Compare towns
Pelham vs Cambridge vs Hatfield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Pelham has the most kids (21% under 18).
Cambridge has grown the fastest since 2010 (+12.6%).
Hatfield has the shortest commute (20 min average).
Cambridge is a college town. 25.1% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
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 | Pelham | Cambridge | Hatfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,335Lowest |
118,796Highest |
3,325 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.1%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+12.6%Highest MA: +7.4% |
+2.2% MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 45±8.4 13% above MA |
30.4±0.4Lowest 24% below MA |
46.8±5Highest 17% above MA |
| Hatfield and Pelham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 21%±4.6Highest MA: 19.4% |
12.4%±0.8Lowest MA: 19.4% |
14%±4.3 MA: 19.4% |
| Pelham and Hatfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 26.7%±6.9Highest MA: 17.9% |
12.2%±0.7Lowest MA: 17.9% |
23.3%±4.6 MA: 17.9% |
| Pelham and Hatfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 64.8% MA: 47.3% |
80.8%Highest MA: 47.3% |
48.5%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2%±1.6Lowest MA: 7.9% |
25.1%±1Highest MA: 7.9% |
5.1%±2.6 MA: 7.9% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $113,750±$24k 9% above MA |
$130,748±$4kHighest 26% above MA |
$89,005±$25kLowest 14% below MA |
| Cambridge and Pelham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $447,600±$33k 20% below MA |
$1,092,100±$42kHighest 94% above MA |
$440,800±$26kLowest 22% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,205±$560Lowest 32% below MA |
$2,787±$48Highest 58% above MA |
$1,267±$216 28% below MA |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $7,472Highest 25% above MA |
$4,802Lowest 20% below MA |
$4,930 18% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 42.7%±35.2 MA: 51.8% |
45%±2.3Highest MA: 51.8% |
42.6%±11.8Lowest MA: 51.8% |
| Cambridge and Pelham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 10.3% MA: 10% |
12.8%Highest MA: 10% |
8.9%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.1%Highest MA: 62.5% |
33.5%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
74.6% MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1958 6 yrs older than MA |
1950Lowest 14 yrs older than MA |
1967Highest 3 yrs newer than MA |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 23 min 21% below MA |
26 minHighest 11% below MA |
20 minLowest 30% below MA |
| Work from home | 32.8%±7.4Highest MA: 18.6% |
30.8%±1.5 MA: 18.6% |
16%±6.3Lowest MA: 18.6% |
| Pelham and Cambridge 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 | — | #122 of 282 in MA | #198 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Pelham | Cambridge | Hatfield |
| High school in town | None in town | Cambridge Rindge and Latin | Smith Academy |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 9.3Highest |
6.1Lowest |
| 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.