Compare towns
New Salem vs Springfield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
New Salem has the most people working from home (19.4%).
Springfield has grown the fastest since 2010 (+1.9%).
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 | New Salem | Springfield |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 1,054Lowest |
154,749Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -0.7%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+1.9%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 55.6±2.4Highest 39% above MA |
33.7±0.5Lowest 16% below MA |
| Kids under 18 | 14.5%±4.5Lowest MA: 19.4% |
24.2%±0.9Highest MA: 19.4% |
| Age 65+ | 23.7%±6.5Highest MA: 17.9% |
13.2%±0.7Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 35.4%Highest MA: 47.3% |
20.5%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.1%±1.6Lowest MA: 7.9% |
7.5%±0.5Highest MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $79,688±$19kHighest 23% below MA |
$52,656±$2kLowest 49% below MA |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $359,000±$40kHighest 36% below MA |
$245,000±$4kLowest 56% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,194±$88Highest 32% below MA |
$1,144±$55Lowest 35% below MA |
| New Salem and Springfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,509Highest 25% below MA |
$3,695Lowest 38% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 86.7%±25.8Highest MA: 51.8% |
57.7%±3.1Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Below poverty line | 9.7%Lowest MA: 10% |
25.8%Highest MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 89%Highest MA: 62.5% |
49.6%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1973Highest 9 yrs newer than MA |
1952Lowest 12 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 23 minHighest 20% below MA |
20 minLowest 31% below MA |
| Work from home | 19.4%±8Highest MA: 18.6% |
8.4%±0.9Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | #276 of 282 in MA |
| School district | — | Springfield |
| High school in town | — | Springfield Central High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.2 |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in History | 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.