Demographics And Diversity
Language Diversity
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Source: U.S. Census Bureau

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What does this measure?

The share of people age five and older in a geographic area who speak a language other than English at home. This includes both people who speak English well and those who do not.

Why is this important?

Language diversity can indicate a growing bilingual or multilingual population, and it may also indicate a need for language instruction or bilingual services and communication.

How is our county performing?

In 2018-22, 21% of Worcester County residents spoke a language other than English at home, up from 18% in 2008-12. This is lower than the state rate (25%), which increased three percentage points since 2008-12, and similar to the national rate (22%), up one point.

Several local areas had more than a third of residents speaking a language other than English, including Worcester city (38%), Milford (35%), Southbridge and Westborough (both 34%) and Shrewsbury (33%).

Notes about the data

The multiyear 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). The survey provides data on characteristics of the population that used to be collected only during the decennial census. Data for this indicator are released annually in December.

Language Diversity
2008-122013-172018-22
Worcester County18%19%21%
Athol5%**5%**8%**
Clinton17%19%21%
Fitchburg23%29%29%
Gardner13%11%12%*
Northbridge7%*8%*11%*
Southbridge36%31%34%
Spencer7%**6%***5%***
Webster13%19%18%
Westborough28%28%34%
Worcester34%34%38%
Massachusetts22%23%25%
Additional Worcester County localities
Ashburnham4%***4%***4%***
Auburn8%*8%9%*
Barre5%***2%***1%***
Berlin4%***8%**8%**
Blackstone7%**6%*13%**
Bolton6%**6%**12%**
Boylston10%**10%*8%*
Brookfield1%***5%***2%***
Charlton5%*7%*7%*
Douglas5%**8%***4%***
Dudley10%*11%*14%*
East Brookfield1%***6%***5%***
Grafton14%17%16%
Hardwick5%***5%***8%**
Harvard13%*11%*19%**
Holden8%*11%*13%*
Hopedale8%**7%***5%***
Hubbardston4%***6%***5%***
Lancaster10%*12%*12%*
Leicester11%*6%**5%**
Lunenburg8%*9%*8%**
Mendon6%**8%**14%***
Milford25%27%35%
Millbury8%*8%*11%*
Millville7%**6%**12%***
New Braintree4%***3%***6%***
Northborough16%15%16%
North Brookfield4%***4%**2%***
Oakham3%***2%***3%***
Oxford5%*9%*9%*
Paxton13%**14%**15%*
Petersham10%***5%***3%***
Phillipston3%***3%***1%***
Princeton5%**6%**4%***
Royalston6%***1%***1%***
Rutland7%**8%***5%***
Shrewsbury22%28%33%
Southborough16%16%*22%
Sterling5%**5%**4%***
Sturbridge6%*9%*8%*
Sutton6%*4%**5%**
Templeton4%***4%***2%***
Upton5%**3%**13%*
Uxbridge5%*6%**5%***
Warren5%***3%***12%***
West Boylston7%*16%*11%*
West Brookfield7%***6%**3%***
Westminster6%**4%**4%***
Winchendon6%*5%**9%**
Leominster23%24%22%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Notes: Multiyear results are from rolling American Community Survey. * Margin of error between 20% & 35% of estimate; ** margin of error between 35% & 50%; *** margin of error greater than 50%.




Number of People who Speak a Language Other Than English at Home
2008-122013-172018-22
Worcester County133,855144,226172,922
Athol581**548**896**
Clinton2,1472,4813,082
Fitchburg8,84810,75411,281
Gardner2,3842,0462,366*
Northbridge1,073*1,222*1,752*
Southbridge5,5154,9145,607
Spencer796**653***589***
Webster2,1213,0512,975
Westborough4,7884,9876,803
Worcester57,46358,78474,266
Massachusetts1,344,8711,485,4971,627,903
Additional Worcester County localities
Ashburnham219***229***251***
Auburn1,166*1,2011,378*
Barre240***128***72***
Berlin103***251**289**
Blackstone584**576*1,140**
Bolton287**277**648**
Boylston398**419*388*
Brookfield25***154***61***
Charlton620*916*882*
Douglas382**650***309***
Dudley1,069*1,277*1,585*
East Brookfield16***107***110***
Grafton2,3203,0242,917
Hardwick139***130***214**
Harvard842*683*1,197**
Holden1,390*1,853*2,330*
Hopedale458**400***279***
Hubbardston187***248***201***
Lancaster736*887*992*
Leicester1,136*699**564**
Lunenburg740*991*895**
Mendon354**467**812***
Milford6,5977,2119,747
Millbury995*1,006*1,497*
Millville197**196**384***
New Braintree43***40***57***
Northborough2,2202,1342,477
North Brookfield192***167**112***
Oakham48***44***47***
Oxford686*1,181*1,135*
Paxton618**634**698*
Petersham120***60***35***
Phillipston63***49***18***
Princeton153**207**136***
Royalston60***14***13***
Rutland499**658***459***
Shrewsbury7,4439,63811,983
Southborough1,4661,534*2,170
Sterling353**400**285***
Sturbridge528*815*734*
Sutton488*376**417**
Templeton287***328***174***
Upton370**258**1,004*
Uxbridge575*790**604***
Warren236***129***555***
West Boylston538*1,213*780*
West Brookfield250***216**124***
Westminster386**286**283***
Winchendon578*479**889**
Leominster8,7399,1568,974

Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Notes: Multiyear results are from rolling American Community Survey. * 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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