 points below the national share (33.7%)).

Labor and commute patterns include leading industry context around Healthcare, Manufacturing, and Education; about 7.0% of workers reporting work-from-home (about 8.2 points below the U.S. share (15.2%)); a mean commute of about 180.0 minutes (U.S. average near 26.8).

Median home value is about $287,800 — about 17% below the U.S. median home value ($348,079).

Housing tenure and rents show median gross rent around $1,110 (about 5% below the U.S. median rent ($1,163)), and owner-occupancy near 48.4% (about 17.0 points below the national owner-occupancy rate (65.4%)).

To comfortably buy a median-priced home in ZIP 01603 in Worcester, MA, a household would need roughly $79,000 in annual income under a 20% down, 30-year loan at 6.8% (illustrative), keeping housing costs near 28% of income. Estimated monthly PITI is about $1,849. That is about 24% above the local median household income ($63,646), so the median earner would likely stretch or need a larger down payment. Rates, taxes, insurance, and HOA fees vary — treat this as a planning estimate, not a lender quote.

FEMA’s National Risk Index rates natural-hazard risk for Worcester city, MA as Relatively Moderate (composite score 93.5), which is among the highest nationally. The strongest component scores on US5 are hurricane (96.6) and flood (95.3). These scores are county-linked NRI values published for planning context — all ZIP codes in the same county share the same composite score on US5. Useful when comparing insurance and disaster exposure across areas, not a substitute for a parcel-level flood or fire determination.

Climate normals for Worcester city, MA show little to no average snow and around 48.3 inches of annual precipitation.

IRS migration statistics show a net inflow of about 993 for ZIP 01603 (Worcester city, MA) on US5’s published series — a signal of people/tax filers moving in relative to those leaving. Inflows often track job growth, housing demand, or lifestyle migration; treat the figure as a directional indicator rather than a precise headcount.