What stands out worked out from the figures below

Holyoke has the most affordable homes ($274k median).

Northampton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+3.6%).

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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Holyoke	Northampton
People
Population	37,813Highest	30,962Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-4.1%Lowest MA: +7.4%	+3.6%Highest MA: +7.4%
Median age	40±1.6Lowest about the MA average	41.3±2.2Highest 3% above MA
	Northampton and Holyoke are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	21.4%±1.9Highest MA: 19.4%	16%±1.8Lowest MA: 19.4%
Age 65+	20.1%±1.6Lowest MA: 17.9%	20.4%±1.7Highest MA: 17.9%
	Northampton and Holyoke are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	25.9%Lowest MA: 47.3%	62.7%Highest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3.4%±0.8Lowest MA: 7.9%	14%±1.4Highest MA: 7.9%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$53,605±$3kLowest 48% below MA	$80,288±$6kHighest 23% below MA
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$274,100±$8kLowest 51% below MA	$429,700±$17kHighest 24% below MA
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,021±$60Lowest 42% below MA	$1,439±$75Highest 18% below MA
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,065Lowest 32% below MA	$5,680Highest 5% below MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	51.7%±5.4Lowest MA: 51.8%	57.6%±6.7Highest MA: 51.8%
	Northampton and Holyoke are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	27%Highest MA: 10%	13.4%Lowest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	41.3%Lowest MA: 62.5%	57.3%Highest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1950Lowest 14 yrs older than MA	1955Highest 9 yrs older than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	19 minLowest 34% below MA	21 minHighest 26% below MA
Work from home	11.1%±2.5Lowest MA: 18.6%	24.1%±3.4Highest MA: 18.6%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#281 of 282 in MA	#159 of 282 in MA
School district	Holyoke · Springfield	Northampton · Northampton-Smith Vocational Agricultural
High school in town	Holyoke High	Northampton High
Students per teacherat that high school	12.5Lowest	14.7Highest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	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.