Compare towns
Easthampton vs Buzzards Bay vs Northampton
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 affordable homes ($372k median).
Buzzards Bay has the most homeowners (75.7%).
Northampton has the most people working from home (24.1%).
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 | Northampton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 16,086 |
2,909Lowest |
30,962Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +10.9%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+3.6%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 46±2.6 15% above MA |
54.4±5.9Highest 36% above MA |
41.3±2.2Lowest 3% 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% |
16%±1.8Highest MA: 19.4% |
| Northampton 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% |
20.4%±1.7Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 38% MA: 47.3% |
29.6%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
62.7%Highest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.1%±1.9Lowest MA: 7.9% |
8.9%±1.4 MA: 7.9% |
14%±1.4Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $71,673±$7kLowest 31% below MA |
$94,388±$12kHighest 9% below MA |
$80,288±$6k 23% below MA |
| Buzzards Bay and Northampton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $371,500±$15kLowest 34% below MA |
$454,500±$28kHighest 19% below MA |
$429,700±$17k 24% below MA |
| Buzzards Bay and Northampton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,292±$70Lowest 27% below MA |
$1,484±$601Highest 16% below MA |
$1,439±$75 18% below MA |
| Buzzards Bay and Northampton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,932 18% below MA |
$3,405Lowest 43% below MA |
$5,680Highest 5% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 45.5%±10.7 MA: 51.8% |
37.9%±20.3Lowest MA: 51.8% |
57.6%±6.7Highest MA: 51.8% |
| Northampton 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% |
13.4%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 58.4% MA: 62.5% |
75.7%Highest MA: 62.5% |
57.3%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1966Highest 2 yrs newer than MA |
1956 8 yrs older than MA |
1955Lowest 9 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 22 min 23% below MA |
32 minHighest 10% above MA |
21 minLowest 26% below MA |
| Work from home | 19%±3.2 MA: 18.6% |
17.4%±6.3Lowest MA: 18.6% |
24.1%±3.4Highest MA: 18.6% |
| Northampton and Easthampton 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 | — | #159 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Easthampton | — | Northampton · Northampton-Smith Vocational Agricultural |
| High school in town | Easthampton High | — | Northampton High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.8Lowest |
— | 14.7Highest |
| 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.