Community Life
Households With Internet Access
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Source: U.S. Census Bureau

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What does this measure?

The percentage of households that have access to the internet.

Why is this important?

Access to the internet is crucial for households to communicate, search for jobs, complete schoolwork and participate in other important activities like banking, health care access and consumer research.

How is our county performing?

In 2018-22, 91% of households in Worcester County had access to the internet, on par with the state and slightly higher than the national rate of 89%. This is an eight-point increase from 2013-18. Rates were lowest in Royalston at 78% and Brookfield at 82%.

Notes about the data

Internet access questions were not included in surveys until 2013. The multi-year figures are from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey. The bureau combined five years of responses to the survey to provide estimates for smaller geographic areas and increase the precision of its estimates. However, because the information came from a survey, the samples responding to the survey were not always large enough to produce reliable results, especially in small geographic areas. CGR has noted on data tables the estimates with relatively large margins of error. Estimates with three asterisks have the largest margins, plus or minus 50% or more of the estimate. Two asterisks mean plus or minus 35%-50%, and one asterisk means plus or minus 20%-35%. For all estimates, the confidence level is 90%, meaning there is 90% probability the true value (if the whole population were surveyed) would be within the margin of error (or confidence interval). Data for this indicator is expected to be released annually in December.

Households with Internet Access
2013-172018-22
Worcester County83%91%
Athol77%91%
Clinton84%91%
Fitchburg78%88%
Gardner79%87%
Northbridge85%90%
Southbridge75%87%
Spencer77%90%
Webster78%86%
Westborough92%95%
Worcester76%88%
Massachusetts83%91%
Additional Worcester County localities
Ashburnham90%97%
Auburn80%91%
Barre83%91%
Berlin88%90%
Blackstone88%94%
Bolton96%97%
Boylston89%98%
Brookfield79%82%
Charlton85%93%
Douglas82%91%
Dudley86%91%
East Brookfield83%88%
Grafton90%94%
Hardwick71%92%
Harvard95%98%
Holden90%95%
Hopedale83%91%
Hubbardston93%91%
Lancaster89%94%
Leicester82%90%
Lunenburg85%95%
Mendon92%96%
Milford85%90%
Millbury84%95%
Millville86%86%
New Braintree85%85%
Northborough93%98%
North Brookfield83%85%
Oakham89%95%
Oxford85%88%
Paxton89%93%
Petersham80%85%
Phillipston88%89%
Princeton84%97%
Royalston73%78%
Rutland88%99%
Shrewsbury89%95%
Southborough93%97%
Sterling89%96%
Sturbridge89%96%
Sutton88%90%
Templeton90%89%
Upton91%92%
Uxbridge88%95%
Warren81%85%
West Boylston84%*91%
West Brookfield83%95%
Westminster89%92%
Winchendon82%90%
Leominster82%92%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Notes: * Margin of error between 20% & 35% of estimate; ** margin of error between 35% & 50%; *** margin of error greater than 50%.




Number of Households with Internet Access
2013-172018-22
Worcester County253,035299,946
Athol3,7224,298
Clinton4,6816,109
Fitchburg11,54314,715
Gardner6,5377,704
Northbridge5,2325,822
Southbridge5,1886,106
Spencer3,8394,569
Webster5,2456,305
Westborough6,1267,599
Worcester54,04469,344
Massachusetts2,158,4892,489,302
Additional Worcester County localities
Ashburnham1,8262,208
Auburn5,4036,093
Barre1,5911,694
Berlin1,0171,287
Blackstone3,0273,644
Bolton1,6221,832
Boylston1,5331,822
Brookfield1,1161,183
Charlton4,1564,500
Douglas2,5842,829
Dudley3,3173,877
East Brookfield684768
Grafton6,2537,128
Hardwick870995
Harvard1,8151,927
Holden6,0206,774
Hopedale1,8571,968
Hubbardston1,5681,410
Lancaster2,0782,799
Leicester3,4663,641
Lunenburg3,5294,347
Mendon1,8961,969
Milford9,38110,308
Millbury4,4664,928
Millville9991,091
New Braintree361343
Northborough4,9205,669
North Brookfield1,5151,584
Oakham601583
Oxford4,4604,284
Paxton1,3941,506
Petersham392393
Phillipston511625
Princeton1,0691,275
Royalston377417
Rutland2,5533,016
Shrewsbury11,42913,681
Southborough3,1743,476
Sterling2,4053,326
Sturbridge3,2173,798
Sutton2,9312,955
Templeton3,0062,794
Upton2,4872,508
Uxbridge4,1925,126
Warren1,5571,711
West Boylston1,741*2,608
West Brookfield1,2681,462
Westminster2,5312,983
Winchendon3,2083,268
Leominster13,50516,962

Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Notes: * Margin of error between 20% & 35% of estimate; ** margin of error between 35% & 50%; *** margin of error greater than 50%.







INDICATORS TREND
Arts, Entertainment and Recreation Establishments 1
Increasing
Average Charitable Contribution 0
Maintaining
Households With Internet Access 1
Increasing
Protected Land 10 Not Applicable*
Voter Participation Rate -1
Decreasing
Voter Registration Rate 0
Maintaining
Arrest Rate by Race/Ethnicity -1
Decreasing
Change in Total Population 1
Increasing
Change in Population by Race/Ethnicity 1
Increasing
Foreign-Born Population 1
Increasing
Language Diversity 1
Increasing
Population by Age -1
Decreasing
Households by Type 0
Maintaining
Single-Parent Families by Race/Ethnicity -1
Decreasing
Median Household Income 0
Maintaining
Household Income by Race/Ethnicity 0
Maintaining
80/20 Income Ratio 0
Maintaining
Income in Relation to Poverty Level 0
Maintaining
People Living in Poverty 0
Maintaining
People Living in Poverty, by Education Level 1
Increasing
People Living in Poverty, by Age 1
Increasing
People Living in Poverty, by Race/Ethnicity 1
Increasing
Homeownership Rates, by Race/Ethnicity 1
Increasing
Overall Housing Cost Burden -1
Decreasing
Cost of Rent, by Race/Ethnicity 10 Not Applicable*
Median Home Value by Race/Ethnicity 10 Not Applicable*
Homelessness 10 Not Applicable*
Households Receiving SNAP by Race/Ethnicity 1
Increasing
Household Receiving Temporary Assistance 0
Maintaining
Households Without Vehicles 0
Maintaining
Education Levels of Adults by Race/Ethnicity 1
Increasing
Change in Employment by Sector 10 Not Applicable*
Change in Average Salary by Sector 10 Not Applicable*
Female to Male Earnings Ratio 0
Maintaining
Unemployment Rate by Race/Ethnicity -1
Decreasing
Employer Size 1
Increasing
Business Ownership, by Race/Ethnicity 10 Not Applicable*
Self-Employment Revenue 0
Maintaining
People Entering/Leaving County for Work 1
Increasing
Early Prenatal Care by Mother's Race/Ethnicity 1
Increasing
Preterm Births 10 Not Applicable*
Infant Mortality by Mother's Race/Ethnicity 10 Not Applicable*
Children with Elevated Blood Lead Levels -1
Decreasing
Prevalence of Children with Asthma 1
Increasing
People with Disabilities 1
Increasing
People Without Health Insurance -1
Decreasing
Cancer Incidence 0
Maintaining
Diabetes Incidence -1
Decreasing
Substance Abuse Treatment Admissions 1
Increasing
Opioid Overdose Mortality Rate 1
Increasing
Children Living in Poverty 0
Maintaining
Children Living in Poverty, by Race/Ethnicity -1
Decreasing
Economically Disadvantaged Students 1
Increasing
Disengaged Youth -1
Decreasing
Prekindergarten Participation -1
Decreasing
Student Performance on Grade 3 English, by Student Subgroup -1
Decreasing
Student Performance on Grade 8 Math, by Student Subgroup -1
Decreasing
Student Performance on Grade 10 English, by Student Subgroup -1
Decreasing
Student Performance on Grade 10 Math, by Student Subgroup -1
Decreasing
High School Cohort Graduation Rate, by Student Group 1
Increasing
Arrest Rate by Race/Ethnicity -1
Decreasing
Change in Population by Race/Ethnicity 1
Increasing
Single-Parent Families by Race/Ethnicity -1
Decreasing
Household Income by Race/Ethnicity 0
Maintaining
People Living in Poverty, by Race/Ethnicity 1
Increasing
Homeownership Rates, by Race/Ethnicity 1
Increasing
Cost of Rent, by Race/Ethnicity 10 Not Applicable*
Median Home Value by Race/Ethnicity 10 Not Applicable*
Households Receiving SNAP by Race/Ethnicity 1
Increasing
Education Levels of Adults by Race/Ethnicity 1
Increasing
Unemployment Rate by Race/Ethnicity -1
Decreasing
Business Ownership, by Race/Ethnicity 10 Not Applicable*
Early Prenatal Care by Mother's Race/Ethnicity 1
Increasing
Infant Mortality by Mother's Race/Ethnicity 10 Not Applicable*
Children Living in Poverty, by Race/Ethnicity -1
Decreasing
Student Performance on Grade 3 English, by Student Subgroup -1
Decreasing
Student Performance on Grade 8 Math, by Student Subgroup -1
Decreasing
Student Performance on Grade 10 English, by Student Subgroup -1
Decreasing
Student Performance on Grade 10 Math, by Student Subgroup -1
Decreasing
High School Cohort Graduation Rate, by Student Group 1
Increasing





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