PlainZIP

Leicester, MA · standard

ZIP Code 01524

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

6,696
162/sq mi
$102,099
Median income
$436,200
Median home value
32.5%
Bachelor's or higher

The verdict

Leicester pairs an upper-quartile household income with upper-quartile home values, in a rural, homeowner-dominated area.

Top 18%
household income, US ZIPs
Top 17%
home value, US ZIPs
162
people per sq mi
92%
owner-occupied homes

Source: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-Year Estimates (2019–2023). Percentiles rank ZIP 01524 against every reporting US ZIP.

ZIP code 01524 is a mid-sized community (a standard USPS delivery area) in Leicester, Worcester County, Massachusetts, home to 6,696 residents across 41.4 square miles, a density of 162 people per square mile, in the New York time zone.

ZIP 01524 lands in the middle-income range, with a median household income of $102,099 (12% below the Massachusetts average), while per-capita income is $42,669. 5.1% of residents live below the poverty line, and the unemployment rate reads 2.8%. Housing costs here run $436,200 for a typical home value (27% below the state average), with rent averaging $1,661 a month; 92.4% of homes are owner-occupied.

A solid share of residents have a four-year degree: 32.5% of adults hold a bachelor's degree or higher, the median age is 42, and the average commute is 27 minutes. A geography-based comparison follows: 10 ZIP codes within about 10 miles of 01524, 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 01524

Top 5 sectors by establishment count in Leicester, MA

Which industries have the most business establishments in ZIP 01524.

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 01524, Leicester, 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

6,696

Population

41.4

Area (sq mi)

162

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 01524?

42.0

Median Age

52.5%

Male

47.5%

Female

7.2%

Foreign-Born

White 83.6%
African American 8.2%
Asian 0.8%
American Indian or Alaska Native 0.0%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Two or More Ethnicities 4.7%
Hispanic or Latino 8.2%

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?

$102,099

Median Household Income

-12% vs state

$42,669

Per Capita Income

5.1%

Poverty Rate

2.8%

Unemployment Rate

26.9 min

Mean Commute Time

How ZIP 01524 ranks nationally

Leicester, MA household income vs. every US ZIP code

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

$102,099 Top 18% higher than 82% 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%). This entry sits in this band. $120,000–$140,000: 1,362 US ZIPs (4%). Above this entry. $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 54.8%
Bachelor's Degree or Higher 32.5%

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

What does housing look like?

2,416

Total Housing Units

2,225

Occupied Units

191

Vacant Units

2.78

Avg Household Size

Occupancy Type

Owner 92.4%
Renter 7.6%

$436,200

Median Home Value

-27% vs state

$1,661

Median Rent

1970

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

+4.4%

YoY Change (2024)

270

HPI Index (2000 = 100)

+170%

Total Change Since 2000

Home values in ZIP 01524 have increased 4.4% over the past year (2024). Since 2000, this ZIP has seen +170% cumulative appreciation.

Year Annual Change HPI Index
2020 +5.8% 183
2021 +12.7% 206
2022 +15.2% 237
2023 +8.8% 258
2024 +4.4% 270

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 118 business establishments in ZIP 01524, employing approximately 1,128 people with a combined annual payroll of $41,738,000.

118

Businesses

1,128

Employees

$41.7M

Annual Payroll

11

Industry Sectors

Industry Establishments % of Total
Construction 29 24.6%
Retail trade 16 13.6%
Health care and social assistance 14 11.9%
Accommodation and food services 13 11.0%
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services 10 8.5%
Professional, scientific, and technical services 9 7.6%
Other services (except public administration) 9 7.6%
Finance and insurance 5 4.2%
Information 4 3.4%
Manufacturing 3 2.5%
Real estate and rental and leasing 3 2.5%

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 01524 vs 01611 →

ZIP 01524 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 01524 ranks #7 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 01524 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 01524 ranks #5 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
01611 Cherry Valley, MA 2,242 2.3 mi
01542 Rochdale, MA 2,202 3.3 mi
01612 Paxton, MA 4,845 4.3 mi
01562 Spencer, MA 11,688 3.7 mi
01603 Worcester, MA 19,916 3.9 mi
01602 Worcester, MA 22,819 3.9 mi
01610 Worcester, MA 23,945 5.6 mi
01537 North Oxford, MA 2,248 6.2 mi
01501 Auburn, MA 16,075 5.2 mi
01609 Worcester, MA 22,421 5.3 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 Leicester, MA Massachusetts

Frequently Asked Questions

What county is ZIP code 01524 in? ▼
ZIP code 01524 (Leicester) 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 01524? ▼
ZIP code 01524 in Leicester, MA has a population of 6,696 according to the Census Bureau ACS 2023 estimates.
What is the median household income in ZIP 01524? ▼
The median household income in ZIP 01524 is $102,099, which is 34% above the national average of $76,288.
What is the average home value in ZIP 01524? ▼
The median home value in ZIP 01524 is $436,200, which is 57% above the national average of $278,155.
What is the demographic makeup of ZIP 01524? ▼
The largest racial group in ZIP 01524 is White at 83.6%. Hispanic or Latino residents make up 8.2% of the population.
How many businesses are in ZIP code 01524? ▼
ZIP code 01524 has 118 business establishments employing approximately 1,128 people, according to Census Bureau ZIP Code Business Patterns (ZBP) 2023 data.
What are the main industries in ZIP code 01524? ▼
The top industries by establishment count in ZIP 01524 are: Construction (29), Retail trade (16), Health care and social assistance (14). There are 11 industry sectors represented in total.
How have home values changed in ZIP code 01524? ▼
According to the FHFA House Price Index, home values in ZIP 01524 increased by 4.4% in 2024. Since 2000, home values in this ZIP have appreciated by approximately 170%. 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 01524? ▼
In ZIP code 01524, 54.8% of residents aged 25+ have a high school diploma or higher, and 32.5% 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 01524? ▼
The mean commute time for workers in ZIP code 01524 is 26.9 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 01524? ▼
In ZIP code 01524, approximately 92.4% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 7.6% are renter-occupied, based on Census ACS 2023 data.
What is the poverty rate in ZIP code 01524? ▼
The poverty rate in ZIP code 01524 is 5.1% 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.