Census: Worcester population grew 1.25% since 2020, as other Central Mass. communities shrink

Worcester County’s population continues to grow, while the population of Middlesex County has seen some slight shrinkage, according to 2023 population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau released in May. 

Worcester County’s population grew from 859,669 to 866,866, a 0.84% increase, according to a comparison of 2020 population estimates with the 2023 figures released on Thursday. Middlesex County’s population shrank from 1,628,235 to 1,623,952, a 0.26% decrease.

After seeing its estimated population decline from 2020 until 2022, the estimated population of Massachusetts in 2023 was 7,001,399, a 0.27% increase from the previous year.

On a municipal level, Worcester saw a 1.25% increase, as its estimated population grew from 205,056 to 207,621 from 2020 to 2023. The increase came after the 2020 base figures released in 2021 showed Worcester was the fastest-growing major city in New England since 2010.

Other large cities in Worcester County saw a decrease from 2020 to 2023, as Fitchburg’s population estimate decreased from 41,675 to 41,579, a 0.23% decrease, and Leominster’s population estimate fell from 43,755 to 43,627, a 0.29% decline.

Prominent Middlesex County cities also saw a decrease in estimated populations; Marlborough’s estimate decreased from 41,689 to 41,179, a 1.22% decline, while Framingham’s population estimate fell from 72,197 to 71,875, a decrease of 0.45%.