The Springfield metro area: Hampden County · Population 462,815 · Census ACS 2020–24
Choose a measure to map it.Tap a measure to map it. Swipe the row for more. Arrows show the change since 2006–10.
Median age by neighborhoodHistory and comparison ↓︎
Younger residents
Older residents
Colorblind friendly
off
More maps of the Springfield area: Best Neighborhoods · Walk Grade · Household income · Home prices · Race · Politics · Traffic noise · Internet
Population and households in the Springfield area
Household size in the Springfield area
| Period | Springfield area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 2.56 | 2.53 | 2.68 |
| 2010–14 | 2.57 | 2.57 | 2.73 |
| 2015–19 | 2.56 | 2.57 | 2.71 |
| 2020–24 | 2.51 | 2.52 | 2.65 |
| Change | −0.05 | −0.01 | −0.03 |
The average household in the Springfield area has 2.51 people, a bit under the U.S. average of 2.65. Household size has edged down from 2.56 in 2006–10, mirroring the country. Households are largest in the center and smallest in the north.
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 the Springfield area
| Period | Springfield area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 38.8 | 39.4 | 37.7 |
| 2010–14 | 39.4 | 40.1 | 38.6 |
| 2015–19 | 40.3 | 41.0 | 39.6 |
| 2020–24 | 40.7 | 41.4 | 40.1 |
| Change | +1.9 | +2.0 | +2.3 |
Half of the people in the Springfield area are younger than 40.7 and half are older, close to the national median of 40.1. Since 2006–10, the median age has climbed from 38.8, in line with the national trend. Residents skew youngest in the center and oldest in the southwest.
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 the Springfield area
| Period | Springfield area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 15.4% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2010–14 | 16.7% | 11.0% | 12.3% |
| 2015–19 | 15.8% | 10.3% | 11.6% |
| 2020–24 | 15.3% | 10.6% | 11.6% |
| Change | −0.2 pts | −0.4 pts | −0.6 pts |
Single parents head just over one in seven households in the Springfield area (15.3%), well above the national share of 11.6%. Of the 100 large U.S. metro areas, only seven have a higher share of single-parent households.
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 the Springfield area
Renters in the Springfield area
| Period | Springfield area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 37.0% | 36.0% | 33.3% |
| 2010–14 | 38.5% | 37.7% | 35.6% |
| 2015–19 | 38.9% | 37.6% | 36.0% |
| 2020–24 | 37.8% | 37.5% | 34.8% |
| Change | +0.8 pts | +1.5 pts | +1.5 pts |
Nearly four in ten households in the Springfield area rent their homes (37.8%), close to the national share of 34.8%. More than a third of owners (37.1%) have paid off their mortgages, about the same as nationally. Renting is most common in the center and least common in the southeast. The renter share has edged up 0.8 points since 2006–10, mirroring the country.
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 the Springfield area
| Period | Springfield area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 8.4% | 9.5% | 11.4% |
| 2010–14 | 8.3% | 9.1% | 11.4% |
| 2015–19 | 8.2% | 8.9% | 11.1% |
| 2020–24 | 7.7% | 7.9% | 9.6% |
| Change | −0.8 pts | −1.6 pts | −1.8 pts |
Vacancy is on the low side in the Springfield area: 7.7% of homes sit empty, against 9.6% nationally, which points to steady demand for housing. The figure for Massachusetts is much the same. Vacancy is down 0.8 points from 2006–10, as it has nationally.
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 the Springfield area
| Period | Springfield area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 1956 | 1958 | 1974 |
| 2010–14 | 1956 | 1959 | 1975 |
| 2015–19 | 1957 | 1961 | 1977 |
| 2020–24 | 1958 | 1963 | 1980 |
| Change | +2 | +5 | +6 |
The housing in the Springfield area is old by national standards: the median home dates to 1958, against 1980 for the U.S., so buyers will find more older houses, some of them due for updates. The newest homes are mostly in the southwest, the oldest in the center. No other large metro area has older homes.
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 the Springfield area
| Period | Springfield area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | $809 | $1,085 | $965 |
| 2010–14 | $871 | $1,157 | $1,040 |
| 2015–19 | $995 | $1,398 | $1,213 |
| 2020–24 | $1,261 | $1,860 | $1,571 |
| Change | +$452 | +$775 | +$606 |
A typical rental in the Springfield area costs $1,261 a month with utilities, below the national median of $1,571. Rents are up $452 a month from 2006–10, a 56% rise, a slower climb than the nation's. The typical renter here spends 32.8% of household income on rent, just over the 30% mark often used to define affordable rent. The priciest rents are in the southeast; the most affordable are in the west.
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 the Springfield area
Bachelor's degrees in the Springfield area
| Period | Springfield area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 23.3% | 38.5% | 28.4% |
| 2010–14 | 24.8% | 40.1% | 29.6% |
| 2015–19 | 26.7% | 43.6% | 32.1% |
| 2020–24 | 29.0% | 47.2% | 35.6% |
| Change | +5.8 pts | +8.7 pts | +7.2 pts |
College degrees are less common in the Springfield area than nationally: 29.0% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor's or higher, against 35.6%. The share with a degree is up 5.8 points from 2006–10, in line with the national trend. Few large metro areas have a lower share of college graduates: only eight of 100.
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 the Springfield area
| Period | Springfield area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 82.4% | 88.4% | 84.9% |
| 2010–14 | 83.3% | 89.3% | 86.1% |
| 2015–19 | 85.2% | 90.5% | 87.7% |
| 2020–24 | 86.7% | 91.0% | 89.3% |
| Change | +4.3 pts | +2.6 pts | +4.3 pts |
Just over one in eight adults in the Springfield area never finished high school, a bit more than nationally: 86.7% have a diploma or equivalent, against 89.3% across the U.S. Since 2006–10, the share with a diploma has risen 4.3 points, as it has nationally. The Springfield area has a lower share of high school graduates than at least four in five large metro areas.
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 the Springfield area
| Period | Springfield area | Massachusetts | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–10 | 10.2% | 7.5% | 8.1% |
| 2010–14 | 11.8% | 8.7% | 9.4% |
| 2015–19 | 6.2% | 5.0% | 5.6% |
| 2020–24 | 6.3% | 5.2% | 5.4% |
| Change | −3.9 pts | −2.3 pts | −2.7 pts |
Unemployment runs a little high in the Springfield area: 6.3% of the labor force was out of work and looking, against 5.4% nationally. Unemployment has fallen 3.9 points since 2006–10, as it has nationally. 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).
Largest cities in the Springfield area
| City | Household size | Median age | Single parents | Renters | Vacant homes | Median year built | Median rent | Bachelor's degree | High school diploma | Unemployment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Springfield area (all) | 2.51 | 40.7 | 15.3% | 37.8% | 7.7% | 1958 | $1,261 | 29.0% | 86.7% | 6.3% |
| Chicopee | 2.27 | 42.4 | 15.9% | 44.3% | 6.6% | 1956 | $1,244 | 22.8% | 86.4% | 6.3% |
| Westfield | 2.42 | 40.9 | 11.0% | 31.2% | 7.3% | 1964 | $1,272 | 34.4% | 93.4% | 3.1% |
| Holyoke | 2.43 | 41.3 | 21.0% | 58.7% | 9.2% | 1951 | $1,160 | 24.9% | 78.7% | 8.2% |
| West Springfield Town | 2.37 | 41.3 | 12.7% | 41.5% | 6.2% | 1957 | $1,178 | 32.8% | 88.2% | 6.5% |
| Agawam Town | 2.36 | 47.2 | 6.8% | 25.6% | 4.8% | 1967 | $1,214 | 34.6% | 95.3% | 3.8% |
| Ludlow | 2.42 | 45.4 | 7.6% | 23.1% | 7.9% | 1965 | $1,270 | 27.6% | 90.2% | 5.0% |
| East Longmeadow | 2.68 | 44.4 | 7.4% | 13.3% | 4.8% | 1971 | $1,825 | 48.5% | 95.8% | 2.9% |
| Longmeadow | 2.67 | 45.2 | 6.4% | 11.8% | 4.5% | 1955 | $1,606 | 65.3% | 96.3% | 5.3% |
| Wilbraham | 2.71 | 44.5 | 6.6% | 11.3% | 7.4% | 1967 | $992 | 51.2% | 95.8% | 2.3% |
| Palmer Town | 2.27 | 45.1 | 10.9% | 28.4% | 8.0% | 1964 | $1,092 | 23.2% | 90.7% | 3.6% |
All figures 2020–24.
Metro areas of similar size: Chattanooga area · Spokane area · Chapel Hill area · Harrisburg area · Toledo area
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 the Springfield area. 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.
No other site shows detail at this level for free. We are able to keep this site free by receiving a small commission from the referring links on this page. Please share or cite this page if you aren’t able to otherwise support our work.