Population 12,317 · Census ACS 2020–24
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Population and households in Palmer Town
Household size in Palmer Town
| Period | Palmer Town | Springfield area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.34 | 2.56 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.49 | 2.57 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.50 | 2.56 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.27 | 2.51 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.07 | −0.05 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
Households in Palmer Town are small: just 2.27 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. Household size has edged down from 2.34 in 2006–10, in line with the national trend.
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 Town
| Period | Palmer Town | Springfield area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 42.9 | 38.8 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 43.0 | 39.4 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 44.1 | 40.3 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 45.1 | 40.7 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +2.2 | +1.9 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
With a median age of 45.1, Palmer Town is noticeably older than the country as a whole (40.1), an age mix that tilts toward empty nesters and retirees. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 42.9, as it has nationally. The youngest areas are in the north, the oldest in the center.
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 Town
| Period | Palmer Town | Springfield area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 11.3% | 15.4% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 11.9% | 16.7% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 14.4% | 15.8% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 10.9% | 15.3% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.4 pts | −0.2 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single-parent households are about as common in Palmer Town as they are nationally: 10.9%, against 11.6%. Single parents are less common here than in the Springfield area overall (15.3%).
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 Town
Renters in Palmer Town
| Period | Palmer Town | Springfield area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 29.2% | 37.0% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 31.4% | 38.5% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 28.4% | 38.9% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 28.4% | 37.8% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | −0.8 pts | +0.8 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Most households in Palmer Town own their homes; 28.4% rent, a little below the national share of 34.8%. Among homeowners, 36.1% have no mortgage at all, below the national share of 39.8%. Rentals cluster in the center; owners are most common in the northeast. The renter share has edged down 0.8 points since 2006–10, even as the national share rose.
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 Town
| Period | Palmer Town | Springfield area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 5.3% | 8.4% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 11.1% | 8.3% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 10.8% | 8.2% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 8.0% | 7.7% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | +2.6 pts | −0.8 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in Palmer Town: 8.0% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. The Springfield area as a whole looks much the same. Since 2006–10, vacancy has risen 2.6 points, even as the national rate fell.
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 Town
| Period | Palmer Town | Springfield area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1954 | 1956 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1959 | 1956 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1961 | 1957 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1964 | 1958 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | +10 | +2 | +5 | +6 |
Palmer Town is a place of older homes: half were built before 1964, while the national median is 1980. That means established neighborhoods, and more houses that may need updating. Still, homes here are newer than in the Springfield area as a whole, where the median home dates to 1958. The newest homes are mostly in the east, the oldest in the center.
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 Town
| Period | Palmer Town | Springfield area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $752 | $809 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $850 | $871 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $951 | $995 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,092 | $1,261 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$341 | +$452 | +$775 | +$606 |
A typical rental in Palmer Town costs $1,092 a month with utilities, well below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $341 a month from 2006–10, a 45% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 35.3% of household income on rent, well over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent, so many renters here are stretched. The priciest rents are in the west; the most affordable are in the southeast.
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 Town
Bachelor's degrees in Palmer Town
| Period | Palmer Town | Springfield area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 18.9% | 23.3% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 20.2% | 24.8% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 24.8% | 26.7% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 23.2% | 29.0% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +4.3 pts | +5.8 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are relatively uncommon in Palmer Town: 23.2% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor's or higher, well below the national share of 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 4.3 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally. Of the 275 Massachusetts cities with 5,000+ people, only 13 have a lower share of college graduates.
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 Town
| Period | Palmer Town | Springfield area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 87.5% | 82.4% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 88.9% | 83.3% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 91.7% | 85.2% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 90.7% | 86.7% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +3.2 pts | +4.3 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
About as many adults in Palmer Town have finished high school as nationally: 90.7%, against 89.3%. The rate is higher than in the Springfield area as a whole (86.7%). The share with a diploma has risen 3.2 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 Town
| Period | Palmer Town | Springfield area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 9.6% | 10.2% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 10.9% | 11.8% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.4% | 6.2% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 3.6% | 6.3% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | −6.0 pts | −3.9 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment in Palmer Town runs below the national rate: 3.6% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Since 2006–10, unemployment has fallen 6.0 points, as it has nationally. 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 Town 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 Town | 2.27 | 45.1 | 10.9% | 28.4% | 8.0% | 1964 | $1,092 | 23.2% | 90.7% | 3.6% |
| Palmer | 2.30 | 42.0 | 6.0% | 27.3% | 8.9% | 1965 | $921 | 27.8% | 92.9% | 11.0% |
| 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% |
| Wilbraham | 2.71 | 44.5 | 6.6% | 11.3% | 7.4% | 1967 | $992 | 51.2% | 95.8% | 2.3% |
| Ware | 2.27 | 42.3 | 15.8% | 28.5% | 8.5% | 1959 | $1,009 | 23.0% | 91.7% | 10.4% |
| Ludlow | 2.42 | 45.4 | 7.6% | 23.1% | 7.9% | 1965 | $1,270 | 27.6% | 90.2% | 5.0% |
| Warren | 2.75 | 34.6 | 15.1% | 36.8% | 9.3% | 1953 | $1,130 | 23.9% | 92.9% | 7.7% |
| Brimfield | 2.63 | 43.4 | 10.0% | 12.8% | 12.9% | 1987 | $807 | 42.5% | 97.8% | 2.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Cities with similar populations: Manning, SC · River Edge, NJ · Ringwood, NJ · Ridgefield Park, NJ · Ridgefield, NJ · Richton Park, IL · Richmond Heights, OH · Rehoboth, MA · Reedsburg, WI · Redlands, CO
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 Town. 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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