Sell Your Commercial Property In Worcester, MA

Who rents in Worcester

Renters occupy 57.2% of Worcester's occupied homes. That is 45,513 of 79,501 households, per Census ACS 2020-2024 table B25003. Worcester County overall is only 34.2% renter, per the county ACS table, and Massachusetts is 37.5%. Worcester holds about 39.6% of the county's renter households.

Worcester's median household income is $70,102 under ACS 2020-2024, against $95,939 for Worcester County and $103,960 for Massachusetts. That is 73.1% of the county figure and 67.4% of the state's. Three demand sources sit behind that renter base: a medical school, eight colleges and a direct rail line to Boston.

UMass Chan Medical School reports more than 6,400 employees and 4,121 faculty as of October 2025. Its FY2025 revenue was $1.242 billion. The City of Worcester lists eight colleges and universities in the city with more than 35,000 students.

Rents and affordability in Worcester

Worcester's median gross rent is $1,487 a month under ACS 2020-2024. Boston's median is $2,147 under the same survey, a $660 gap. Worcester's median is 69.3% of Boston's. Massachusetts as a whole is $1,762 per ACS. Worcester County's median gross rent is $1,426 under the same survey.

Worcester's median is below HUD's two-bedroom rent. Under HUD's FY2027 fair market rents the Worcester, MA HUD Metro FMR Area sets a two-bedroom at $2,043, which is 37.4% above the city median.

Rent burden is heavy. Some 52.0% of Worcester renter households pay 30% or more of income on rent, and 26.0% pay 50% or more, per ACS table B25070.

Apartment stock in Worcester

Worcester has 24,573 homes in buildings of five or more units, or 28.6% of its 85,876 housing units, per ACS table B25024. Worcester County is 16.9% on the same measure, per ACS, and Worcester holds about 41.0% of the county's 59,913 such homes.

The stock is old. Some 75.1% of Worcester homes were built before 1980, per ACS table B25034. Worcester's median year built is 1951 under table B25035, against 1967 for Worcester County. Pre-1980 homes are 63.7% of the county's stock and 67.4% of the state's. Buyers underwrite capital repairs on every deal here, which matters for anyone ready to sell commercial property in Worcester, MA.

Rental vacancy is 4.3% in Worcester under ACS profile table DP04, against 3.3% for Worcester County.

Property taxes in Worcester County

Worcester's FY2026 residential rate is $13.28 per $1,000 of assessed value. Its commercial, industrial and personal property rate is $29.06 per $1,000, per the City of Worcester's rate page. Those rates were $13.19 and $28.61 in FY2025, and the City Council splits the levy between classes at its annual Tax Classification Hearing. Worcester values property at 100% of full and fair cash value, according to the City Assessor. The Assessing Division uses the cost, income and market approaches to reach each value.

Apartment buildings take the lower rate. Massachusetts General Laws chapter 59, section 2A defines residential property as property held for human habitation with one or more dwelling units. The Department of Revenue property codes list apartments of four to eight units and more than eight units as residential. Anyone selling commercial property in Worcester should expect buyers to price taxes by use, not by building size.

Here is a worked example on a $2,000,000 apartment building assessed at that value.

• Residential rate: $2,000,000 / 1,000 x $13.28 = $26,560.
• Community Preservation Act surcharge at 1.5% of that tax: $398.40.
• Total annual bill: $26,958.40, or 1.348% of value.
• Same value at the $29.06 commercial rate: $58,120.
• State deed excise at $2 per $500 under chapter 64D, section 1: $8,000.

The CPA surcharge is described on Worcester's taxes page. Voters approved it on November 8, 2022, and annual state distributions add to the fund. Abatement applications are due 30 days after the third-quarter actual bill is mailed, or February 1 if later. That deadline comes from the City's abatement page.

Landlord rules in Worcester

Massachusetts caps a security deposit at one month's rent. Chapter 186, section 15B requires the landlord to return it within 30 days of the tenancy ending. The deposit sits in an interest-bearing Massachusetts bank account paying 5% a year, and the tenant gets a receipt naming the bank. A late return can cost the landlord three times the deposit owed.

Nonpayment of rent allows a 14-day written notice to quit under chapter 186, section 11. A tenant can stop the case by paying all rent due plus interest and costs. A tenancy at will ends on a notice equal to the rent interval or 30 days, whichever is longer, per section 12.

Rent control is off the table for Worcester owners and tenants alike. Chapter 40P, the Rent Control Prohibition Act, broadly prohibits any regulatory scheme based on rent control.

Worcester runs a rental registry that owners who sell commercial real estate in Worcester, MA need to keep current. Per the City's March 2024 launch release, owners register each rented unit for $15 and renew for $5 a unit. A 20-unit building pays $300 up front and $100 a year. Failure to comply carries a $300 fine for each day.

What it means for an owner

Worcester's rent gap to Boston and its 57.2% renter share keep apartment demand steady. Rail adds to it. The MBTA Framingham/Worcester Line schedule effective October 26, 2026 lists 27 weekday inbound trips and 28 outbound trips. The fastest inbound trip takes 70 minutes to South Station.

Before you sell commercial real estate in Worcester, MA, confirm the residential classification on your tax bill, your registry status and your rents. Compare them with the $2,043 two-bedroom FMR. Buyers will price the 1.348% tax load from the example above, plus capital repairs on a 1951 median building.

Run your numbers with our cap rate calculator. Read our guide to Worcester apartment property taxes. See how we buy 5+ unit apartment buildings. If you plan to sell commercial property in Worcester, MA, we can talk through timing and price.