Compare towns
Springfield vs Suffield vs Chicopee vs Brockton
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Springfield has the most renters (50.4% rent).
Suffield has the most people working from home (18.4%).
Brockton has the most expensive homes ($438k median).
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 | Springfield | Suffield | Chicopee | Brockton |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 154,749Highest |
15,702Lowest |
55,295 |
105,386 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +1.9% U.S.: +7.4% |
— | +0.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+12.6%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 33.7±0.5Lowest 13% below U.S. |
44.5±1.7Highest 14% above U.S. |
41.9±1.4 8% above U.S. |
36.7±0.8 6% below U.S. |
| Suffield and Chicopee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 24.2%±0.9 U.S.: 22% |
16.2%±2Lowest U.S.: 22% |
19.2%±1.7 U.S.: 22% |
25.3%±1Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Brockton and Springfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 13.2%±0.7Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
18.4%±2.2 U.S.: 17.2% |
19.5%±1.4Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
14.4%±0.9 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Chicopee and Suffield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 20.5%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
40.4%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
22.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
22.3% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 7.5%±0.5Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.4%±1.2 U.S.: 6.4% |
3.7%±0.6Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
6.3%±0.7 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Springfield and Brockton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $52,656±$2kLowest 35% below U.S. |
$119,472±$13kHighest 48% above U.S. |
$62,615±$6k 22% below U.S. |
$80,115±$3k about the U.S. average |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $245,000±$4kLowest 26% below U.S. |
$407,500±$26k 22% above U.S. |
$274,500±$8k 17% below U.S. |
$437,500±$8kHighest 31% above U.S. |
| Brockton and Suffield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,144±$55Lowest 19% below U.S. |
$1,424±$141 about the U.S. average |
$1,157±$50 18% below U.S. |
$1,641±$52Highest 16% above U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,695Lowest 18% above U.S. |
$6,456Highest 107% above U.S. |
$3,847 23% above U.S. |
$4,820 55% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 57.7%±3.1Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
51%±4.6Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
52%±5.6 U.S.: 51.1% |
54.5%±4.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Springfield and Brockton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 25.8%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
4.6%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
17.3% U.S.: 12.5% |
13.5% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 49.6%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
86.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
55.7% U.S.: 65.2% |
57.4% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1952Lowest 28 yrs older than U.S. |
1979Highest 1 yr older than U.S. |
1958 22 yrs older than U.S. |
1960 20 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 20 minLowest 23% below U.S. |
26 min 3% below U.S. |
21 min 19% below U.S. |
32 minHighest 19% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 8.4%±0.9 U.S.: 15.1% |
18.4%±4.1Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
8%±1.8 U.S.: 15.1% |
6.9%±1Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #276 of 282 in MA | #57 of 149 in CT | #247 of 282 in MA | #279 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Springfield | Suffield School District | Chicopee | Brockton |
| High school in town | Springfield Central High | Suffield High School | Chicopee Comprehensive High School | Brockton High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.2 |
10.9Lowest |
11.2 |
17.0Highest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.