PlainZIP

Lancaster, MA · standard

ZIP Code 01523

Worcester County, Massachusetts - Census ACS demographics, housing tenure, and business patterns, benchmarked against every US ZIP.

7,582
116/sq mi
$134,833
Median income
$519,100
Median home value
50.3%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Lancaster pairs a top-decile household income with upper-quartile home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

Top 6%
household income, US ZIPs
Top 12%
home value, US ZIPs
116
people per sq mi
85%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 01523 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 01523 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Lancaster, Worcester County, Massachusetts, home to 7,582 residents across 65.2 square miles, a density of 116 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 01523 skews affluent, with a median household income of $134,833 (17% above the Massachusetts average), while per-capita income is $51,052. 1.4% of residents live below the poverty line, and the unemployment rate reads 6.9%. On housing, the median home value is $519,100 (13% below the state average) with median rent at $2,338 per month, and 85.1% of occupied units are owner-occupied.

This is a highly-educated ZIP: 50.3% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 43.1, and the average commute is 32 minutes. A geography-based comparison follows: 10 ZIP codes within about 10 miles of 01523, plus 6 more within Worcester County, give a clearer read than the national average alone.

Every figure on this page is sourced from the U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (including median rent) and the FHFA House Price Index, no estimates, no proprietary scoring. Verify with Census →

Top industries in ZIP 01523

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Lancaster, MA

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 01523.

establishments

What this shows Establishment counts come from the Census ZIP Code Business Patterns program, which counts physical business locations rather than employees or revenue.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) As of 2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates + ZIP Code Business Patterns + FHFA HPI ACS demographics and median rent, ZBP business establishments, FHFA HPI for ZIP 01523, Lancaster, MA · 2023 Census ACS 5-Year Estimates use a rolling 60-month sample for stable small-geography estimates; ZBP updated annually; FHFA HPI updated quarterly/annually.

Quick Facts

7,582

Population

65.2

Area (sq mi)

116

People / sq mi

New York

Time Zone

standard

ZIP Type

Neighborhood Scorecard
Get an A-F grade across income, safety, housing, rent, education, commute, and childcare for this ZIP code.
View Scorecard →

Who lives in ZIP 01523?

43.1

Median Age

54.7%

Male

45.3%

Female

6.4%

Foreign-Born

White 82.1%
African American 5.4%
Asian 0.8%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.2%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 9.7%
Hispanic or Latino 11.7%

Hispanic or Latino is an ethnicity category from the Census Bureau and may overlap with other categories above.

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How much do residents earn?

$134,833

Median Household Income

+17% vs state

$51,052

Per Capita Income

1.4%

Poverty Rate

6.9%

Unemployment Rate

31.7 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 01523 ranks nationally

Lancaster, MA household income vs. every US ZIP code

Median household income, the full national distribution, with this ZIP marked

$134,833 Top 6% higher than 94% of 30,318 US ZIPs

$0–$20,000: 118 US ZIPs (0%). Below this entry. $20,000–$40,000: 1,573 US ZIPs (5%). Below this entry. $40,000–$60,000: 7,092 US ZIPs (23%). Below this entry. $60,000–$80,000: 9,980 US ZIPs (33%). Below this entry. $80,000–$100,000: 5,778 US ZIPs (19%). Below this entry. $100,000–$120,000: 2,855 US ZIPs (9%). Below this entry. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). This entry sits in this band. $140,000–$160,000: 686 US ZIPs (2%). Above this entry. $160,000–$180,000: 364 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $180,000–$200,000: 186 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. $200,000–$220,000: 324 US ZIPs (1%). Above this entry. This ZIP $0 $200K+ every reporting US ZIP, bucketed by value

Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US ZIPs. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.

Source U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates · 2019–2023

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What is the education profile here?

High School Graduate or Higher 74.5%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 50.3%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

What does housing look like?

2,975

Total Housing Units

2,960

Occupied Units

15

Vacant Units

2.54

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 85.1%
Renter 14.9%

$519,100

Median Home Value

-13% vs state

$2,338

Median Rent

1973

Median Year Built

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023)

How have home values changed over time?

FHFA House Price Index, annual appreciation data based on repeat sales and appraisals

+7.7%

YoY Change (2024)

236

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+136%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 01523 have increased 7.7% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +136% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 +3.2% 162
2021 +12.7% 182
2022 +8.5% 198
2023 +10.9% 219
2024 +7.7% 236

Source: Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) House Price Index, All-Transactions, Five-Digit ZIP Codes (Developmental Index). Index base = 100 in year 2000. Data through 2024. ZIP codes with few transactions may show missing values.

What businesses operate in this ZIP?

Census Bureau data shows 138 business establishments in ZIP 01523, employing approximately 1,658 people with a combined annual payroll of $105,892,000.

138

Businesses

1,658

Employees

$105.9M

Annual Payroll

13

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Construction 30 21.7%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 16 11.6%
Wholesale trade 13 9.4%
Health care and social assistance 13 9.4%
Retail trade 12 8.7%
Other services (except public administration) 10 7.3%
Manufacturing 9 6.5%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 8 5.8%
Accommodation and food services 7 5.1%
Real estate and rental and leasing 5 3.6%
Arts, entertainment, and recreation 5 3.6%
Finance and insurance 4 2.9%
Educational services 3 2.2%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP), 2023. Employment figures may include noise for disclosure avoidance.

Nearby ZIP Codes

Want a side-by-side? Compare 01523 vs 01561 →

ZIP 01523 vs its nearest neighbors, by population

Resident population of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

residents

What this shows Among its immediate neighbors, ZIP 01523 ranks #4 by population - useful context the national average alone can't give.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023

ZIP 01523 vs its nearest neighbors, by median income

Median household income of this ZIP and the closest reporting ZIP codes within ~10 miles.

median income

What this shows By household income, ZIP 01523 ranks #4 of 9 neighboring ZIPs, local affluence varies block to block, not just metro to metro.

Source U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 5-Year Estimates As of 2019–2023
ZIP Code City Population Distance
01561 South Lancaster, MA 330 2.5 mi
01467 Still River, MA 316 3.2 mi
01510 Clinton, MA 13,606 4.7 mi
01740 Bolton, MA 4,897 4.7 mi
01453 Leominster, MA 40,883 5.0 mi
01464 Shirley, MA 7,211 6.6 mi
01434 Devens, MA 1,795 5.3 mi
01451 Harvard, MA 4,747 5.5 mi
01564 Sterling, MA 7,808 5.5 mi
01503 Berlin, MA 2,866 7.0 mi

More ZIP Codes in Worcester County

01453 standard
Leominster, MA
Pop: 40,883
01420 standard
Fitchburg, MA
Pop: 40,337
01545 standard
Shrewsbury, MA
Pop: 35,299
01604 standard
Worcester, MA
Pop: 34,677
01757 standard
Milford, MA
Pop: 28,061
01605 standard
Worcester, MA
Pop: 26,221

Related Areas

Worcester County Lancaster, MA Massachusetts

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 01523 in? ▼
ZIP code 01523 (Lancaster) is located in Worcester County, Massachusetts. Worcester County contains multiple ZIP codes, see the full list at /counties/worcester-ma.
What is the population of ZIP code 01523? ▼
ZIP code 01523 in Lancaster, MA has a population of 7,582 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 01523? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 01523 is $134,833, which is 77% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 01523? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 01523 is $519,100, which is 87% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 01523? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 01523 is White at 82.1%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 11.7% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 01523? ▼
ZIP code 01523 has 138 business establishments employing approximately 1,658 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 01523? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 01523 are: Construction (30), Professional, scientific, and technical services (16), Wholesale trade (13). There are 13 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 01523? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 01523 increased by 7.7% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 136%. This is a developmental index based on repeat sales and appraisal data from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
What is the education level in ZIP code 01523? ▼
In ZIP code 01523, 74.5% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 50.3% hold a bachelor's degree or higher. These figures come from the Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2023).
What is the average commute time in ZIP 01523? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 01523 is 31.7 minutes according to Census ACS data. The national average is roughly 26 minutes, so commuters here spend more time traveling to work than typical.
What percentage of residents own vs. rent in ZIP 01523? ▼
In ZIP code 01523, approximately 85.1% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 14.9% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 01523? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 01523 is 1.4% according to Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates. This measures the percentage of the population living below the federal poverty threshold.

Read our methodology to see how this data is sourced, computed, and verified.