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.

Discover More

Recent Reports

Understanding Your Neighborhood Schools: 2026
June 23, 2026
Key Takeaway
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: Worcester County’s OZ Choices
June 11, 2026
Key Takeaway
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
May 26, 2026
Key Takeaway
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.

Insights Insider: Protected Land in Worcester County
April 29, 2026
Key Takeaway
More than a quarter of Worcester County is “protected land.”

Petersham has the most open space acreage in the County.

A large portion of Worcester County’s protected land is contained within a central strip extending from Petersham in the west to Sterling and West Boylston in the east.

Housing Production Plan Explainer
April 24, 2026
Key Takeaway
Worcester’s Housing Production Plan (HPP) provides a comprehensive roadmap for addressing the affordability and production challenges.
Grounded in extensive data analysis, the HPP projects 12,300 additional housing units required by 2033.
It outlines eight major goals and a set of strategies aimed at increasing housing supply, deepening affordability, modernizing zoning, preserving existing homes, improving housing outcomes.

Insights Insider: SNAP Benefits in Worcester County
March 31, 2026
Key Takeaway
Worcester County averaged 81,823 households on SNAP each month in 2025.
While monthly SNAP utilization remained steady in 2024, it decreased by more than 10,000 residents between January and December 2025.
The average number of households using SNAP in Worcester County increased by more than 50% between 2019 and 2024.

View all Reports

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.

Submit an Idea