Westfield receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Holyoke
Westfield
Opportunity
37 · Bottom 14%
vs62 · Top 38%
Growth
58 · Top 36%
vs44 · Bottom 39%
Climate
60 · Bottom 13%
vs60 · Bottom 13%
Physical resilience
60 · Top 48%
vs60 · Top 48%
Housing affordability
66 · Bottom 28%
vs92 · Top 27%
Schools
17 · Bottom 8%
vs55 · Top 45%
Access
100 · Top 3%
vs100 · Top 3%
Economic stability
30 · Bottom 7%
vs56 · Bottom 41%
Measured values
| Metric | Holyoke | Westfield | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 37,813 | 40,378 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $53,605 | $87,753 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $31,236 | $41,820 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 1,786/sq mi | 873/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $274,100 | $325,100 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,021 | $1,117 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 41.3% | 68.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 5.9% | 4.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.8% | -0.8% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 25.9% | 33.2% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 27.0% | 10.7% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 47 | 39 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 1.2 | 1.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | 123.8% | -2.5% | 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 | 5 mi | 2 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 21.1 min | 27.9 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 40.0 | 39.9 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 12 | 14 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 12.75 | 11.56 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 6.9% | 27.7% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 15.8% | 42.0% | 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
Holyoke
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Westfield
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Full profiles: Holyoke, MA · Westfield, MA · How this is calculated: methodology