Population 234 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Palmer
Household size in Palmer
| Period | Palmer | Springfield area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.67 | 2.56 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.53 | 2.57 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.39 | 2.56 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.30 | 2.51 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.37 | −0.05 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Palmer are small: just 2.30 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 2.67, 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 Palmer
| Period | Palmer | Springfield area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 41.6 | 38.8 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 44.0 | 39.4 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 47.9 | 40.3 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 42.0 | 40.7 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +0.4 | +1.9 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
Palmer skews a little older than the country: its median age is 42.0, against 40.1 nationally. The Springfield area as a whole looks much the same.
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 Palmer
| Period | Palmer | Springfield area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 7.6% | 15.4% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 12.5% | 16.7% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 10.4% | 15.8% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.0% | 15.3% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −1.5 pts | −0.2 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head only 6.0% of households in Palmer, 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 Palmer
Renters in Palmer
| Period | Palmer | Springfield area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.4% | 37.0% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 20.6% | 38.5% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 14.5% | 38.9% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 27.3% | 37.8% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | +3.8 pts | +0.8 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Palmer own their homes; 27.3% rent, below the national share of 34.8%. More than four in ten owners (42.9%) have paid off their mortgages, 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 Palmer
| Period | Palmer | Springfield area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.2% | 8.4% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.5% | 8.3% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 15.3% | 8.2% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.9% | 7.7% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | +0.7 pts | −0.8 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy in Palmer is close to the national rate: 8.9% of homes are empty, against 9.6%.
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 Palmer
| Period | Palmer | Springfield area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1958 | 1956 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1966 | 1956 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1970 | 1957 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1965 | 1958 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | +7 | +2 | +5 | +6 |
Palmer is a place of older homes: half were built before 1965, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. Locally, though, homes here are newer than in the Springfield area as a whole, where the median home dates to 1958.
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 Palmer
| Period | Palmer | Springfield area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $820 | $809 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $883 | $871 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $1,056 | $995 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $921 | $1,261 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$101 | +$452 | +$775 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Palmer costs $921 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rent takes 34.5% of the typical renter's income, 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 Palmer
Bachelor's degrees in Palmer
| Period | Palmer | Springfield area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 24.9% | 23.3% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 20.3% | 24.8% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 27.2% | 26.7% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 27.8% | 29.0% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +3.0 pts | +5.8 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
More than a quarter of adults 25 and older in Palmer (27.8%) have a bachelor's degree or higher, below the national share of 35.6%. That is in line with the rest of the Springfield area.
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 Palmer
| Period | Palmer | Springfield area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 90.0% | 82.4% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 88.3% | 83.3% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 94.3% | 85.2% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 92.9% | 86.7% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +2.9 pts | +4.3 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
High school completion in Palmer is above the national rate: 92.9% of adults have a diploma or equivalent, against 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 Palmer
| Period | Palmer | Springfield area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.2% | 10.2% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 14.1% | 11.8% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.3% | 6.2% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 11.0% | 6.3% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | +2.7 pts | −3.9 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Finding work has been harder in Palmer: 11.0% of the labor force was out of work and looking, well above the national rate of 5.4%. Because the Census pools five years of responses (2020–24), these rates smooth over short swings and lag the current 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).
Palmer 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Palmer | 2.30 | 42.0 | 6.0% | 27.3% | 8.9% | 1965 | $921 | 27.8% | 92.9% | 11.0% |
| Palmer Town | 2.27 | 45.1 | 10.9% | 28.4% | 8.0% | 1964 | $1,092 | 23.2% | 90.7% | 3.6% |
| Tennyville | 2.54 | 44.7 | 7.8% | 15.7% | 11.8% | 1967 | $983 | 21.9% | 95.3% | 5.9% |
| Bondsville | 2.37 | 43.3 | 5.4% | 5.7% | 2.6% | 1984 | $1,214 | 39.3% | 96.2% | 2.2% |
| West Warren | 2.14 | 41.6 | 8.4% | 36.1% | 9.5% | 1959 | $855 | 30.5% | 95.2% | 9.3% |
| Monson | 2.50 | 45.2 | 7.6% | 18.0% | 7.9% | 1968 | $996 | 31.0% | 93.2% | 6.2% |
| Ware | 2.27 | 42.3 | 15.8% | 28.5% | 8.5% | 1959 | $1,009 | 23.0% | 91.7% | 10.4% |
| Warren | 2.75 | 34.6 | 15.1% | 36.8% | 9.3% | 1953 | $1,130 | 23.9% | 92.9% | 7.7% |
| Wilbraham | 2.71 | 44.5 | 6.6% | 11.3% | 7.4% | 1967 | $992 | 51.2% | 95.8% | 2.3% |
| Brimfield | 2.63 | 43.4 | 10.0% | 12.8% | 12.9% | 1987 | $807 | 42.5% | 97.8% | 2.6% |
| Ludlow | 2.42 | 45.4 | 7.6% | 23.1% | 7.9% | 1965 | $1,270 | 27.6% | 90.2% | 5.0% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Sailor Springs, IL · Logansport, KY · Logansport, WV · Lone Cedar, TX · Lone Elm, MO · Long Island, KS · Long Island, ME · Longdale, VA · Longino, MS · Lorah, IA
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 Palmer. 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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