The ethnic makeup of Worcester has historically been primarily European. Throughout the development of the area there has been a significant European presence with several enclaves and ethnic neighborhoods popping up throughout the city. The European influence on the area can be seen throughout the city, and there is still a rather significant European immigrant presence in the metro area. However, more recently the ethnic composition of the city has begun to shift as immigrants from a variety of other countries have begun to settle in Worcester.

The largest foreign-born ethnic group in the greater Worcester area are the Latinos. There has been a significant increase in the immigrant population from Latino countries over the past several decades, with almost a 50% increase since the year 2000. Leading the charge in this ethnic shift has been immigrants from countries like The Dominican Republic, Ecuador, and Brazil, which has seen the largest increase in foreign-born population over the last five years.

The second largest foreign-born ethnic group are Asians. The Asian population has also seen significant populations increases over the last decade, with Vietnamese and Chinese being the largest. The city has also recently become the primary destination for refugees in the state. Over the past five years Worcester has resettled over 2,000 refugees, the large majority of which came from African, Near Eastern, and Southeast Asian countries.