Northampton receives the higher standardized Area Score. That reflects AreaProfile's weighting, not a judgment about which place is better to live in.
Signals
Northampton
Gloucester
Opportunity
70 · Top 23%
vs50 · Bottom 37%
Growth
44 · Bottom 39%
vs46 · Bottom 43%
Climate
60 · Bottom 13%
vs63 · Bottom 27%
Physical resilience
82 · Top 20%
vs78 · Top 27%
Housing affordability
67 · Bottom 30%
vs60 · Bottom 21%
Schools
64 · Top 34%
vs61 · Top 37%
Access
98 · Top 15%
vs88 · Bottom 35%
Economic stability
54 · Bottom 39%
vs57 · Bottom 43%
Measured values
| Metric | Northampton | Gloucester | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 30,962 | 30,075 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $80,288 | $83,883 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $50,705 | $53,768 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 904/sq mi | 1,148/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $429,700 | $600,600 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,439 | $1,411 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 57.3% | 63.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 3.5% | 4.7% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -1.5% | -1.7% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 62.7% | 40.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 13.4% | 9.6% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 28 | 67 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 0.9 | 2.2 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -54.1% | -30.2% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 85°F | 82°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 16°F | 20°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 45.2" | 44.9" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 12 mi | 25 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 23.2 min | 25.7 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 41.3 | 50.2 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 12 | 7 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 10.75 | 11.09 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 28.3% | 31.9% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 51.2% | 45.5% | 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
Northampton
Elevated or high exposure: hurricane.
Gloucester
Elevated or high exposure: coastal flooding, earthquake, hurricane.
Your best match
Weight what matters to you. Your preferences stay in this browser and never change either Area Score.
Northampton
67
Your Score
67
Area Score
Gloucester
63
Your Score
61
Area Score
Select your priorities to see which of the two fits them better.
Full profiles: Northampton, MA · Gloucester, MA · How this is calculated: methodology