Auburn Town Offices and Merriam Library. Photo: John Phelan, CC BY 3.0
Markets We Serve
Auburn, Massachusetts
Commercial Real Estate
Where the Pike meets 290 and 395.
Auburn sits right below Worcester in Worcester County, where several major highways come together. You've got residential neighborhoods on one side and a lot of industrial and commercial space on the other, which is why it's turned into a logistics and distribution hub.
17,566
Population
$14.24 residential / $15.83 commercial
Tax Rate / $1,000 (FY2026)
1
Available Properties
$100,786
Median Household Income
Auburn is Worcester's southern neighbor, and its commercial map follows the highways. The Mass Pike, I-290, and I-395 meet at Exit 90, Southbridge Street (Route 12) runs north-south through town, and Route 20 runs east-west. That access is why Auburn works for anything that moves goods or needs to be seen from a car: retail on Route 12, distribution and contractor space off Sword Street, and flex buildings in between. We handle investment sales, leasing, development consulting, and property management across town.
The interchange advantage
Put a highway map in front of you and Auburn stands out. Exit 90 ties the Mass Pike to I-290 north into Worcester and I-395 south toward Oxford, Webster, and eastern Connecticut. Route 20 runs east to Route 146 and the road to Providence. For distributors, contractors, last-mile operators, and service businesses, that is the whole pitch: Worcester, the Pike in both directions, and Connecticut are all close.
Tenants in those categories pick Auburn for access before they pick it for price, which keeps well-located industrial and flex space in demand. When we list or lease Auburn industrial, we lead with access, because that is what the tenant's operations manager asks about first.
Retail on Route 12 and Route 20
Southbridge Street, which is Route 12, is the main retail and industrial corridor in town. It carries shopping centers, auto-oriented retail and service, restaurants, and pad sites that live on traffic counts and sightlines. Route 20 adds more highway-oriented retail and service frontage.
Retail here trades on what you can count, so pricing is honest work: the comps are public and the traffic is measurable, and there is nowhere to hide a bad number. We represent landlords leasing and repositioning space along both corridors, tenants looking for a pad, and investors buying the income.
Industrial Auburn
Behind the retail frontage is the working town. Sword Street is the industrial and distribution cluster, and the rest of Auburn's warehouses, flex buildings, and contractor yards sit close to the highway access points. Small-bay industrial under 20,000 square feet runs 3.9% vacant across the Worcester market, the tightest segment in the region even as new big-box supply lifted the overall rate to 9.3%, and Auburn's position puts its industrial space in the path of that demand.
For owners, that means pricing power on renewals and real buyer interest on a sale. For tenants, it means starting the search early and moving quickly when the right space opens near the interchange.
Commercial Corridors
Key Business Districts
Southbridge Street/Route 12
Major retail and industrial corridor
Washington Street
Commercial and office uses
Sword Street
Industrial and distribution center
Zoning
Zoning Districts
Regional Access
Transportation
I-90 (Mass Pike): Exit 90 ties the Pike to I-290 and I-395
I-395: South to Oxford, Webster, and eastern Connecticut
I-290: Direct connection to Worcester and I-495
Route 12: North-south corridor through town center
Route 20: East-west connector to Charlton and Shrewsbury
Economic Base
Major Employers
R.H. White Companies
Construction/Distribution
Worcester Envelope Company
Manufacturing
Atlas Distributing
Distribution
Retail and service businesses
Various
Investment Thesis
Why Auburn?
Auburn sits at the I-90/I-290 interchange, and that's about as accessible as industrial gets in Central Massachusetts. Median household income runs over $100,000, so quality retailers and service businesses want to be here. Between the tax base and the highway access, I keep seeing steady demand for industrial and flex space.
Common Questions
Auburn Commercial Real Estate FAQ
Auburn offers industrial and distribution space along Sword Street and Southbridge Street, retail and auto-oriented commercial on Route 12, and office space on Washington Street. The town is a key logistics hub due to its position at the I-90 and I-290 interchange.
Auburn uses a split tax rate for FY2026: $14.24 per $1,000 of assessed value for residential property and $15.83 per $1,000 for commercial and industrial property.
Auburn's location at the I-90 and I-290 interchange makes it one of the most accessible industrial locations in Central Massachusetts. Median household income exceeds $100,000, attracting quality retailers. The Sword Street industrial corridor maintains near-full occupancy, and proximity to Worcester's labor pool of 100,000+ workers draws employers seeking accessible locations.
Highway access. The Mass Pike, I-290, and I-395 meet at Exit 90 in Auburn, and Route 20 runs east to Route 146. That puts Worcester, the Boston market to the east, and Connecticut to the south within easy reach. Distributors, contractors, and last-mile operators who live on truck access and service radius pick Auburn for logistics first and price second.
Southbridge Street (Route 12) is the main retail corridor, with shopping centers, auto-oriented retail, restaurants, and pad sites. Route 20 adds highway-oriented retail and service frontage. Space on both corridors trades on traffic counts and visibility, and we price it against actual corridor comps.
Tight for the buildings Auburn actually has. Across the Worcester market, small-bay industrial under 20,000 square feet runs 3.9% vacant even though the big speculative logistics boxes pushed the overall figure to 9.3%. The Sword Street corridor stays close to fully occupied. Tenants should start their search early, and owners should know they have leverage at renewal. We will give you an honest read for your specific building and use.
Yes: retail, industrial, flex, and multifamily. The interchange and the Route 12 retail corridor make Auburn one of the more liquid investment markets in Worcester County. If you own here and are weighing a sale, start with a complimentary Broker Opinion of Value.
Local Insights
Market Momentum
I-90/I-290 interchange drives sustained demand for last-mile distribution and logistics space
Sword Street industrial corridor maintaining near-full occupancy with active tenant expansion
Median household income above $100,000 supports premium retail and service business tenants
Proximity to Worcester's labor pool of 100,000+ workers attracts employers seeking accessible locations
Available Listings
Our Properties in Auburn
For Property Owners
Thinking of Selling in Auburn?
If you own a warehouse, retail building, or industrial property in Auburn, our team will prepare a complimentary Broker Opinion of Value with no obligation. Get a data-backed answer to what your property is worth in today's market.
Request a Free ValuationGet the Fall 2026 Worcester market report
An owner's guide in thirteen pages, from CoStar's 10 August 2026 data and the city's own records: each sector's vacancy, rents and record prices, why small industrial is full while big boxes are not, what sold and to whom, the submarket spreads, and what it all means if you own a building in Worcester County. Every figure names its source.
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Market data last updated: October 2026. Sources: Town Assessor, U.S. Census, MA DOR.