Welcome to The Research Bureau

Promoting Informed Debate and Decision-Making through Public Policy Research

The Worcester Regional Research Bureau serves the public interest of Greater Worcester by conducting independent, non-partisan research and analysis of public policy issues to promote informed public debate and decision-making. For thirty years, The Research Bureau has worked to protect the public interest in Greater Worcester by identifying issues, investigating impacts, and educating the public and government officials of opportunities and best practices.

Recent Reports

  • On Track for Zero Emissions - cover photo

    On Track for Zero Emissions?

    The number of battery electric and plug-in hybrid registrations ("zero-emissions vehicles") grew from 0.44% of all vehicles in January 2021 to 2.21% of all vehicles in January 2026.
    The number of internal combustion engine vehicles (ICEV) in Worcester County decreased by 1,044 since 2021; hybrid and zero-emissions vehicles increased by 20,896 and 12,417 respectively. The number of overall vehicles registered in the County has increased, it has been driven by non-ICEV. 
    The Research Bureau found that census tracts with a higher percentage of Bachelor's Degrees, residents working from home, and higher median household incomes tend to have higher percentages of zero-emissions vehicle miles traveled.

  • The Cover for Paying for a Public Education report which looks at Worcester Public Schools' FY27 budget.

    Paying for a Public Education: FY27

    The Worcester Public Schools' FY27 budget totals $623.8 million, a 5.8% increase from FY26.
    Revenues are approximately made up by chapter 70 state aid (64.8%), local city contribution (24.5%), and special revenue (10.6%).
    Expenditures are divided across three categories: Total Employees (85.3%), Total Supplies & Services (14.5%), and Total Capital Equipment (0.9%).

  • Breaking Down the Budget: City of Worcester for Fiscal Year 2027

    Breaking Down the Budget: Fiscal Year 2027

    The City of Worcester's FY27 budget totals $1.001 billion, crossing the billion-dollar threshold for the first time.
    Revenues are approximately made up by property taxes (43%), state aid for education (45%), local receipts (6.3%), and general state aid(5.5%)
    Expenditures are divided across three main categories: Education (61.2%), City Services (21.6%), and Fixed Costs (17.2%).

  • Understanding Your Neighborhood Schools are dashboards that serve as a valuable resource offering a comprehensive view of each school in the WPS District, including catchment zone maps.

    Understanding Your Neighborhood Schools: 2026

    Thirty-three of Worcester’s Schools (including 22 non-magnet elementary schools) have catch zones where more than 50% of renter households are cost burdened.
    The 31 elementary schools with catch zones had an average 9,744 estimated residents living within them as of 2024, with an average 584 residents under 5 and 531 between 5 and 9.
    Of the 43 schools on the dashboard, 22 were rated above 100% capacity utilization in the MSBA’s 2026 school survey.

  • Mapping the Next Opportunity

    Mapping the Next Opportunity: Worcester County’s OZ Choices

    Worcester County has 49 census tracts eligible for the next round of Opportunity Zone designations including 26 in the City of Worcester.
    The next OZ map will determine which census tracts qualify for federal tax incentives from 2027 through 2036, as the 2018 designations expire at the end of 2028.
    Opportunity Zone investments have often flowed to areas already experiencing economic growth, rather than to the most distressed communities.

  • Raising Housing: Understanding the Affordable Housing Crisis in Worcester

    Raising Housing: Understanding the Affordable Housing Crisis in Worcester

    The report explores the severity of the affordable housing crisis facing both Massachusetts and Worcester, where rising housing costs have increasingly outpaced wages, placing sustained pressure on renters and homeowners alike.
    Forty percent of all Worcester households and half of renter households are cost-burdened.
    Housing production has not kept pace with population growth, requiring Worcester to more than double its recent annual construction rate to meet the Housing Production Plan’s target of 12,300 units by 2033.

Submit a Research Topic

We invite you to suggest a research topic for us to consider

The Research Bureau receives many suggestions for report subjects. When considering the viability of a potential report, WRRB staff asks a series of questions. In an effort to ensure we have answers to these questions when discussing an idea or pitch, we ask that our friends and partners with ideas provide as much detail as possible when submitting.

latest events

City Manager Batista to Deliver State of the City Address on June 17 at Worcester's City Hall.

sotc 2026 1

State of the City 2026

WRRB's 40th Annual Meeting, 11/19, 4:30pm, DCU Center; Program will feature remarks from Founding Chair George Tetler as well as a panel discussion with Worcester's City Managers: Mike O'Brien, Ed Augustus, Eric Batista. Panel will be moderated by The Hanover Insurance Group Foundation President, Kim Salmon. Register today!

WRRB.2025-save-the-date-PDF-with links.rd1.101325

40th Annual Meeting – November 19, 2025

Worcester Municipal Election Candidate Debates to take place at 7pm on September 24th, October 1st, October 8th, October 15th, and October 29th at Mechanics Hall.

2025 Municipal Election Candidate Debates (3)

Worcester Municipal Election Candidate Debates

Building for Tomorrow will discuss the State's Housing Production Plan, the UPHC's recommendations, and other housing efforts in the region with Secretary Augustus, Leah Bradley of CMHA, and CMRPC.

Building for Tomorrow – 5.20, 915, Top of the Tower

Building For Tomorrow

In the News

Stay Connected

New Report Release! On Track for Zero Emissions? is a close analysis of electric vehicle (EV) adoption within Worcester County's sixty municipalities! In 2025, according to the International Energy Agency, 25% of all vehicles sold worldwide were either battery electric or plug-in hybrids. In Worcester County, the number of battery electric and plug-in hybrid registrations (“zero-emissions vehicles”) grew from 0.44% of all vehicles in January 2021 to 2.21% of all vehicles in January 2026. While the number of registered zero-emissions vehicles remains low in Worcester County, it is growing. For our full analysis and recommendations use the link in our bio. #WorcPoli
In Paying for a Public Education, The Research Bureau continues its annual practice of explaining how Worcester Public Schools' budget works, highlighting revenues and expenditures, how Massachusetts determines what it costs for an “adequate education,” how WPS compares to other Gateway Cities, and what to watch out for in future years. Read Paying for a Public Education: FY27 at the link in our bio #WorcPoli
Breaking Down the Budget is WRRB's annual examination of the City of Worcester's approved budget. The report reviews the budget process and governance structure, and dives into how the City funds services, allocates resources, and prepares for future challenges. Read Breaking Down the Budget at the link in our bio #WorcPoli
In Paying for a Public Education, The Research Bureau continues its annual practice of breaking down WPS' 2026-2027 budget of $623.8 million, an increase of 5.8% from last year. The report explains how WPS' budget works, highlights revenues and expenditures, how Massachusetts determines what it costs for an “adequate education,” how WPS compares to other Gateway Cities, and what to watch out for in future years. Read Paying for a Public Education: FY27: link in bio. #WorcPoli
Breaking Down the Budget is WRRB's annual examination of the City of Worcester's approved budget. The report reviews the budget process and governance structure, and dives into how the City funds services, allocates resources, and prepares for future challenges. The report highlights revenues for FY27 which totals $1.001 billion, crossing the billion-dollar threshold for the first time, as well as expenditures, which are divided across three main categories, Education (61% of the budget), City Services (21.6%), and Fixed Costs (17.2%). The report also explores the Capital Budget, which totals $172.8 million, $159.4M in FY27 borrowing and $13.4M in grants & other funding. Read Breaking Down the Budget: FY27: link in bio! #WorcPoli
WRRB releases a 2026 Update of Understanding Your Neighborhood Schools. These dashboards, developed by Worcester Regional Research Bureau in partnership with Worcester Education Collaborative, update the 2024 dashboard with 2025-2026 enrollment data for the Worcester Public Schools, MSBA's 2025 survey data, and data from the 2024 5-YR American Community Survey. As of the 2025-2026 academic year, the Worcester Public Schools (WPS) enrolls 24,677 scholars across 45 elementary, middle, and high schools. These dashboards serve as a valuable resource offering a comprehensive view of each school in the WPS District, including catchment zone maps. Use the Interactive Data Dashboards - link is in the bio. #WorcPoli
The Opportunity Zone (OZ) program uses federal tax incentives to encourage private investment in low-income communities. This brief brings attention to the next round of OZ designations and examines all 49 OZ eligible census tracts across Worcester County, including the 26 in the City of Worcester. An accompanying interactive map provides demographic, economic, tax, and transportation data to help stakeholders evaluate eligible census tracts for the next round of Opportunity Zone designations. The Healey-Driscoll Administration is seeking input from municipalities, developers, community organizations, and residents to help inform which eligible census tracts Governor Healey should nominate for OZ designation. The Administration has also created a 2026 Massachusetts Opportunity Zone Program website with general information about the OZs. Feedback about OZs and the designation process can be submitted through the Opportunity Zone 2.0 Municipal Input Form, which is open until June 17th. Members of the public can also submit feedback through the Community Feedback Form on how Massachusetts should approach OZ designation, which will remain available until June 30th. Read the Brief or Interact with the Map - link in bio #WorcPoli
Building on the Worcester Regional Research Bureau’s prior brief on the Housing Production Plan, Raising Housing: Understanding the Affordable Housing Crisis in Worcester moves beyond description to deeper analysis. While the earlier brief was designed to support public understanding of the HPP, this report examines the plan within a broader analytical framework, highlighting its most consequential findings and assessing their implications. This report situates Worcester’s housing challenges and production targets within the national and statewide context of a growing housing affordability crisis. Drawing on a wide range of research—including national affordability gap analysis, statewide housing plans, and independent analyses of Gateway Cities—it considers how Worcester’s needs fit within a broader context of long-term underproduction, rising costs, and demographic shifts. Read Raising Housing at link in our bio. #WorcPoli
Worcester Regional Research Bureau announces the recipients of the 2026 Thomas S. Green Public Service Awards! Since 1988, The Research Bureau has celebrated the unsung heroes of public service through the Thomas S. Green Public Service Awards. The Thomas S. Green Public Service Awards publicly recognize the extraordinary efforts of individuals across the region who have dedicated their careers and personal lives to our communities. This year, The Research Bureau honors five employees who have made outstanding contributions to public service and embody the ideals of the Thomas S. Green Public Service Awards Join us on June 11, 5pm, at the DCU Center to celebrate these extraordinary individuals. For more information on this year's recipients - check out the link in the bio. #WorcPoli
The latest Insights Insider of the year explores protected land in Worcester County. In partnership with Greater Worcester Community Foundation and using data from Worcester County Insights and MassGIS, we analyzed publicly accessible land, open space, and how the amount of protected land has changed over time. Read Insights Insider: Protected Land in Worcester County - link in bio. #WorcPoli
Worcester faces an intensifying housing crisis shaped by rising rents, stagnant incomes, an aging housing stock, and sustained population growth. Worcester’s Housing Production Plan (HPP) provides a comprehensive roadmap for addressing these challenges, and was approved by the Commonwealth on Feb. 19, 2026 so expires on Feb. 18, 2031. This brief is an overview of the HPP and the core housing challenges, broad goals, and specific strategies the City proposes to address them. The Bureau will publish a forthcoming report that examines the HPP’s projections, strategies, and implementation challenges in the context of statewide housing goals and external benchmarks. Read Bureau Brief: Housing Production Plan Explainer - link in bio. #WorcPoli
Have you read WRRB's report The Promises of the Worcester/Framingham Line? If not, here are some of the Key Recommendations: 1. Every community along the line must work together for improved and more frequent service now, before any Allston construction begins. 2. The Grand Junction bridge must not become inaccessible - as this bridge is the shortest link to key maintenance facilities used by all MBTA trains. 3. The third track project should not be forgotten as potentially necessary for the Worcester/Framingham Line to host full Compass Rail Service in the future. 4. Communities themselves must prioritize state infrastructure projects on the line, including improvements to at-grade crossings. For details, read the full report at the link in the bio. #WorcPoli

We Appreciate Our Generous Sponsors

AbbVie's logo.
Barr Foundation's Logo.
Berkshire Bank's logo
Consigli's logo.
Country Bank's logo.
DCU Center's logo.
George I. Alden Trust
Greater Worcester Community Foundation's Logo.
Greenberg, Rosenblatt, Kull, & Bitsoli's logo.
The Hanover Insurance Group Foundation's logo.
Hoche-Scofield Foundation
MassINC's logo.
Massachusetts Port Authority's logo.
Mercantile Center's logo.
Mildred H. McEvoy Foundation
Polar's Logo
Ruth H. & Warren A. Ellsworth Foundation
Worcester Telegram & Gazette's Logo.
Eppinger Family Foundation
The Fletcher Foundation
The George F. and Sybil H. Fuller Foundation
The Stoddard Charitable Trust
UniBank's logo.
Verizon's logo.
Worcester Education Collaborative's Logo.
Wyman Gordon Foundation