Compare towns
Pittsfield vs Suffield vs Westfield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Pittsfield has the shortest commute (19 min average).
Suffield has the most people working from home (18.4%).
Westfield has the youngest population (median age 39.9).
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 | Pittsfield | Suffield | Westfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 43,457Highest |
15,702Lowest |
40,378 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -1.8%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
— | -0.6%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 42.4±2 9% above U.S. |
44.5±1.7Highest 14% above U.S. |
39.9±1.8Lowest about the U.S. average |
| Suffield and Pittsfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 17.6%±1.4 U.S.: 22% |
16.2%±2Lowest U.S.: 22% |
18.1%±2Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Westfield and Pittsfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.4%±1.5Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
18.4%±2.2Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
18.7%±1.5 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Pittsfield and Westfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 34.2% U.S.: 35.7% |
40.4%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
33.2%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.2%±1.1 U.S.: 6.4% |
4.4%±1.2Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
10%±0.9Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $70,582±$5kLowest 13% below U.S. |
$119,472±$13kHighest 48% above U.S. |
$87,753±$6k 9% above U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $256,900±$8kLowest 23% below U.S. |
$407,500±$26kHighest 22% above U.S. |
$325,100±$11k about the U.S. average |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,134±$61 20% below U.S. |
$1,424±$141Highest about the U.S. average |
$1,117±$60Lowest 21% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,148Lowest 33% above U.S. |
$6,456Highest 107% above U.S. |
$4,746 52% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 52.8%±5.7Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
51%±4.6 U.S.: 51.1% |
46.5%±5.8Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Pittsfield and Suffield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 14.9%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
4.6%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
10.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 62.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
86.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
68.6% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1950Lowest 30 yrs older than U.S. |
1979Highest 1 yr older than U.S. |
1964 16 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 19 minLowest 30% below U.S. |
26 min 3% below U.S. |
27 minHighest about the U.S. average |
| Work from home | 10.2%±2.2 U.S.: 15.1% |
18.4%±4.1Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
8.6%±2.2Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #251 of 282 in MA | #57 of 149 in CT | #197 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Pittsfield | Suffield School District | Westfield |
| High school in town | Taconic High | Suffield High School | Westfield High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.3Lowest |
10.9 |
11.9Highest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet |
U.S. 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.