1st Advantage MortgageIn Hampden County, Massachusetts, the typical household earns $71,306 a year and the typical rent is $1,136. Whatever your own numbers, compare written offers on APR, fees and total cost, and verify the lender is licensed in Massachusetts before sharing details.
On this page
- Hampden County at a glance
- Rent, home values and ownership in Hampden County
- Income in Hampden County compared with Massachusetts
- How Hampden County residents earn a living
- Hampden County next to its neighbors
- Places inside Hampden County
- A Hampden County household budget, worked through
- Who lives in Hampden County, in numbers
- Before borrowing in Hampden County
- Massachusetts rules that apply in Hampden County
- Checklist for Hampden County applicants
- More guides for Hampden County
- Frequently asked questions
Hampden County at a glance
Roughly 462,815 residents live in Hampden County, Massachusetts, 8th by population among the state's 14 counties and county equivalents. Land area is 617 square miles (2024 Gazetteer), so density runs near 750 per square mile. The federal metro definitions (OMB, July 2023) place it in the Springfield, MA metropolitan area. The Census Bureau counts 24 places in the county (17 incorporated, 7 census-designated); the largest is Springfield, with about 154,749 residents, or 33% of the county.
Rent, home values and ownership in Hampden County
A typical Hampden County rental runs $1,136 a month including utilities, which is 36% below Massachusetts. 54% of renting households spend 30% or more of income on rent, and 28% spend half or more. Home values center on $298,800, or 4.2 years of median income. The ownership rate is 62%. Half the housing stock was built before 1959.
| Home costs | Hampden County | Massachusetts | U.S. middle county |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median gross rent | $1,136/mo | $1,762/mo | $877/mo |
| Median home value | $298,800 | $562,100 | $185,300 |
| Owners | 62% | 63% | 75% |
| Rent-burdened renters | 54% | 52% | 45% |
| Burdened owners | 32% | 30% | n/a |
| Mobile homes | 1.3% | 0.8% | n/a |
| Vacant units | 7% | 8% | n/a |
High rent burdens leave little slack. If you are borrowing to consolidate, make sure the new payment is lower than the ones it replaces.
Income in Hampden County compared with Massachusetts
Hampden County households have a median income of $71,306 (ACS 2020 to 2024), which ranks 14th of 14 in Massachusetts.
| Income band | Share in Hampden County | Difference from Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|
| Under $35,000 | 26.6% | +8.4 pts |
| $35,000 to $99,999 | 37.9% | +7.8 pts |
| $100,000 to $199,999 | 25.4% | -4.0 pts |
| $200,000 or more | 10.1% | -12.2 pts |
About 27% of households earn under $35,000, while 36% clear $100,000. The poverty rate is 16.3%, 6 points higher than the state's 10.0%. Income inequality, measured by the Gini index, comes to 0.470 here. For a borrower in Hampden County, the county median is only context: a lender looks at the income you can document, so pay stubs, benefit letters or tax returns matter more than any average.
How Hampden County residents earn a living
By the Census industry count, 31% of employed Hampden County residents work in education and health care and 11% in manufacturing. Compared with Massachusetts, the county leans toward education and health care (31% against 28%). ACS puts five-year average unemployment at 6.0% in Hampden County. Long commutes are the exception here: 10% of workers spend 45 minutes or longer getting to work. 12.0% of households have no vehicle.
| Industry | Share of Hampden County workers | vs Massachusetts |
|---|---|---|
| Education and health care | 30.6% | +2.5 pts |
| Manufacturing | 11.0% | +2.0 pts |
| Retail trade | 11.0% | +1.3 pts |
| Professional and administrative services | 8.6% | -7.1 pts |
| Arts, lodging and food service | 6.9% | -0.5 pts |
| Transportation, warehousing and utilities | 6.6% | +2.4 pts |
A lender verifies what your own job pays. The county's industry mix tells you about the local economy, not about your application.
Hampden County next to its neighbors
Six nearby counties, 14 to 38 miles away by the straight-line distance between their centers. Income ranges from $74,907 in Franklin County to $95,939 in Worcester County; all six of these neighbors top Hampden County's median. The list crosses into Connecticut, where different lending rules and regulators apply.
| County | Miles | Median household income | Median rent | Homeownership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hampden County | - | $71,306 | $1,136/mo | 62% |
| Hampshire County, MA | 14 mi | $87,001 | $1,388/mo | 68% |
| Capitol Planning Region, CT | 22 mi | $93,394 | $1,411/mo | 66% |
| Franklin County, MA | 31 mi | $74,907 | $1,177/mo | 70% |
| Berkshire County, MA | 34 mi | $76,013 | $1,097/mo | 70% |
| Northwest Hills Planning Region, CT | 36 mi | $93,551 | $1,193/mo | 76% |
| Worcester County, MA | 38 mi | $95,939 | $1,426/mo | 66% |
Places inside Hampden County
Here are the 14 most populous of the county's 24 Census places, with income and rent from the same 2020 to 2024 survey. About 97% of Hampden County residents live in one of the 24. Incomes vary by place: $149,601 at the median in Longmeadow, $52,656 in Springfield. Median rent ranges from $746 in Monson Center to $1,750 in Holland. None of the 24 has its own city guide, so this page covers all of them.
| Name | Kind | Pop. | Income | Rent | Miles |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Springfield | city | 154,749 | $52,656 | $1,144 | 5 mi |
| Chicopee | city | 55,295 | $62,615 | $1,157 | 4 mi |
| Westfield | city | 40,378 | $87,753 | $1,117 | 6 mi |
| Holyoke | city | 37,813 | $53,605 | $1,021 | 5 mi |
| West Springfield Town | city | 28,772 | $69,371 | $1,144 | 1 mi |
| Agawam Town | city | 28,539 | $85,421 | $1,256 | 5 mi |
| Ludlow | town | 20,904 | $84,838 | $1,223 | 10 mi |
| East Longmeadow | town | 16,425 | $106,676 | $1,337 | 9 mi |
| Longmeadow | CDP | 15,696 | $149,601 | $1,682 | 7 mi |
| Palmer Town | city | 12,381 | $78,480 | $1,075 | 17 mi |
| Southwick | town | 9,217 | $120,462 | $1,332 | 9 mi |
| Monson | town | 8,136 | $96,688 | $871 | 16 mi |
| Hampden | town | 4,946 | $104,536 | $1,132 | 12 mi |
| Brimfield | town | 3,705 | $111,250 | $886 | 22 mi |
A Hampden County household budget, worked through
The debt-to-income ratio is the main affordability test lenders use. Applied to Hampden County's medians:
- Monthly gross at the median, Hampden County: $5,942
- Rent at the median, $1,136, takes 19% of that
- Under a 35% cap, $2,080 total minus rent leaves $944
- 45% debt-to-income limit: $1,538 left for all other debt payments
Lenders set their own limits and look beyond the ratio. The DTI calculator uses your figures instead of Hampden County's.
Who lives in Hampden County, in numbers
College graduates make up 29% of the adult population. About 3% go without health insurance.
| Hampden County | Massachusetts | U.S. county median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 40.0 | 40.0 | 41.5 |
| Bachelor's or higher | 29.3% | 47.3% | 22.2% |
| No high school diploma | 12.8% | 8.6% | n/a |
| No health insurance | 3.0% | 2.6% | 7.8% |
| No vehicle | 12.0% | 11.7% | 5.4% |
| Work from home | 10.5% | 18.6% | 8.7% |
| Poverty rate | 16.3% | 10.0% | 13.2% |
| Unemployment (ACS) | 6.0% | 5.2% | 4.4% |
| Trip time | Share |
|---|---|
| Under 15 min | 29.4% |
| 15 to 29 min | 42.5% |
| 30 to 44 min | 18.5% |
| 45 to 59 min | 4.6% |
| 60+ min | 5.0% |
Before borrowing in Hampden County
Based on the Hampden County data above, these borrowing questions are most likely to matter locally.
- Tight rental budgets. With 54% of Hampden County renters cost-burdened, test a new payment against a lean month.
- Check your file. An error fixed before you apply can change the offers a Hampden County borrower sees (free reports).
- Consolidating cards in Hampden County. Compare the total repaid, not the monthly figure (how).
Massachusetts rules that apply in Hampden County
Hampden County borrowers fall under statewide rules, enforced by the Massachusetts Division of Banks. Banks and credit unions have their own regulators, and the CFPB takes complaints about any lender. See the Massachusetts state guide for the statewide picture.
Checklist for Hampden County applicants
Four checks before you sign anything:
- Write down what the expense costs; a smaller loan costs less.
- Prequalify with soft pulls where offered, then compare in writing.
- Check the license, then the reviews, then the offer.
- Pick the shortest term whose payment still fits.
More guides for Hampden County
For statewide rules and data, see the Massachusetts guide.
Frequently asked questions
How much do households in Hampden County earn?
The median is $71,306; 36% earn $100,000 or more and 27% under $35,000. A lender uses your own documented income, not this figure.
How much is rent in Hampden County?
Median gross rent, utilities included, is $1,136 a month; 54% of renters spend 30% or more of income on it.
Does this page cover Springfield?
Yes, along with the other 23 Census places in Hampden County, such as Chicopee, Westfield, Holyoke.
Will a Hampden County address affect my match?
Beyond confirming Massachusetts as your state, no. Your answers about amount, credit, income and payments are all that count.
Who do I complain to about a lender in Hampden County?
Start with the Massachusetts Division of Banks, then the CFPB complaint portal. Keep copies of every message.