Worcester

Worcester is a city and county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, the city's population was 206,518 at the 2020 census, making it the second-most populous city in New England after Boston. Worcester developed as an industrial city in the 19th century due to the Blackstone Canal and rail transport, producing machinery, textiles and wire. In the 1770s, Worcester became a center of American revolutionary activity. The city is known for its diversity and large immigrant population, with significant communities of Vietnamese, Brazilians, Albanians, Puerto Ricans, Ghanaians, Dominicans, and others. It is home to eight separate colleges and universities, including Holy Cross, Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), and Clark University. Since the 1970s, and especially after the construction of Route 146 and interstates 90, 495, 190, 290, and 395, both Worcester and its surrounding towns have become increasingly integrated with Boston's suburbs. The Worcester region now marks the western periphery of the Boston-worcester-Providence (MA-RI-NH) U.S. Census Combined Statistical Area (CSA), or Greater Boston. The area was first inhabited by members of the Nipmuc tribe. In 1673, English settlers John Eliot and Daniel Gookin led an expedition to Quinsigamond to establish a new Christian Indian "praying town" and identify a new location for an English settlement. On July 14, 1776, Thomas performed the first public reading in Massachusetts of the American Declaration of Independence.

History

The area was first inhabited by members of the Nipmuc tribe. Named after the city of Worcester, England, the town was incorporated on June 14, 1722. The first three-decker homes were built by Francis Gallagher (1830-1911) in Worcester. The city's industries soon attracted immigrants of primarily Irish, Scottish, French, German, and Swedish descent. In the mid-20th century, Worcester's population dropped over 20% from 1950 to 1980. A huge area of downtown was demolished for new towers and the Galleria Galleria shopping mall would lose most of its tenants and appeal to more suburban shopping malls. On June 9, 1953, an F4 tornado touched down in Worcester County, Massachusetts, destroying a large office building and a number of other buildings. The tornado also destroyed a large part of Petersham County, including a large section of Worcester County's town hall building and the Worcester County Courthouse. The town of Worcester is home to the Worcester Symphony Orchestra, which has been in existence since the early 1900s. The symphony orchestra has been playing in Worcester for more than 100 years and is based at the Worcester Opera House. The Symphony Orchestra is based in Worcester, Massachusetts and has its roots in the town of Waltham, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1827. The Worcester Symphony orchestra was founded by William W. O'Neill in 1828. It is the oldest continuously operating music ensemble in the U.S. and has been instrumental in the development of Worcester's culture.

Geography

Worcester has a total area of 38.6 square miles (100 km²) The city is about 40 miles (64 km) west of Boston, 50 miles (80 km) east of Springfield, and 38 miles (61 km) northwest of Providence, Rhode Island. The city averages 48.1 inches (1,220 mm) of precipitation a year, as well as an average of 72.9 inches (185 cm) of snowfall a season. The Blackstone Canal was once an important waterway connecting Worcester to Providence and the Eastern Seaboard, but the canal fell into disuse at the end of the 19th century and was mostly covered up. In recent years, local organizations, including the Canal District Business Association, have proposed restoring the canal and creating a Blackstone Valley National Park. The USDA classifies the city as straddling hardiness zones 5b and 6a. The all-time record high temperature is 102 °F (39 °C), recorded on July 4, 1911, the only 100°F (38 °C) or greater temperature to date. The hottest month is July, with a 24-hour average of 70.2 °C (21.2°F), while the coldest is January, at 24.1 °F [4.4 °C] The city has many ponds and two prominent lakes: Indian Lake and Lake Quinsigamond. On September 21, 1938, a large part of the city was damaged by a tornado that killed 94 people.

Demographics

According to the 2020 U.S. Census, Worcester had a population of 206,518, of which 104,911 (50.8%) were female and 101,607 (49.2%) were male. Hispanics and Latinos of any race made up 23.1% of the population (of whom nearly half were Puerto Rican) Non-Hispanic Whites were 54.4% of Worcester's population in 2020, down from 96.8% in 1970. 19.7% of Worcestershire's population are below the poverty threshold. The city is known for its diversity and large immigrant population, with significant communities of Vietnamese, Brazilians, Albanians, Puerto Ricans, Ghanaians, Dominicans, and others. 22% of Worcester's population was born outside the United States in 2018, according to the 2018 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. In terms of age, 81.0% were over 18 years old and 13.6% are over 65 years old; children under 5 made up 5.2% ofThe city's population as of 2020 was 67.7 % White (including Hispanics), 13.0 % Black or African American, 0.5 % American Indian and Alaska Native, 7.2 % Asian, 0.1 % Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander, 5. 2% from Some Other Race, and 6.4 % from Two or More Races. The average household income in the city was $62,000, compared to the national average of $50,000.

Government

Worcester is governed by a councilmanager government, with a popularly elected mayor. A city council acts as the legislative body, and the council-appointed manager handles the traditional day-to-day chief executive functions. The mayor has no more authority than other city councilors, but is the ceremonial head of the city. The first national convention advocating women's rights was held in Worcester on October 2324, 1850. On October 19, 1924, the largest gathering of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK) ever held in New England took place at the Agricultural Fairgrounds in Worcester. The crowd swelled to 15,000, but when the rally ended around midnight, a riot broke out. The violence raged out of control for most of the night, but after the "vocation" fell off, the violence had the desired effect: Membership fell off and their cars were smashed and their windows smashed and they were forced to flee the scene. The city has been home to a number of temperance and abolitionist movements, including Lucy Stone, Eli Thayer, and Samuel May Jr. They were joined in their political activities by networks of related Quaker families such as the Earles and the Chases, whose organizing efforts were crucial to the anti-slavery cause in central Massachusetts and throughout New England. The area was also a leader in the women's suffrage movement: Emma Goldman and two others opened an ice cream shop in 1892. The current mayor is chosen by popular election, but must also run and win as an at-large councilor.

Economy

Worcester is home to the largest concentration of digital gaming students in the United States. The Massachusetts Biotechnology Research Park hosts many innovative companies including Advanced Cell Technology and AbbVie. The Memorial Auditorium, built as a tribute to World War I veterans of Worcester, is undergoing a renovation and may cater to these Digital Students as a future multimedia and digital center, in conjunction with the twelve Worcester colleges and universities. In 2010, the median household income was $61,212. The per capita income was $29,316. About 7.7% of families and 10.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.1% of those under age 18 and 7.5% ofThose age 65 or over. The top ten employers in the city are: According to the city's 2018 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top ten Employers in Worcester are: The University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Polar Beverages, Hanover Insurance, Unum Insurance and Fallon Community Health Plan. In October 2013, Worcester was found to be the number five city for investing in a rental property. In January 2017, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker signed into law a bill allowing 44 acres of unused state-owned land on the former Worcester State Hospital campus to be converted into a biomanufacturing industrial park. In November 2017, Baker's administration and the Worcester Business Development Corporation signed a land disposition agreement for the park. The Worcester Foundation for Experimental Biology in Shrewsbury developed the oral contraceptive pill in 1951.

Education

Worcester Public Schools educate more than 25,000 students in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. The system consists of 34 elementary schools, 4 middle schools, 8 high schools, and several other learning centers. The city's public school system also administers an adult education component called "Night Life", and operates a Public-access television cable TV station on channel 11. In June 2015, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker announced a $1.3 million grant to the Elm Park Community School. In 2014, Worcester Tech's graduating class was honored by having President Barack Obama as the speaker at their graduation ceremony. In 2013, Holy Cross was ranked by U.S. News & World Report as the nation's 25th highest-rated liberal arts college. Well-known graduates include Dr. Anthony Fauci, Nobel laureate Joseph E. Murray; former Poet Laureate of the United States Billy Collins; Basketball Hall of Fame member Bob Cousy; attorney and professional sports' team owner Edward Bennett Williams. The University of Massachusetts Medical School is ranked fourth in primary care among medical schools in America's Best News & Report guide. In 2006, Dr. Craig Mello won the Nobel Prize for Medicine for his work at the University ofMassachusetts Medical School. At 175 acres (0.71 km²), Assumption College is the fourth oldest Roman Catholic college in New England and was founded in 1904. The Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Worcester Campus houses the institution's Doctor of Optometry program.

Culture

Worcester has many traditionally ethnic neighborhoods, including Quinsigamond Village (Swedish), Shrewsbury Street (Italian), Kelley Square (Irish and Polish), Vernon Hill (Lithuanian), Union Hill (Jewish), and Main South (Puerto Rican, Dominican, and Vietnamese) The Canal District was once an old Eastern European neighborhood, but has been redeveloped into a very popular bar, restaurant and club scene. Mechanics Hall, built in 1857, is one of the oldest concert halls in the country and is renowned for its pure acoustics. The Worcester Music Festival and New England Metal and Hardcore Festival are also held annually in Worcester. The nickname Wormtown is synonymous with the city's once large underground rock music scene. The city is known as the "Heart of the Commonwealth;" a heart is the official symbol of the city. Worcester has 1,200 acres of publicly owned property. Notable parks include Elm Park, laid out by Frederick Law Olmsted in 1854, and the City Common laid out in 1669. Both parks are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The largest in the city is the 549 acre Green Hill Park, donated by the Green Hill family in 1903. In 2002, the Massachusetts Veterans Memorial Memorial was dedicated to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The former Boylston Historical Society's headquarters is now the Worcester Historical Museum. Though not within the city limits, it is a 20-minute drive northeast of the City Horticultural Society's former headquarters.

Sports

Worcester was home to Marshall Walter ("Major") Taylor, an African American cyclist who won the world one-mile (1.6 km) track cycling championship in 1899. Lake Quinsigamond is home to the Eastern Sprints, a premier rowing event in the United States. The city's former professional baseball team, the Worcester Tornadoes, started in 2005 and was a member of the Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball League. In 2002, the Jesse Burkett Little League all-stars team went all the way to the Little League World Series. The Worcester County Wildcats, part of the New England Football League, is a semi-pro football team, and play at Commerce Bank Field at Foley Stadium. The Massachusetts Pirates, an indoor football team in the Indoor Football League (where they are the defending United Bowl champions), started in 2018 at the DCU Center. The City hosts the Worcester Railers of the ECHL, which began play in October 2017. Prior to the Railers, the American Hockey League team Worcester Sharks played in Worcester from 2006 to 2015, before relocating to San Jose. The Sharks played at theDCU Center as a developmental team for the National Hockey League's San Jose Sharks. The IceCats were chiefly affiliated with the St. Louis Blues. The Holy Cross Crusaders won the NCAA men's basketball champions in 1947 and NIT men'sasketball champions in 1954. The College of the Holy Cross represents NCAA Division 1 sports in Worcester. The other colleges and Universities in Worcester correspond with division II and III.

Religion

The first Catholics came to Worcester in 1826. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Worcester was canonically erected on January 14, 1950, by Pope Pius XII. The first Armenian Church in the Western Hemisphere was built in Worcester in 1890 and consecrated on January 18, 1891, as "Soorp Purgich" (Holy Savior) Most Mandaeans in Worcester arrived as refugees from instability in Iraq during the early 21st century. Most inhabitants of Worcester County report no religious affiliation. Following None, the largest reported religious denomination is Catholicism. The city is home to a dedicated Jewish population who attend five synagogues, including Temple Emanuel Sinai, Congregation Beth Israel, a Conservative synagogue founded in 1924, and Orthodox Congregation Tifereth Israel Sons of Jacob (Chabad), home of Yeshiva Achei Tmimim Academy. It is also home to America's largest community of Mandaean, numbering around 2,500. The U.S. Religion Census 2010 found that the majority of people in Worcester County have no religious affiliations. The largest religion in the city is Catholicism, followed by No. 1, No. 2, and No. 3, Protestantism. The majority of the city's population is white, with the exception of a few African-American and Asian-American residents who live in Worcester's suburbs. The population of African-Americans in Worcester is less than 1,000, with most living in the Worcester suburb of Amherst.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Worcester, Worcester County, Massachusetts = 38. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 52. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 31. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Worcester = 3.3 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 206,518 individuals with a median age of 35.9 age the population grows by 0.31% in Worcester, Worcester County, Massachusetts population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 5,527.78 residents per square mile of area (2,134.27/km²). There are average 2.4 people per household in the 67,870 households with an average household income of $43,635 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 9.90% of the available work force and has dropped -2.85% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 24.40%. The number of physicians in Worcester per 100,000 population = 245.5.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Worcester = 44.8 inches and the annual snowfall = 57.8 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 127. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 197. 81 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 16.6 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 51, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Worcester, Worcester County, Massachusetts which are owned by the occupant = 41.18%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 59 years with median home cost = $145,230 and home appreciation of -10.92%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $13.23 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $9,721 per student. There are 13.8 students for each teacher in the school, 3372 students for each Librarian and 702 students for each Counselor. 6.43% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 13.47% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 9.66% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).