Compare towns
Chicopee vs Ware vs Holyoke
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Chicopee has the highest household income ($63k).
Ware has grown the fastest since 2010 (+1.6%).
Holyoke has the most renters (58.7% rent).
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 | Chicopee | Ware | Holyoke |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 55,295Highest |
6,369Lowest |
37,813 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +0.5% MA: +7.4% |
+1.6%Highest MA: +7.4% |
-4.1%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 41.9±1.4Highest 5% above MA |
39.8±6Lowest about the MA average |
40±1.6 about the MA average |
| Chicopee and Holyoke are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19.2%±1.7Lowest MA: 19.4% |
23.3%±4.4Highest MA: 19.4% |
21.4%±1.9 MA: 19.4% |
| Ware and Holyoke are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.5%±1.4 MA: 17.9% |
17.4%±3.9Lowest MA: 17.9% |
20.1%±1.6Highest MA: 17.9% |
| Holyoke and Chicopee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 22.9% MA: 47.3% |
15.4%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
25.9%Highest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.7%±0.6Highest MA: 7.9% |
3.7%±1.9Highest MA: 7.9% |
3.4%±0.8Lowest MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $62,615±$6kHighest 40% below MA |
$45,158±$11kLowest 57% below MA |
$53,605±$3k 48% below MA |
| Chicopee and Holyoke are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $274,500±$8kHighest 51% below MA |
$253,400±$31kLowest 55% below MA |
$274,100±$8k 51% below MA |
| Chicopee and Holyoke are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,157±$50Highest 34% below MA |
$1,039±$104 41% below MA |
$1,021±$60Lowest 42% below MA |
| Chicopee and Ware are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,847 36% below MA |
$3,408Lowest 43% below MA |
$4,065Highest 32% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 52%±5.6 MA: 51.8% |
64.5%±17.3Highest MA: 51.8% |
51.7%±5.4Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Ware and Chicopee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 17.3% MA: 10% |
14.1%Lowest MA: 10% |
27%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 55.7% MA: 62.5% |
57.4%Highest MA: 62.5% |
41.3%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1958Highest 6 yrs older than MA |
1938Lowest 26 yrs older than MA |
1950 14 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 21 min 27% below MA |
27 minHighest 9% below MA |
19 minLowest 34% below MA |
| Work from home | 8%±1.8Lowest MA: 18.6% |
16.6%±5Highest MA: 18.6% |
11.1%±2.5 MA: 18.6% |
| Ware and Holyoke are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #247 of 282 in MA | #267 of 282 in MA | #281 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Chicopee | — | Holyoke · Springfield |
| High school in town | Chicopee Comprehensive High School | — | Holyoke High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.2Lowest |
— | 12.5Highest |
| 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.