Published On: September 22, 20101.1 min read

A Message from the President & Chairman of the Board

It would be difficult, if not impossible, to discuss in one message all that The Research Bureau has done since it opened its doors for business 25 years ago on September 1, 1985. We tried, however, to record some of the highlights of this era in the timeline found at the center of this annual report. Poring over old files and news stories about the Bureau was more than a trip down memory lane. It provided evidence that we have been true to our mission: to serve the public interest of the Greater Worcester region by conducting independent research and analysis of public policy issues that will lead to more informed public debate and decision making. Our 25th anniversary lecture series, featuring nationally-recognized urban policy experts discussing the various components of successful cities, is one example of our effort to generate thought-provoking policy discussions. These talks have received rave reviews from the media and from those who have attended. We encourage you all to be present at the final two presentations on Wednesday, October 27th and Tuesday, December 7th to see for yourself.

We have chosen to focus this message on two specific projects of the past year that capture the essence of what we have been working toward all these years.

Recent Reports

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Worcester Almanac: 2026 compiles data from a variety of sources to inform decision-makers and the general public on important areas of interest for the City of Worcester, surrounding communities, and Worcester County. The Worcester Almanac: 2026 is an important tool for public officials, business leadership, and members of the public covering a wide array of public policy issues in the region. This week, Worcester Regional Research Bureau is pleased to release its Education Data Dashboard. This interactive data tool includes charts and tables on Enrollment, School Types, Attendance/Absenteeism, Discipline, Standardized Test Performance, Graduation Rates, Teachers, Class Size, Budgets, as well as Interactive Maps, and much more. For all of WRRB's Almanac Dashboards, the link is in bio. #WorcPoli
In 2010, after recommending the sale or lease of ORH to Massachusetts Port Authority (Massport), The Research Bureau endorsed the Memorandum of Understanding between Worcester and Massport for the transfer of the airport in Worcester Regional Airport Positioned For Take-Off. Six years later, The Research Bureau then published Bureau Brief—Worcester Regional Airport (ORH) which examined the airport as an underutilized but valuable public infrastructure asset. That Bureau Brief reviewed Massport's ownership history, reliability, safety investments, and JetBlue's arrival as possible signs of a commercial passenger rebound. This updated brief revisits those issues a decade later. It examines ORH's history, recent passenger activity, regional competition, ORH's economic impact on the region, and Massport's current strategy for expanding service. Link to the Bureau Brief is in our bio. #WorcPoli
Save the Date for WRRB's 41st Annual Meeting - November 18th, 5PM at the DCU Center in Downtown Worcester. WRRB is hosting Bhaskar Chakravorti, Ph.D. for a Fireside Chat on The Regional Impact of Artificial Intelligence, facilitated by the Boston Globe's Hiawatha Bray. Register on our website, Sponsor the event, Read Will Wired Belts Become the New Rust Belts, the link to our landing page is in our bio!
Worcester Almanac: 2026 compiles data from a variety of sources to inform decision-makers and the general public on important areas of interest for the City of Worcester, surrounding communities, and Worcester County. WRRB has established dashboards for each section in the Worcester Almanac and will be released weekly with a our usual publication later in the fall. This week, Worcester Regional Research Bureau is pleased to release its Demographics & Economy Data Dashboard. This interactive data tool includes charts and tables on Households, Income, Population, Race/Ethnicity, Disability, Language & Origin, Internet, Poverty & Inequality, Housing, Home Values & Rent, Homelessness, Office Space, Employment, Hotels, and much more. For all of WRRB's Almanac Dashboards - use the link in our bio. #WorcPoli
The Opportunity Zone (OZ) program uses federal tax incentives to encourage private investment in low-income communities and was made into a permanent, decennial program through the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 (OBBBA). In June, WRRB released a brief and an accompanying interactive map, which shifted attention to the next round of OZ designations by examining all eligible census tracts across Worcester County. Massachusetts submitted its nominations to the U.S. Department of the Treasury on October 2, 2026. The nominated tracts still remain subject to Treasury certification. Once certified, the OZ designations will take effect on January 1, 2027 and remain in place through December 31, 2036. The Healey-Driscoll Administration nominated 13 census tracts in Worcester County. Five are classified as rural and eight as non-rural. As such, WRRB updated its map to provide demographic, economic, tax and transportation data to help users compare nominated and non-nominated tracts. Additionally, users can explore the statewide Opportunity Zone nomination map to view all nominated census tracts across the Commonwealth. Explore the Update at the link in our bio. #WorcPoli
The latest Insights Insider of the year explores poverty and cost burden throughout Worcester County. In partnership with Greater Worcester Community Foundation and using data from Worcester County Insights and the U.S. Census Bureau, we analyzed changes in household incomes, household cost-burden, rates of poverty in Worcester County over time, compared poverty rates in rural, suburban, and urban communities. Although Massachusetts has one of the highest median household incomes in the United States, poverty remains persistent in many communities. Worcester County is no exception. Despite a decrease in the number of residents experiencing poverty between 2012 and 2022 statewide, Worcester County has seen an increase over that same period - however, combined with population increases, the percentage of residents experiencing poverty has remained static. Read the latest edition at the link in our bio.
Electric Vehicles require chargers. In Worcester County, there are approximately 1,100 charging ports across 366 different locations. Most of these are "Level 2" which means it would take 4-10 hours to charge from empty to 80%. While this is great and this number continues to grow, the density of public charging stations, especially DC Fast chargers, must increase in order to support the increasing adoption of zero emissions vehicles. For more on Charging Infrastructure across Worcester County, read "On Track for Zero Emissions?" Link in bio. #WorcPoli
Here's a quick breakdown/introduction of WRRB's recent report "On Track for Zero Emissions" from WRRB Researcher, Josh. This report is a close analysis of electric vehicles adoption in Worcester County and includes some key recommendations. 1) The Commonwealth must commit to spending on EV charging stations across the state’s highways, including money that has already been granted. 2) The density of fully public charging stations locally must increase, including more DC fast chargers. 3) Getting municipal feedback on where to put chargers, especially curb-side, is crucial, and we must encourage all municipalities to do so. 4) Municipalities should offer zoning incentives to encourage EV charging infrastructure construction. For our full analysis, use the link in our bio.
Worcester Almanac: 2026 compiles data from a variety of sources to inform decision-makers and the general public on important areas of interest for the City of Worcester, surrounding communities, and Worcester County. WRRB has established dashboards for each section in the Worcester Almanac and will be released weekly with a our usual publication later in the fall. This week, Worcester Regional Research Bureau is pleased to release its Transportation & Infrastructure Data Dashboard. This interactive data tool includes charts and tables on Commuting, Motor Vehicles, Worcester Regional Airport, Parking, Rideshare, WRTA and the Commuter Rail, Street and Water Infrastructure, Trash, Recycling, and much more. For all of WRRB's Almanac Dashboards: link in bio. #WorcPoli
WRRB recently released "On Track for Zero Emissions?" - a close analysis of electric vehicle (EV) adoption within Worcester County's sixty municipalities! Here are some of the key takeaways, for our full analysis and recommendations, read the report at the link in our bio. #WorcPoli

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