Canal District home values

Canal District
Worcester, Massachusetts · Neighborhood report
Typical value $425K · ZIP 01604 · Values through Aug 2026

Canal District at a glance

  • Zillow’s Home Value Index puts the typical home at $425,100 (Aug 2026), +1.4% over the past 12 months and +29% over five years.
  • The Census median home value is $321,900 — 4% below Worcester overall and 5% below the U.S. median.
  • Median household income is $72,911, so homes cost 4.4× local income.
  • Median rent is $1,570/month (a 5.9% gross rental yield).
  • Its ZIP ranks 7th of 9 Worcester ZIP codes by home value.
  • These figures are for ZIP 01604, which Canal District shares with Green Island, Shrewsbury Street, Grafton Hill.
Value trend

Canal District home value trend

$425K
Typical value (Aug 2026)
+1.4%
1-year change
+29%
5-year change
+109%
10-year change
Canal District typical home value, Aug 2016 to Aug 2026$210K$280K$350K$420K20182020202220242026
Canal DistrictWorcester

Over the 12 months to Aug 2026, typical home values in Canal District rose 1.4%, to about $425,100. That is 0.6 percentage points slower than Worcester (+2.1%). Values are at or near their highest level on record in this series. Over five years the typical home gained $95,800 in value (+29%).

Year-by-year values
MonthTypical valueChange vs year before
Aug 2026$425,100+1.4%
Aug 2025$419,000+1.3%
Aug 2024$413,800+8.4%
Aug 2023$381,600+4.5%
Aug 2022$365,200+10.9%
Aug 2021$329,300+21.1%
Aug 2020$272,000+9.2%
Aug 2019$249,100+4.5%
Aug 2018$238,500+7.8%
Aug 2017$221,200+9.0%
Aug 2016$203,000—

Source: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), typical value of mid-tier homes, smoothed & seasonally adjusted. Areas with several ZIPs: population-weighted.

Value score

Canal District home value score

5.5
Value Score / 10
Census-based
from local value, rent & income

In ZIP 01604, rents are moderate relative to prices, and homes are moderately priced against local incomes.

How the Value Score is built

Rental yield4.1 / 10
Gross annual rent as a share of home value — 5.9% here. Higher means stronger cash flow.
Affordability7.0 / 10
Home value versus local income — 4.4× here. Lower is more affordable.

Computed figures

5.9%
Gross rental yield
4.4×
Price-to-income
−5%
Value vs U.S.

A transparent value snapshot — computed from U.S. Census ACS (2023) for this ZIP: home value, gross rent and household income. It is not a market-timing or appreciation forecast.

Comparison

Canal District vs Worcester, Massachusetts and the U.S.

Canal DistrictWorcesterMassachusettsU.S.
Typical value (Zillow, Aug 2026)$425,100$434,400$622,800—
1-year change+1.4%+2.1%+1.4%—
5-year change+29%+30%+19%—
Median home value (Census)$321,900$335,800$561,900$340,200
Median household income$72,911$70,300$84,600$78,500
Median gross rent$1,570/mo$1,409/mo$1,760/mo$1,406/mo
Price-to-income ratio4.4×4.8×6.6×4.3×
Gross rental yield5.9%5.0%3.8%5.0%
Rent as share of income26%24%25%21%
Mortgage payment*$1,628/mo$1,698/mo$2,841/mo$1,720/mo

Census figures: U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year estimates; areas spanning several ZIPs use population-weighted averages of ZIP medians, and city/state columns cover the ZIPs of the places listed on this site. Zillow: ZHVI. *Principal & interest on the Census median value, 20% down, 6.5% fixed, 30 years.

Buying vs renting

What it costs to buy a home in Canal District

$425K
Typical price
$85K
Down payment (20%)
$2,150
Monthly P&I
$1,570
Median rent

At today’s typical value of $425,100 (Zillow, Aug 2026), a buyer putting 20% down ($85,020) and financing the rest at 6.5% over 30 years would pay about $2,150 a month in principal and interest — 35% of the median household income here. That is above the common 28% guideline but under 36%, so budgets are stretched but workable for a median earner. The median rent is $1,570/month, so owning costs roughly 37% more per month than renting, before taxes, insurance and upkeep — the trade-off is building equity.

Estimate only: excludes property tax, insurance, HOA and PMI, which vary by property. Incomes and rents are the latest Census (ACS 2023) figures. Run your own numbers in the estimator below.

Take-aways

What this means for buyers, sellers and investors in Canal District

Buyers

At 4.4× local income, prices are moderate — compare a few nearby areas before committing.

Sellers

Values are up 1.4% on the year, so recent sales support your price — and get a home-specific estimate: condition and size move the number more than the area average.

Investors

A gross rental yield of 5.9% is middling — returns depend on buying below the typical price or adding value.

Nearby

Other neighborhoods in Worcester

NameHome value1-yrIncomeRentPrice / income
Burncoat ZIP 01606 · shared$344K+0.9%$93K$1,6153.7×
Canal District ZIP 01604 · shared$322K+1.4%$73K$1,5704.4×
College Hill city data$279K+4.6%$44K$1,3396.4×
Columbus Park ZIP 01603 · shared$288K+1.5%$64K$1,3394.5×
Crown Hill$350K+2.0%$55K$1,3626.4×
Downtown$117K+2.1%$46K$1,4612.5×
Grafton Hill ZIP 01604 · shared$322K+1.4%$73K$1,5704.4×
Green Island ZIP 01604 · shared$322K+1.4%$73K$1,5704.4×
Greendale ZIP 01606 · shared$344K+0.9%$93K$1,6153.7×
Indian Hill ZIP 01606 · shared$344K+0.9%$93K$1,6153.7×
Kelly Square city data$279K+4.6%$44K$1,3396.4×
Main South city data$279K+4.6%$44K$1,3396.4×
Newton Square ZIP 01602 · shared$381K+1.7%$94K$1,4714.0×
Piedmont city data$279K+4.6%$44K$1,3396.4×
Quinsigamond Village$341K+2.1%$66K$1,3565.1×
Salisbury Street$422K+2.8%$61K$1,2126.9×
Shrewsbury Street ZIP 01604 · shared$322K+1.4%$73K$1,5704.4×
Tatnuck ZIP 01602 · shared$381K+1.7%$94K$1,4714.0×
Vernon Hill city data$279K+4.6%$44K$1,3396.4×
Webster Square ZIP 01603 · shared$288K+1.5%$64K$1,3394.5×
West Side$363K+0.9%$102K$1,2413.6×

Home value, income and rent: Census ACS medians; 1-yr: Zillow ZHVI change over 12 months. Tap a column heading to sort.

Common questions

Canal District real estate FAQ

Are home prices going up in Canal District?

Up — the Zillow Home Value Index for Canal District rose 1.4% in the 12 months to Aug 2026, to about $425,100. Worcester changed +2.1% over the same period. Over five years values are +29%.

What is the typical home value in Canal District?

The median owner-occupied home in Canal District is valued at about $321,900 according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s ACS 2023 5-year estimates — 5% below the U.S. median and 4% below Worcester. Zillow’s more current index puts the typical home at about $425,100.

Is Canal District affordable?

Homes cost about 4.4× the median household income of $72,911, which is moderately priced. At today’s typical value of about $425,100, principal and interest would take about 35% of that income.

How much is rent in Canal District?

Median gross rent (rent plus utilities) is about $1,570 a month, 12% above the U.S. median, or 26% of the median household income.

Is Canal District good for rental property investment?

The gross rental yield — a year of median rent divided by the typical home value — is 5.9%. That is average; returns depend on the purchase price and costs.
Your home

What’s your Canal District home worth?

Just lookingColdReady to sell

Estimates are informational only and are not an appraisal.

Methodology

About this data

Data last updated: September 2026.

Current values and trends use the Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI) — the typical value of mid-tier homes, smoothed and seasonally adjusted — through Aug 2026. It is refreshed monthly.

Median values, incomes, rents, housing stock and commutes come from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates at ZIP Code Tabulation Area level. City and state figures are population-weighted averages of their ZIPs.

The Value Score (0–10) blends gross rental yield and price-to-income affordability. It is a value snapshot, not a forecast.

Mortgage figures assume 20% down and a 6.5% fixed 30-year loan, principal and interest only.

These are area-level statistics, not an appraisal of any individual property, and not financial advice.

Sources: U.S. Census ACS · Zillow ZHVI.