Compare towns
Pittsfield vs West Springfield Town
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against Massachusetts.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Pittsfield has the most affordable homes ($257k median).
West Springfield Town has grown the fastest since 2010 (+1.6%).
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.
| Measure | Pittsfield | West Springfield Town |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 43,457Highest |
28,772Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -1.8%Lowest MA: +7.4% |
+1.6%Highest MA: +7.4% |
| Median age | 42.4±2Highest 6% above MA |
40.1±2.6Lowest about the MA average |
| Pittsfield and West Springfield Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Kids under 18 | 17.6%±1.4Lowest MA: 19.4% |
18.9%±2.3Highest MA: 19.4% |
| West Springfield Town 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 MA: 17.9% |
17.5%±1.7Lowest MA: 17.9% |
| Pittsfield and West Springfield Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 34.2%Highest MA: 47.3% |
34%Lowest MA: 47.3% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.2%±1.1Highest MA: 7.9% |
5.7%±1.3Lowest MA: 7.9% |
| Pittsfield and West Springfield Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $70,582±$5kHighest 32% below MA |
$69,371±$7kLowest 33% below MA |
| Pittsfield and West Springfield Town are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $256,900±$8kLowest 54% below MA |
$321,500±$16kHighest 43% below MA |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,134±$61Lowest 36% below MA |
$1,144±$68Highest 35% below MA |
| West Springfield Town and Pittsfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,148Lowest 31% below MA |
$4,380Highest 27% below MA |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 52.8%±5.7Lowest MA: 51.8% |
60.1%±9.1Highest MA: 51.8% |
| West Springfield Town and Pittsfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 14.9%Highest MA: 10% |
11.9%Lowest MA: 10% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 62.8%Highest MA: 62.5% |
58.5%Lowest MA: 62.5% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1950Lowest 14 yrs older than MA |
1958Highest 6 yrs older than MA |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 19 minLowest 36% below MA |
19 minHighest 34% below MA |
| Work from home | 10.2%±2.2Lowest MA: 18.6% |
10.4%±2.4Highest MA: 18.6% |
| West Springfield Town and Pittsfield 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 | #251 of 282 in MA | #218 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Pittsfield | West Springfield |
| High school in town | Taconic High | West Springfield High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.3Lowest |
13.1Highest |
| 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.