Chicopee vs Northampton
Chicopee, Massachusetts versus Northampton, Massachusetts: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Chicopee and Northampton score about the same overall (46 vs 46 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Chicopee | Northampton |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $64k | $81k |
| Cost of Living | $48k | $56k |
| Home Value | $231k | $388k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.56% | 1.37% |
| Income Tax | 9.00% | 9.00% |
| Sales Tax | 6.25% | 6.25% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 16.71% | 17.61% |
| Unemployment | 6.1% | 5.6% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 26°F | 25°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 74°F | 73°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 50.3 in | 52.8 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 47.5 in | 36.5 in |
| Sunny Days | 185 days | 185 days |
| Summer Humidity | 62°F | 62°F |
| Comfortable Days | 79 days | 78 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 33.0 | 28.6 |
| Air Quality | 45 AQI | 46 AQI |
| School Quality | 90.0 | 95.0 |
| Violent Crime | 1744/100k | 1238/100k |
| Property Crime | 1869/100k | 1252/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 55,441 | 28,245 |
| Median Age | 41.4 | 42.5 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.40 | 0.27 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.95 | 0.74 |
| Political Leaning | D+18 | D+48 |
| White (%) | 67.7% | 82.0% |
| Black (%) | 4.3% | 2.1% |
| Hispanic (%) | 24.0% | 7.9% |
| Asian (%) | 2.2% | 3.7% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 1.8% | 4.3% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 21 min | 21 min |
| Walkability | 12.9/20 | 11.4/20 |
| Airport Distance | 17 mi | 27 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 87.4% | 87.9% |
| Amenities Nearby | 45.09 | 50.63 |
| Park & Nature Access | Moderate | Good |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Chicopee or Northampton more affordable?
- Chicopee has the lower cost of living: its index is $48k, compared with Chicopee's $48k and Northampton's $56k. Median rent is $1k in Chicopee versus $1k in Northampton.
- Is Chicopee or Northampton safer?
- Northampton has the lower violent crime rate. Chicopee reports 1744/100k and Northampton reports 1238/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Chicopee or Northampton?
- The median home value is $231k in Chicopee and $388k in Northampton, so homes are more affordable in Chicopee.