ZIP Code · MA

ZIP 01608

Part of Worcester, MA

Pop. 4,932·Worcester County·153rd most expensive ZIP in Massachusetts

Median rent (all units)

$1,875/mo

Year-over-Year

-3.6%

Month-over-Month

-0.4%

vs US Median

-$57

Reported rents

Stable (Monthly)

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Most AffordableMost Expensive

ZIP 01608 · $1,875

More expensive than 54% of US ZIP codes · National median $1,932/mo

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Compare your rent to the local median.

Medians by bedroom

Rent by unit size

Studio

$1,680

1 BR

$1,700

2 BR

$2,180

3 BR

$2,700

4 BR+

$3,000

Research median

$2,180/mo

Bedroom estimates are gross rents that include essential utilities (electricity, water, gas, sewer, trash).

Rent trends

12-month history

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Last updated: October 17, 2026

From the history

What the numbers show

Cheapest month to sign

January. Asking rents in ZIP 01608 usually run 1.5% below trend in January and 1.6% above it in July, about $58 a month apart at today's median. Based on 5 years of data.

Compared with the peak

Rent in ZIP 01608 is 8.3% below its high of $2,044 in January 2026, at $1,875 as of September 2026.

Past year vs. the rest of Massachusetts

Rent in ZIP 01608 changed -3.6% over the year to September 2026. Across the 140 Massachusetts ZIP codes Zillow tracks, the typical change was +3.0%.

Recent direction

Rent rose in 6 of the last 12 months.

What a typical income covers

30% of the median household income ($45,687) is $1,142 a month. That is less than HUD's Fair Market Rent for a studio ($1,680).

Rank in Worcester

1st cheapest of 8 ZIP codes in Worcester.

From Zillow's monthly rent index (ZORI) for ZIP 01608. The seasonal pattern compares Zillow’s seasonally adjusted and unadjusted series. Income is the Census median household income (5-year estimates). Fair Market Rents are HUD’s, which include utilities.

Annual cost

$22,500/yr

At $1,875/mo median

Location

CityWorcester

StateMA

CountyWorcester County

Rent Market Meter

Renter's Market

Renter's MarketBalancedLandlord's Market

Rents are softening (down 3.6% YoY), so renters have negotiating leverage.

Based on rent-price momentum (-3.6% YoY, -0.4% MoM), not inventory.

Demographics

Who lives here

ZIP 01608 (Worcester, MA) is majority renter-occupied, skews toward younger working-age adults, has a median income below the national average, 38.5% of residents hold a bachelor's degree or higher.

Population

4,932

Median income

$45,687

Median age

28.7

Renters

94%

Age distribution

16.5%

50%

17.6%

Under 1816.5%

18–3450%

35–5417.6%

55–649.7%

65+6.2%

Gender

50.4%

49.6%

Male50.4%

Female49.6%

Race & ethnicity

34.4%

44.5%

17.1%

White34.4%

Black6.7%

Hispanic44.5%

Asian17.1%

Education (25+)

18.7%

24.4%

18.4%

38.5%

No HS diploma18.7%

HS diploma24.4%

Some college18.4%

Bachelor's+38.5%

Housing tenure

94%

Owner6%

Renter94%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2024 5-Year Estimates

2021 vs 2026

How ZIP 01608 in Worcester, MA has changed in 5 years

Rent

$1,439 → $1,875

up 30.3%

Income

$37,962 → $45,687

up 20.3%

Population

4,782 → 4,932

up 3.1%

Renter share

92.4% → 94%

+1.6 pts

Bachelor's+

32.3% → 38.5%

+6.2 pts

Median age

27.5 → 28.7

+1.2 yrs

Across the past five years, the going rent in ZIP 01608 in Worcester, MA has shifted from $1,439 to $1,875, up 30.3% since 2021. Median household income climbed from $37,962 to $45,687 between 2021 and 2024, a 20.3% shift. Because rent grew faster than wages over the same span, the affordability picture has tightened relative to 2021. Census counts show ZIP 01608 in Worcester, MA adding about 150 residents over the five-year window, up 3.1% on net. The renter share has risen from 92.4% to 94%, with owner-occupied housing accounting for the remainder. Bachelor's-degree-or-higher attainment moved from 32.3% to 38.5% across the same window. Taken together, the five-year picture in ZIP 01608 in Worcester, MA reflects how housing costs and the people paying them have evolved through a stretch that included a pandemic, a hot rental market, and a recent cooling phase.

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About renting in ZIP 01608

Last updated: October 17, 2026

ZIP code 01608 covers Worcester, MA. The median rent here is $1,875/mo as of October 2026. A 1-bedroom rents for a median of $1,700/mo. A 2-bedroom rents for a median of $2,180/mo.

At 49% of local median household income ($45,687/yr), ZIP 01608 ranks as moderate compared to the national benchmark of 30%. Rents have decreased 3.6% over the past year.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How much income do you need to rent in ZIP 01608?

To keep rent at or below 30% of gross income, you would need to earn at least $75,000/year (about $36/hour full-time) to afford the median rent of $1,875/mo in ZIP 01608. The local median household income is $45,687/yr, so the typical household falls short of that bar.

Is rent going up or down in ZIP 01608?

Rent in ZIP 01608 has fallen 3.6% over the past year as of September 2026. It sits 8.3% below its high of $2,044 in January 2026.

When is the cheapest time to rent in ZIP 01608?

Asking rents in ZIP 01608 are usually lowest in January, about 1.5% below their yearly trend, and highest in July, about 1.6% above it. At today's median that is a gap of roughly $58 a month. This pattern comes from 5 years of Zillow rent data.

How does ZIP 01608 compare to other ZIPs in Massachusetts?

ZIP 01608 is one of the more affordable among Massachusetts ZIP codes for rent, ranking #153 of 164 at $1,875/mo. Over the year to September 2026, rent in ZIP 01608 changed -3.6%, against a typical +3.0% across the 140 Massachusetts ZIP codes Zillow tracks.