Chicopee receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Chicopee
Holyoke
Opportunity
46 · Bottom 29%
vs37 · Bottom 14%
Growth
44 · Bottom 40%
vs58 · Top 36%
Climate
60 · Bottom 13%
vs60 · Bottom 13%
Physical resilience
60 · Top 48%
vs60 · Top 48%
Housing affordability
75 · Bottom 41%
vs66 · Bottom 28%
Schools
39 · Bottom 34%
vs17 · Bottom 8%
Access
100 · Top 3%
vs100 · Top 3%
Economic stability
47 · Bottom 27%
vs30 · Bottom 7%
Measured values
| Metric | Chicopee | Holyoke | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 55,295 | 37,813 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $62,615 | $53,605 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $35,887 | $31,236 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 2,414/sq mi | 1,786/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $274,500 | $274,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,157 | $1,021 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 55.7% | 41.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 4.8% | 5.9% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.8% | -0.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 22.9% | 25.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 17.3% | 27.0% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 20 | 47 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.4 | 1.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 25.0% | 123.8% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 85°F | 85°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 16°F | 16°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 45.2" | 45.2" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 8 mi | 5 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 22.4 min | 21.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 41.9 | 40.0 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 16 | 12 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 10.93 | 12.75 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 20.6% | 6.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 33.3% | 15.8% | 2019-20 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Chicopee
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Holyoke
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Full profiles: Chicopee, MA · Holyoke, MA · How this is calculated: methodology