What does this measure?
The estimated percentage of the voting-age population (18 and over) that is registered to vote.
Why is this important?
Voter registration is a gauge of interest and participation in the political process.
How is our county performing?
In 2022, 83% of Worcester County's voting-age population was registered to vote, below the statewide rate of 88%. County registration rates have fluctuated somewhat over the past decade; the 2022 rate was up from a recent low of 74% in 2015. Nearly half of the County's 60 cities and towns had voter registration rates of over 95%. The City of Worcester had the lowest rate at 68%.
Notes about the data
Rates were calculated using Census estimates of the population 18 and over. CGR generated estimates of the population 18 and older for non-census years. This estimation process leads to values over 100% for some small areas. Comparable national data not available.
| 2012 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worcester County | 83% | 81% | 74% | 83% | 82% | 84% | 79% | 87% | 81% | 83% | |||||||||
| Athol | 72% | 69% | 64% | 73% | 73% | 75% | 73% | 81% | 81% | 86% | |||||||||
| Clinton | 85% | 86% | 77% | 88% | 87% | 85% | 83% | 82% | 82% | 85% | |||||||||
| Fitchburg | 69% | 70% | 65% | 76% | 76% | 81% | 73% | 78% | 73% | 79% | |||||||||
| Gardner | 71% | 69% | 63% | 72% | 67% | 71% | 69% | 75% | 73% | 78% | |||||||||
| Northbridge | 82% | 81% | 76% | 85% | 85% | 84% | 84% | 93% | 90% | 94% | |||||||||
| Southbridge | 84% | 87% | 77% | 86% | 87% | 86% | 82% | 86% | 88% | 89% | |||||||||
| Spencer | 81% | 78% | 74% | 80% | 80% | 81% | 79% | 86% | 87% | 88% | |||||||||
| Webster | 85% | 84% | 69% | 80% | 79% | 79% | 76% | 84% | 85% | 88% | |||||||||
| Westborough | 84% | 80% | 77% | 85% | 85% | 87% | 86% | 81% | 82% | 82% | |||||||||
| Worcester | 71% | 73% | 61% | 71% | 71% | 75% | 66% | 67% | 61% | 66% | |||||||||
| Massachusetts | 83% | 80% | 75% | 83% | 82% | 83% | 80% | 87% | 84% | 86% | |||||||||
| Additional Worcester County localities | |||||||||||||||||||
Notes: Rates were calculated using Census estimates of the population 18 and over.
| 2012 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worcester County | 517,604 | 518,105 | 476,159 | 533,855 | 533,348 | 547,585 | 521,021 | 573,246 | 554,533 | 574,056 | |||||||||
| Athol | 6,661 | 6,346 | 5,962 | 6,775 | 6,774 | 7,000 | 6,833 | 7,674 | 7,681 | 8,129 | |||||||||
| Clinton | 9,363 | 9,582 | 8,626 | 9,830 | 9,790 | 9,601 | 9,325 | 10,220 | 10,191 | 10,582 | |||||||||
| Fitchburg | 21,905 | 22,203 | 20,715 | 24,121 | 24,285 | 25,668 | 23,003 | 25,581 | 23,699 | 25,594 | |||||||||
| Gardner | 11,809 | 11,503 | 10,549 | 12,044 | 11,333 | 11,932 | 11,632 | 12,974 | 12,481 | 13,347 | |||||||||
| Northbridge | 10,489 | 10,426 | 9,931 | 11,151 | 11,198 | 11,186 | 11,065 | 12,040 | 11,650 | 12,147 | |||||||||
| Southbridge | 11,168 | 11,551 | 10,202 | 11,426 | 11,552 | 11,478 | 10,884 | 12,093 | 12,226 | 12,301 | |||||||||
| Spencer | 7,843 | 7,592 | 7,137 | 7,848 | 7,888 | 7,935 | 7,710 | 8,475 | 8,514 | 8,587 | |||||||||
| Webster | 11,636 | 11,593 | 9,523 | 11,003 | 10,977 | 10,929 | 10,545 | 12,182 | 12,267 | 12,612 | |||||||||
| Westborough | 11,598 | 11,343 | 10,914 | 12,190 | 12,199 | 12,486 | 12,365 | 13,234 | 13,235 | 13,236 | |||||||||
| Worcester | 103,767 | 108,428 | 89,881 | 104,464 | 104,938 | 111,233 | 98,048 | 111,344 | 101,052 | 109,147 | |||||||||
| Massachusetts | 4,342,841 | 4,301,118 | 4,074,155 | 4,534,974 | 4,486,849 | 4,574,967 | 4,434,934 | 4,812,909 | 4,731,940 | 4,838,359 | |||||||||
| Additional Worcester County localities | |||||||||||||||||||
