Worcester Business Journal

4 Worcester Business Journal | October 25, 2021 | wbjournal.com F A C T B O O K C E N S U S Population boom Central Mass. population growth over the past decade exceeded expectations, led by MetroWest and the fastest-growing major New England city Irfan Nasrullah, chair of the Hopkinton Select Board (left) and Town Clerk Connor Degan tour the Legacy Farms housing devel- opment in town. F ueled by communities near I-495 and the Massachusetts Turnpike, the Central Mas- sachusetts region grew 8.1% in population from 2010 to 2020, outpacing both the state (6.0%) and nation (6.5%), according to the U.S. Census Bureau's Decennial Census of Population and Housing. e 84 cities and towns in Worcester County and MetroWest comprising the Central Massachusetts region now have an official population of 1,298,149, according to the 2020 Census, up from 1,201,125 in the last Decennial Census in 2010. Unlike the annual population updates from the Census Bureau and other sources like the UMass Donahue Institute, which rely on projections, the BY SLOANE M. PERRON WBJ Staff Writer Decennial Census is a full accounting of people in each community, and the impact of this data lasts a lifetime as federal funds, school systems, political districts, and more are all determined by this information. While communities like Hopkinton and Worcester saw substantial and fast-paced growth, rural towns like Hardwick experienced deep declines due to aging populations and distance from main transportation routes. e Census revealed a decrease in rural populations with the 10 greatest decreases in Central Massachusetts taking place in Hardwick, Petersham, Warren, Oakham, Oxford, Hubbardston, Royalston, Millville, and New Braintree. "Our region outgrew initial projection by 3%," said Robert Raymond, transpor- tation planner for the Central Massachu- setts Regional Planning Commission, one of 13 planning councils across the state and focused on transportation and land use planning to create strategic plans fostering growth in the city of Worcester and its 39 surrounding towns. Accessibility to Boston through major transportation arteries like I-495 and I-290 along with reasonable proximity to commuter rails were important factors that people considered when moving, said Trish Settles, deputy director regional collaboration and community planning of CMRPC. e further away from transpor- tation towns were, the less likely they were to experience population growth. e town of Rutland saw a 13.5% pop- ulation increase, which Settles attributes to its land availability, central location, and the fact the town is more affordable compared to cities like Marlborough. PHOTO/MATT WRIGHT As more people have moved into Worcester, the city has tried to redevelop more of its down- town district. PHOTO/GRANT WELKER

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