Holyoke, MA
Census place 2530840 · pop 37,813
The 'Paper City' where William G. Morgan invented volleyball at the local YMCA in 1895.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
41.3% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median 26.5% · worse than most cities
37.5% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 152/100k · worse than most cities
821 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
27.0% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
-6.0% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 964/100k · worse than most cities
3284 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities
19.8% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities
4.8% unemployment · Share of the labor force out of work. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.49 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
86.4% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities
17.1% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$53,605 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 9.3% · worse than most cities
14.8% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
U.S. median 0.99% · worse than most cities
1.48% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 36.5% · worse than most cities
38.3% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 24.3% · worse than most cities
25.9% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities
2 unhealthy-air days per year · Days per year with unhealthy air (AQI above 100). Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median $214,900 · better than most cities
$274,100 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · better than most cities
$1,644/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 77/100 · better than most cities
84/100 FEMA risk (higher = riskier) · FEMA National Risk Index — wildfire, flood, earthquake, heat and more. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 24 min · better than most cities
19 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 42 AQI · better than most cities
37 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
Frequently asked
- Is Holyoke, MA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Holyoke scores 31/100 — a F (Bad) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is air quality (aqi) and its weakest is homeownership. Massachusetts overall ranks #34 of 50 states. Whether it's "good" depends on what you value — re-weight the factors to score it your way.
- How safe is Holyoke, MA?
- Holyoke reports 821 violent crimes per 100k and 3284 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Holyoke, MA expensive to live in?
- Holyoke has a median home value of $274,100 and typical rent around $1,644/mo — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Holyoke, MA?
- Its weakest measured area is homeownership (41.3%) — 5/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Holyoke, MA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is air quality (aqi) (37 AQI) — 81/100, better than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.) Fun fact: The 'Paper City' where William G. Morgan invented volleyball at the local YMCA in 1895.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.