This report 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 (together, "zero-emissions" as defined by the Massachusetts Vehicle Census, or MVC) 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.

Our first Insights Insider of the year explores the use of SNAP benefits in Worcester County. In partnership with Greater Worcester Community Foundation and using data from Worcester County Insights, we analyzed SNAP usage, demographics, and the impacts new eligibility rules and funding cuts could have on the program.

ON JULY 1, 2024, both an updated Stretch Code and the Municipal Opt-In Specialized Stretch Code will go into effect in Worcester. While Worcester is already a stretch code community, the City Council voted to adopt the specialized stretch code in September 2023.

IN OCTOBER 2023, the City of Worcester released a draft Urban Forest Master Plan (UFMP), issuing ten recommendations meant to guide the further preservation, management, and expansion of Worcester's urban forest—and in particular, Worcester’s public “street trees.”

Understanding the intricate interplay between environmental variables and the communities most affected by them is paramount to fostering equitable urban development.