Worcester Business Journal

8 Worcester Business Journal | October 14, 2019 | wbjournal.com New data from U.S. Census shows 25 to 34 year olds are increasingly calling Worcester home W hen Worcester has attracted new residents in the years since 2010, it's very oen been in one segment of the population: the 20- and 30-somethings oen sought aer for the energy and spending they bring to a community. Of the roughly 4,600 people Worcester has added since 2010, more than eight out of 10 have been between the ages of 25 and 34, according to new U.S. Census Bureau estimates released this fall. e new data comes as Worcester city officials pitch the city as a more affordable place than Boston and a place where neighborhoods such as downtown can be places to live and go out to eat – and not just to work. John Brown, a Clark University economics professor, sees Worcester's growth in young adults as the result of both rising demand for jobs requiring degrees, which can attract more people for those jobs, and of the city being a more attractive place for younger people to live, particularly with relatively cheap housing and a growing number of entertainment and dining options. Rejuvenating the city Attracting a young workforce has been a priority of the city for years, as officials wanted to keep recent college graduates and support a growing workforce, said Paul Matthews, the executive director of the Worcester Regional Research Bureau. Younger workers can have an effect on retail and restaurants, get involved in local causes, and show an ongoing rejuvenation in the city, Matthews said. "It's a thousand factors," Matthews said, describing the appeal to cities. Worcester's not alone in attracting young adults in recent years, and in fact is adding such residents at slower rates PHOTO/NATHAN FISKE BY GRANT WELKER Worcester Business Journal News Editor The younger crowd Robbie Allred, 26, worked at Southborough manufacturer Protonex Technology Corp. before moving to Revision Military as an electronics engineering technician in Southborough. Worcester County has grown its younger population faster than Worcester city, although both are up significantly. Worcester events like the Taste of Shrewsbury Street draw in younger crowds and offer a communal, urban experience.

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