What stands out worked out from the figures below

Shelburne Falls has the most affordable homes ($315k median).

Hatfield has grown the fastest since 2010 (+2.2%).

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	Shelburne Falls	Hatfield
People
Population	1,845Lowest	3,325Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-0.7%Lowest MA: +7.4%	+2.2%Highest MA: +7.4%
Median age	49.4±3.7Highest 24% above MA	46.8±5Lowest 17% above MA
	Shelburne Falls and Hatfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	17.5%±4.1Highest MA: 19.4%	14%±4.3Lowest MA: 19.4%
	Shelburne Falls and Hatfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	24.4%±3.5Highest MA: 17.9%	23.3%±4.6Lowest MA: 17.9%
	Shelburne Falls and Hatfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	42.6%Lowest MA: 47.3%	48.5%Highest MA: 47.3%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	2.8%±1.7Lowest MA: 7.9%	5.1%±2.6Highest MA: 7.9%
	Hatfield and Shelburne Falls are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$76,536±$13kLowest 26% below MA	$89,005±$25kHighest 14% below MA
	Hatfield and Shelburne Falls are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$314,500±$35kLowest 44% below MA	$440,800±$26kHighest 22% below MA
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,107±$86Lowest 37% below MA	$1,267±$216Highest 28% below MA
	Hatfield and Shelburne Falls are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,124Lowest 31% below MA	$4,930Highest 18% below MA
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	56.4%±14.1Highest MA: 51.8%	42.6%±11.8Lowest MA: 51.8%
	Shelburne Falls and Hatfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	17%Highest MA: 10%	8.9%Lowest MA: 10%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	59.8%Lowest MA: 62.5%	74.6%Highest MA: 62.5%
Typical home builtmedian year	1938Lowest 26 yrs older than MA	1967Highest 3 yrs newer than MA
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	32 minHighest 11% above MA	20 minLowest 30% below MA
Work from home	19.8%±5.4Highest MA: 18.6%	16%±6.3Lowest MA: 18.6%
	Shelburne Falls and Hatfield 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	—	#198 of 282 in MA
School district	—	Hatfield
High school in town	—	Smith Academy
Students per teacherat that high school	—	6.1
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.