What does this measure?
The home value reported by homeowners in various racial and ethnic groups to the Census Bureau, adjusted for inflation. The median represents the mid-point of home values (half the values are above the median and half below).
Why is this important?
A home is usually a person's or a family's highest-value possession. Home values are also an indicator of the region's cost of living, relative wealth, and general prosperity.
How is our county performing?
In 2017-21, the median home values for Hispanic or Latino homeowners ($280,700) and Black or African American homeowners ($294,500) in Worcester County were lower compared to home values for White ($323,300) and Asian ($415,000) homeowners. Similar disparities existed in the state and nation, although the disparity between African American and White median home values was smaller in Worcester County compared to the state and nation. Additionally, the disparity between the County's Latino and White median home values was lower than the state but much higher than the nation.
Why do these disparities exist?
National research has shown that homes are appraised at lower values in communities of color, particularly Black communities, when compared with homes in White neighborhoods with similar house and neighborhood characteristics. Neighborhood racial composition was an explicit determining factor in the evaluation of US home values from the 1930s until the passage of the Fair Housing Act of 1968. Government-enforced redlining policies and other discriminatory housing practices resulted in higher valuations and investment in White communities and lower home valuations and disinvestment in communities of color. These policies have been a major contributor to present day racial disparities in median home values. Additionally, research suggests neighborhoods with higher shares of Black and Hispanic residents have experienced lower real housing appreciation, and homes in those neighborhoods are more likely than homes in White neighborhoods to be appraised at values below contract prices.
Notes about the data
Data are presented in 2022 dollars. Multi-year data are from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey, Public Use Microdata Sample. The American Community Survey combines five years of responses to provide estimates for smaller geographic areas and increase the precision of its estimates. The survey provides data on characteristics of the population that used to be collected only during the decennial census.
| Asian | Black or African American | Hispanic or Latino | White | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Worcester County | $415,050 | $294,515 | $280,653 | $323,260 |
| Worcester | $558,843 | $464,048 | $495,504 | $515,589 |
| Massachusetts | $540,252 | $406,431 | $379,243 | $438,772 |
Notes: No Rate Data
