Population 1,110 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Ashfield
Household size in Ashfield
| Period | Ashfield | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.47 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.37 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.18 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.01 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.46 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Ashfield are small: just 2.01 people on average, compared with 2.65 nationally. That is typical of places where many people live alone or as couples, and fewer have children at home. Since 2006–10, household size has dropped from 2.47, but in a place this small, survey estimates can swing a lot from one release to the next.
Household size: the average number of people living in each occupied home. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25010).
Median age in Ashfield
| Period | Ashfield | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 45.2 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 47.6 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 55.4 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 59.2 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +14.0 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 59.2, Ashfield is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees.
Median age: the age that splits residents into two equal halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B01002).
Single-parent households in Ashfield
| Period | Ashfield | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.3% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 8.2% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 5.6% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 1.7% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −6.6 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 1.7% of households in Ashfield, well below the national share of 11.6%.
Single-parent households: households where one adult with no spouse present lives with children under 18. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B11003).
Housing in Ashfield
Renters in Ashfield
| Period | Ashfield | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.8% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 18.0% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 18.2% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 14.6% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | +2.7 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Ashfield is overwhelmingly a place of homeowners: only 14.6% of households rent, far below the national share of 34.8%. Owner-heavy areas like this tend to see less turnover. Among homeowners, 43.9% have no mortgage at all, above the national share of 39.8%.
Renters: occupied homes that are rented rather than owned. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25003).
Vacant homes in Ashfield
| Period | Ashfield | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 14.8% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 19.1% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 19.3% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 10.3% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −4.5 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
About as many homes sit empty in Ashfield as nationally: 10.3%, against 9.6%. The rate is higher than in Massachusetts as a whole (7.9%).
Vacant homes: homes with no one living in them, including vacation homes and homes for sale or rent. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25002).
Age of homes in Ashfield
| Period | Ashfield | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1956 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1951 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1962 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1963 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | +7 | +5 | +6 |
Ashfield is a place of older homes: half were built before 1963, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. Massachusetts as a whole looks much the same.
Age of homes: the year that splits the housing stock into older and newer halves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25035).
Rent in Ashfield
| Period | Ashfield | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $1,191 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $1,020 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $850 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,261 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$71 | +$775 | +$606 |
The median renter in Ashfield pays $1,261 a month for rent and utilities, below the national median of $1,571. The typical renter here spends 35.5% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched.
Rent: monthly rent plus the utilities renters pay themselves. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B25064).
Education in Ashfield
Bachelor's degrees in Ashfield
| Period | Ashfield | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 47.5% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 46.7% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 50.3% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 53.5% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +6.0 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
College graduates are unusually common in Ashfield: 53.5% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's degree or higher, against 35.6% nationally. Education tends to track local incomes and the kinds of jobs nearby.
Bachelor's degrees: adults 25 and older with a bachelor's degree or higher. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
High school graduates in Ashfield
| Period | Ashfield | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 95.7% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 96.2% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 96.8% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 98.2% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.5 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
Finishing high school is nearly universal in Ashfield: 98.2% of adults 25 and older have a diploma or equivalent, well above the national rate of 89.3%.
High school graduates: adults 25 and older with a high school diploma, GED or more. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B15003).
Jobs in Ashfield
| Period | Ashfield | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.9% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 4.6% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 5.3% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.0% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | −2.9 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Ashfield has been low: just 3.0% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well below the national rate of 5.4%. Each figure pools five years of surveys (2020–24), so it describes that whole stretch rather than today's job market.
Unemployment: people looking for work as a share of everyone working or looking. Source: BestNeighborhood calculations from U.S. Census Bureau ACS 5-year block-group estimates (table B23025).
Ashfield compared with nearby cities
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashfield | 2.01 | 59.2 | 1.7% | 14.6% | 10.3% | 1963 | $1,261 | 53.5% | 98.2% | 3.0% |
| South Ashfield | 1.96 | 59.9 | 1.7% | 16.4% | 12.0% | 1961 | $1,194 | 55.6% | 98.6% | 2.0% |
| Buckland | 2.25 | 57.8 | 3.4% | 14.2% | 6.9% | 1970 | $1,188 | 49.5% | 96.5% | 4.4% |
| Lithia | 2.24 | 57.4 | 5.8% | 9.6% | 25.9% | 1965 | $1,065 | 46.5% | 96.7% | 3.9% |
| Hawley | 2.14 | 58.2 | 2.5% | 12.3% | 11.4% | 1972 | $1,326 | 41.0% | 94.9% | 8.1% |
| Conway | 2.24 | 55.6 | 7.8% | 6.6% | 4.3% | 1976 | $1,800 | 60.5% | 97.4% | 2.4% |
| Goshen | 2.26 | 58.0 | 7.4% | 11.1% | 34.2% | 1961 | $871 | 47.6% | 96.7% | 2.4% |
| Plainfield | 2.45 | 50.7 | 7.3% | 2.8% | 15.4% | 1974 | $1,304 | 51.2% | 97.5% | 1.6% |
| Shelburne Falls | 2.14 | 54.5 | 7.2% | 29.3% | 12.8% | 1953 | $1,198 | 47.3% | 95.5% | 4.1% |
| Cummington | 2.25 | 54.7 | 7.4% | 13.2% | 16.0% | 1943 | $869 | 54.0% | 95.6% | 1.1% |
| Swift River | 2.37 | 51.7 | 9.8% | 11.6% | 19.1% | 1958 | $928 | 45.9% | 96.4% | 1.9% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Camas Valley, OR · Bradenton Beach, FL · Vida, OR · Side Lake, MN · Flinton, PA · Bartlett, NH · Dorsey, IL · Baxter Estates, NY · Red Mesa, AZ · Elmdale, MI
About these numbers
Every figure on this page is a BestNeighborhood calculation from the Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS), built up from the Census block groups that make up Ashfield. Each ACS 5-year release pools five years of responses; this page shows the last 15 releases, 2006–10 through 2020–24. Neighboring releases share four of their five years, so they move gradually and small changes between them are within the survey's margin of error; in small places the lines can jump from one release to the next for the same reason. The maps show the same measures for each neighborhood, ranked against the whole country.
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