Economic Mobility
People Living in Poverty, by Education Level
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Source: U.S. Census Bureau

What does this measure?

The share of residents with incomes below the federal poverty level, broken down by levels of educational attainment. Poverty thresholds vary by family composition and year. In 2022, the threshold for a four-person family with two children was $29,700.

Why is this important?

This measures the ability of people with different education levels to find work and earn a wage above the poverty line. It also indicates the level of need for social and educational supports.

How is our county performing?

In 2018-22, 25% of Worcester County residents who did not possess a high school diploma lived below the poverty line, an increase of two percentage points from 2008-12. This was similar to the statewide rate of 24% and national figure of 24%.

During the same period, 12% of County residents who had a high school diploma lived in poverty, compared to 8% who had attended some college or earned an associate's degree, and 4% who had at least a bachelor's degree. The rate of poverty for those with a bachelor's degree was similar to state and national rates, and rates for those with a high school diploma or some college were slightly below both state and national rates.

The City of Worcester, the only locality with statistically reliable data, had a much higher percentage of people without a high school diploma who lived below the poverty line compared to the rest of the County, at 34%.

Notes about the data

Poverty status is not reported for people in institutions, including college dormitories and military barracks, and people in living situations without conventional housing.

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

People Living in Poverty by Education Level, 2018-22
Bachelor's degree or higherHigh school graduate, GED, or alternativeLess than high school diplomaSome college or associate's degree
Worcester County4%12%25%8%
Athol3%***12%*36%***6%**
Clinton1%***5%***22%***11%**
Fitchburg5%***17%*26%*8%*
Gardner4%***15%*29%**11%*
Northbridge3%***9%***7%***5%***
Southbridge7%***16%*28%*13%*
Spencer4%***8%***23%***5%***
Webster4%***16%**19%***12%**
Westborough3%**6%***23%***7%**
Worcester8%19%34%12%
Massachusetts4%13%24%9%
Additional Worcester County localities
Ashburnham7%***5%***51%***4%***
Auburn1%***7%**7%***4%***
Barre2%***11%***0%***10%***
Berlin5%***3%***23%***15%***
Blackstone1%***10%***9%***8%***
Bolton2%***27%***0%***2%***
Boylston3%***11%***0%***15%***
Brookfield4%***5%***9%***15%***
Charlton1%***6%***2%***4%***
Douglas1%***4%***12%***6%***
Dudley2%***12%***16%***5%***
East Brookfield0%***7%***45%***3%***
Grafton4%***10%***25%***4%***
Hardwick5%***8%***20%***11%***
Harvard4%***2%***3%***15%***
Holden3%**10%**24%***5%***
Hopedale1%***10%***40%***4%***
Hubbardston7%***10%***24%***2%***
Lancaster2%***3%***33%***2%***
Leicester2%***4%***0%***4%***
Lunenburg4%***7%***13%***10%***
Mendon4%***13%***32%***2%***
Milford3%***8%**16%**8%**
Millbury3%***5%***6%***7%**
Millville5%***5%***7%***9%**
New Braintree7%***20%***10%***13%***
Northborough1%***5%***16%***13%***
North Brookfield6%***7%***0%***6%***
Oakham3%***13%***14%***7%***
Oxford4%***4%***2%***4%***
Paxton1%***1%***1%***3%***
Petersham6%***12%***0%***5%***
Phillipston4%***5%***23%***6%***
Princeton1%***7%***59%***5%***
Royalston1%***17%***14%***9%***
Rutland1%***5%***7%***0%***
Shrewsbury2%**8%***27%***7%**
Southborough4%***7%***17%***1%***
Sterling2%***6%***15%***2%***
Sturbridge1%***8%***3%***6%***
Sutton3%***6%***13%***4%***
Templeton9%***8%***11%***2%***
Upton3%***0%***16%***3%***
Uxbridge2%***4%***10%***4%***
Warren0%***5%***29%***46%***
West Boylston5%***13%***23%***6%***
West Brookfield5%***13%***27%**8%***
Westminster2%***5%***3%***7%***
Winchendon2%***11%***16%***12%**
Leominster3%**16%*16%**6%**

Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Notes: Data not shown where sample sizes were too small. 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 Living in Poverty by Education Level, 2018-22
Bachelor's degree or higherHigh school graduate, GED, or alternativeLess than high school diplomaSome college or associate's degree
Worcester County8,75217,99012,09712,578
Athol50***393*313***175**
Clinton30***143***176***354**
Fitchburg332***1,374*998*745*
Gardner126***723*447**610*
Northbridge126***268***58***175***
Southbridge157***640*627*448*
Spencer92***311***171***126***
Webster120***587**184***449**
Westborough267**96***117***158**
Worcester3,5917,0026,2334,129
Massachusetts88,539137,94499,01997,895
Additional Worcester County localities
Ashburnham112***43***101***59***
Auburn33***229**60***127***
Barre26***145***0***81***
Berlin70***25***15***65***
Blackstone32***200***20***154***
Bolton44***76***0***11***
Boylston58***55***0***135***
Brookfield26***45***10***102***
Charlton49***149***7***83***
Douglas26***80***14***112***
Dudley47***259***87***142***
East Brookfield0***45***25***14***
Grafton264***288***138***100***
Hardwick25***48***22***64***
Harvard111***7***2***79***
Holden241**184**102***133***
Hopedale18***97***70***35***
Hubbardston66***82***35***26***
Lancaster70***28***60***28***
Leicester46***82***2***117***
Lunenburg135***147***52***196***
Mendon83***108***30***18***
Milford257***470**451**411**
Millbury112***151***41***216**
Millville32***33***12***67**
New Braintree18***29***8***28***
Northborough88***73***47***226***
North Brookfield56***91***0***51***
Oakham12***35***12***24***
Oxford90***146***13***108***
Paxton21***4***1***22***
Petersham24***23***0***14***
Phillipston13***25***25***26***
Princeton21***21***24***31***
Royalston4***55***16***27***
Rutland28***74***9***2***
Shrewsbury308**282***277***301**
Southborough177***46***39***13***
Sterling49***85***27***36***
Sturbridge28***107***9***131***
Sutton95***95***24***80***
Templeton138***111***51***36***
Upton104***4***20***49***
Uxbridge73***115***46***117***
Warren1***73***77***278***
West Boylston116***135***70***89***
West Brookfield50***122***46**75***
Westminster50***79***13***102***
Winchendon42***252***79***264**
Leominster272**1,295*484**504**

Source: U.S. Census Bureau
Notes: Data not shown where sample sizes were too small. 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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