Pittsfield, MA
Census place 2553960 · pop 43,457
The largest city in the Berkshires, where Herman Melville wrote Moby-Dick at his farm Arrowhead.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
U.S. median 0.43 · worse than most cities
Gini 0.50 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 0.99% · worse than most cities
1.61% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 152/100k · worse than most cities
353 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 12.1% · worse than most cities
14.9% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities
18.1% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 3.6% · worse than most cities
4.0% 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 90.0% · worse than most cities
89.9% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities
14.4% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
U.S. median +2.4% · worse than most cities
+1.6% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median $67,857 · worse than most cities
$70,582 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 67.2% · worse than most cities
62.8% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median $214,900 · better than most cities
$256,900 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 26.5% · better than most cities
23.7% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
34.2% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities
33.0% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 964/100k · better than most cities
991 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · better than most cities
$1,473/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median 42 AQI · better than most cities
38 median AQI · Median air quality index — lower is cleaner air. Published by county, not city — every city in the county shares this figure.
U.S. median 77/100 · better than most cities
59/100 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
18 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 1 days · better than most cities
0 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 9.3% · better than most cities
5.7% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
Frequently asked
- Is Pittsfield, MA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Pittsfield scores 53/100 — a D (Meh) on Shcity, which ranks U.S. cities on public data across 22 metrics like crime, cost, jobs and health. Its strongest area is uninsured adults and its weakest is income inequality. 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 Pittsfield, MA?
- Pittsfield reports 353 violent crimes per 100k and 991 property crimes per 100k — worse than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Pittsfield, MA expensive to live in?
- Pittsfield has a median home value of $256,900 and typical rent around $1,473/mo — more affordable than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Pittsfield, MA?
- Its weakest measured area is income inequality (0.50) — 12/100, worse than most U.S. cities.
- What is Pittsfield, MA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is uninsured adults (5.7%) — 88/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: The largest city in the Berkshires, where Herman Melville wrote Moby-Dick at his farm Arrowhead.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.