Compare towns
Amherst Town vs Pelham vs Hadley
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Amherst Town has the youngest population (median age 21.4).
Pelham has the most people working from home (32.8%).
Hadley has the most expensive homes ($511k median).
Amherst Town is a college town. 59.6% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
What matters to you?
Pick a few. We’ll pull those rows to the top and mark which town comes out ahead on each. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.
| Measure | Amherst Town | Pelham | Hadley |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 38,182Highest |
1,335Lowest |
5,306 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | -3.1%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+1.4%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 21.4±0.2Lowest 47% below MA |
45±8.4 13% above MA |
45.8±7.1Highest 15% above MA |
| Hadley and Pelham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 7.5%±1.1Lowest MA: 19.4% |
21%±4.6Highest MA: 19.4% |
16.2%±4.6 MA: 19.4% |
| Pelham and Hadley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 10.1%±1Lowest MA: 17.9% |
26.7%±6.9Highest MA: 17.9% |
24.2%±4.8 MA: 17.9% |
| Pelham and Hadley are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 75.6%Highest MA: 47.3% |
64.8% MA: 47.3% |
61.3%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 59.6%±2.2Highest MA: 7.9% |
2%±1.6Lowest MA: 7.9% |
10.9%±5.7 MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $66,968±$7kLowest 36% below MA |
$113,750±$24k 9% above MA |
$119,259±$12kHighest 15% above MA |
| Hadley and Pelham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $484,900±$21k 14% below MA |
$447,600±$33kLowest 20% below MA |
$511,000±$43kHighest 9% below MA |
| Hadley and Amherst Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,671±$93Highest 5% below MA |
$1,205±$560Lowest 32% below MA |
$1,402±$132 20% below MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $8,787Highest 47% above MA |
$7,472 25% above MA |
$5,271Lowest 12% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 68.1%±8.8Highest MA: 51.8% |
42.7%±35.2 MA: 51.8% |
38.6%±18.9Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Amherst Town and Pelham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 23.7%Highest MA: 10% |
10.3% MA: 10% |
6.4%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 44.2%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
79.1%Highest MA: 62.5% |
73.4% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975Highest 11 yrs newer than MA |
1958Lowest 6 yrs older than MA |
1971 7 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 18 minLowest 38% below MA |
23 minHighest 21% below MA |
20 min 33% below MA |
| Work from home | 21%±2.6 MA: 18.6% |
32.8%±7.4Highest MA: 18.6% |
20.1%±7.4Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #58 of 282 in MA | — | #116 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Amherst · Amherst-Pelham | Pelham | Hadley |
| High school in town | Amherst Regional High | None in town | Hopkins Academy |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.3Highest |
— | 7.3Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet |
MA average · Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024; 2010 & 2020 decennial census; NCES Common Core of Data. “±” is the Census margin of error. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. School rank compares math and reading proficiency against the state average.