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Town comparison · Massachusetts

Easthampton vs Northampton

Pioneer Valley · Pioneer Valley
Northampton leads 4–1 on headline livability metrics

Across the six headline livability metrics (schools, safety, walkability, biking, affordability, and commute), Northampton edges Easthampton 4 to 1 with 1 tie. Median homes in Easthampton run roughly $105k cheaper than in Northampton, about 20% less. Schools tilt clearly toward Northampton (80 vs. 72).

The two towns at a glance

Easthampton

Pioneer Valley · pop. 16,100
Easthampton punches above its weight: converted mill buildings with art studios and restaurants, a strong cycling culture, and proximity to Smith and UMass. It's the Pioneer Valley's creative-class town.
54
Default fit score
equal weights, 0–100
Full Easthampton profile →

Northampton

Pioneer Valley · pop. 31,315
The state's most progressive small city: vibrant downtown, top-tier arts, miles of rail trail.
64
Default fit score
equal weights, 0–100
Full Northampton profile →

Head-to-head: every metric

Easthampton Northampton
Headline
Livability index 61 75
Economics
Median home $415k $520k
Household income $73k $80k
Price ÷ income 5.7× 6.5×
Tax burden 58 70
Schools & Safety
Schools 72 80
Safety 75 84
Getting around
Commute to Boston 105 min 105 min
Walkability 52 44
Transit 22 26
Biking 42 63
Lifestyle
Dining 65 86
Nightlife 48 78
Arts & culture 82 90
Green space 38 82
Community
Diversity 38 74
Climate 72 70
5-yr trend 68 70

Clay = wins this metric. Direction matters: lower median home and shorter commute are better; everything else, higher is better.

Compare on your terms

These winners are based on a neutral, equal weighting of every metric. Your priorities are not neutral. Open Easthampton vs Northampton in the interactive atlas to tune schools, walkability, affordability, commute, and seven more dimensions, and watch the verdict change.

Stuck between Easthampton and Northampton?

I'm Gary Fikes, a licensed real estate agent at MP Signature Realty and the curator of this site. I've walked both towns. Tell me what matters most and I'll give you a straight answer within 1 business day. No auto-dialer, no spam, no resale.

About this comparison

Bay State Atlas ranks 194 Massachusetts towns using public data (Census ACS, MA DESE schools, Walk Score, MA Department of Revenue tax data, and the FBI UCR safety index) normalized to 0–100. Every weight is editable. This page is a static, indexable snapshot. The live tool is faster and lets you customize what counts.