Warren Group

With the Massachusetts unemployment rate at just 3.6 percent in July, construction firms simply can't find enough workers.

Even as rising real estate prices are pushing more homes into the realm of luxury pricing, the surging economy is creating more wealth in Massachusetts and would-be buyers are eschewing the highest-priced markets like Greater Boston in favor of places like Worcester County where their top dollar goes further.

Median home sale prices in Worcester County hit $307,000 in June, a 10.9-percent increase from the previous year, according to a report by the Boston real estate firm Warren Group Wednesday.

Across Central Massachusetts, the rate of new subsidized housing units has sped up as the housing market has remained tight, outpacing the state average.

New homes aren't being built at nearly the rate they used to in and around Worcester. In fact, the region hasn't kept up with statewide or national rates.

Ten notable MetroWest communities had a mixed April for single-family home sales, with prices rising in six of them, and the number of sales up in five.

The property value of homes in Worcester County and statewide continued their climb in April, with the median home price in the county rising more than 9 percent.

Worcester County home sale prices continue to climb at a pace above the Massachusetts average, with the median sale prices for the year now reaching $250,000.

Massachusetts is 329,000 homes behind the pace for construction growth needed to meet demand and keep prices from rising too high, according to a report from a pro-growth housing group.

Single-family home sales rose in many MetroWest communities in February, including Marlborough, Natick and Milford, as inventory in many cities and towns remained low.