Compare towns
Easthampton vs Buzzards Bay vs Montague
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Easthampton has the most people working from home (19%).
Buzzards Bay has the highest household income ($94k).
Montague has the most affordable homes ($282k median).
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 | Easthampton | Buzzards Bay | Montague |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 16,086Highest |
2,909Lowest |
8,482 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +10.9%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+1.7%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 46±2.6 15% above MA |
54.4±5.9Highest 36% above MA |
44.3±3.1Lowest 11% above MA |
| Buzzards Bay and Easthampton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 15.5%±2.4 MA: 19.4% |
6.7%±2.9Lowest MA: 19.4% |
19%±2.8Highest MA: 19.4% |
| Montague and Easthampton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 23.9%±3 MA: 17.9% |
32.3%±5.2Highest MA: 17.9% |
23.5%±3.2Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 38%Highest MA: 47.3% |
29.6%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
37.5% MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.1%±1.9 MA: 7.9% |
8.9%±1.4Highest MA: 7.9% |
3.7%±1.3Lowest MA: 7.9% |
| Buzzards Bay and Easthampton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $71,673±$7k 31% below MA |
$94,388±$12kHighest 9% below MA |
$70,510±$12kLowest 32% below MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $371,500±$15k 34% below MA |
$454,500±$28kHighest 19% below MA |
$282,100±$17kLowest 50% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,292±$70 27% below MA |
$1,484±$601Highest 16% below MA |
$1,207±$115Lowest 31% below MA |
| Buzzards Bay and Easthampton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,932Highest 18% below MA |
$3,405Lowest 43% below MA |
$3,922 35% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 45.5%±10.7 MA: 51.8% |
37.9%±20.3Lowest MA: 51.8% |
64.6%±8.6Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Montague and Easthampton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 8% MA: 10% |
7.3%Lowest MA: 10% |
11.5%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 58.4%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
75.7%Highest MA: 62.5% |
62.7% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1966Highest 2 yrs newer than MA |
1956 8 yrs older than MA |
1951Lowest 13 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 22 min 23% below MA |
32 minHighest 10% above MA |
21 minLowest 28% below MA |
| Work from home | 19%±3.2Highest MA: 18.6% |
17.4%±6.3 MA: 18.6% |
14.9%±4.2Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Easthampton and Buzzards Bay 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 | #92 of 282 in MA | — | #265 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Easthampton | — | Franklin County Regional Vocational Technical · Gill-Montague |
| High school in town | Easthampton High | — | Franklin County Technical |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.8Lowest |
— | 11.7Highest |
| 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.