by: Cait Lubelczyk, Vice President of Marketing and Communications, Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce

The Worcester Regional Chamber of Commerce has long believed that understanding the pulse of the community is essential to driving smart economic growth for both our Chamber members and the cities and towns in our Chamber service area. That’s why it commissions in-depth polls like its 2023 Worcester Resident Survey, and more recently, a Worcester Resident Survey conducted this past June, not just to collect statistics, but to uncover what matters most to residents, guide advocacy efforts, and ensure business and civic priorities align. With housing, jobs, and education shaping Worcester’s future, this year’s survey offers a candid snapshot of opportunities and challenges ahead. By tracking opinion over time, the Chamber can pinpoint where sentiment is shifting and where action is most urgently needed. The newly released survey, alongside comparisons to the Chamber’s 2023 polling, paints a picture of a city still hopeful about its direction but facing mounting economic pressures, especially on housing, and a public that wants the City Council to focus its time on local issues.

Like the 2023 poll, the 2025 poll spoke directly with 500 Worcester residents this past June from across the city, utilizing 2020 U.S. Census data. The poll’s margin of error is 4.4%. The poll was conducted by the professional polling firm Strategic Opinion Research.

In 2023, 60% of residents said Worcester was headed in the right direction, with just 21% saying it was on the wrong track. Two years later, while still strong, that optimism has somewhat dipped: only 50% now say the city is moving in the right direction, while 29% see it going the wrong way and 21% remain unsure. According to current-day polling standards, a 50% “right direction” is generally positive. The shift appears tied to growing concerns about housing affordability and questions around what the City Council should be prioritizing its time on.

In 2023, the cost of living and crime topped residents’ worries; by 2025, housing costs and affordable options are the top issues, cited by 22% when asked what their number one issue is.

An example of this is found in responses to the question: “In the last couple of years, the City of Worcester has created 2,000 new housing units, including affordable units. This represents a 10% increase.” Forty-seven percent responded, “Good progress, but still needs more housing.” Forty-three percent said Worcester has not built enough affordable housing.

While jobs remain a top priority, the urgency around housing is unmistakable, as 82% of residents now say Worcester must focus on building more housing, and 89% believe housing prices have become unaffordable. Support for adding more apartments has grown from 71% in 2023 to 74% in 2025, even as some residents remain wary of large-scale developments.

The 2025 survey also shows changes in how residents view the City Council’s role. In 2023, 63% said the top priority should be creating more jobs, compared with a more divided 2025 response. When asked, “Where should the Worcester City Council focus their efforts?” 31% now say jobs, 27% favor a focus on neighborhood and municipal issues, and 23% prioritize housing, with 11% calling for a balance of all three. These collectively total 81%.

Public sentiment on education has held steady, 55% rated Worcester Public Schools positively in both years, with 29% disagreeing in 2025. Support for expanding vocational and technical education is near-unanimous at 86% in 2025.

Views on public safety are similarly steady, with 63% saying the Worcester Police “do a great job” and 23% in disagreement.

For the Chamber, the findings underscore the continued urgency of working with public- and private-sector partners on developing more housing solutions and fully leveraging existing tools that facilitate the production of more market-rate and affordable housing units. Additionally, the survey continues to reinforce job creation for Worcester residents as a priority. Moreover, it suggests that the City Council can best achieve successful policy outcomes by staying focused on municipal and neighborhood issues as well as housing, jobs, and education.