Westfield, MA
Census place 2576030 · pop 40,378
Nicknamed 'Whip City' for once being a leading manufacturer of horsewhips and buggy whips.
Source ↗Sales & income are statewide.
The breakdown — worst first
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 +2.4% · worse than most cities
-2.6% population change (5yr) · 5-year population change — are people moving in, or fleeing?
U.S. median 17.4% · worse than most cities
19.0% of adults · Adults reporting frequent poor mental health (14+ days a month).
U.S. median 0.99% · worse than most cities
1.46% of home value paid in property tax · Median real-estate taxes paid as a share of home value.
U.S. median 24 min · worse than most cities
26 min average one-way commute · Average one-way commute to work, in minutes.
U.S. median 90.0% · worse than most cities
89.5% of homes have broadband · Share of households with a broadband internet subscription.
U.S. median $1,756/mo · worse than most cities
$1,948/mo typical rent · Typical monthly rent (Zillow Observed Rent Index, all home types).
U.S. median $214,900 · worse than most cities
$325,100 median home value · Median home value — how expensive it is to buy in. Higher = less affordable.
U.S. median 14.6% · worse than most cities
13.3% of adults · Share of adults who currently smoke.
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 26.5% · better than most cities
24.6% of adults · Adults with no leisure-time physical activity.
U.S. median 152/100k · better than most cities
182 violent crimes per 100k · Violent crimes (murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) per 100,000 residents.
U.S. median 12.1% · better than most cities
10.7% live in poverty · Share of residents living below the federal poverty line.
U.S. median 24.3% · better than most cities
33.2% have a bachelor's degree or higher · Share of adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher.
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 0.43 · better than most cities
Gini 0.42 (0 = equal, 1 = unequal) · Gini index of household income (0 = equal, 1 = unequal).
U.S. median 67.2% · better than most cities
68.6% own their home · Share of occupied homes that are owner-occupied.
U.S. median $67,857 · better than most cities
$87,753 median household income · Median household income — a proxy for local economic health.
U.S. median 36.5% · better than most cities
31.6% of adults · Share of adults with obesity (BMI ≥ 30).
U.S. median 964/100k · better than most cities
774 property crimes per 100k · Burglary, theft, motor-vehicle theft and arson per 100,000 residents.
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.
U.S. median 9.3% · better than most cities
5.1% of adults · Adults 18–64 without health insurance.
Frequently asked
- Is Westfield, MA a good place to live?
- By the numbers, Westfield scores 49/100 — a D− (Rough) 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 unemployment rate. 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 Westfield, MA?
- Westfield reports 182 violent crimes per 100k and 774 property crimes per 100k — better than most U.S. cities on violent crime.
- Is Westfield, MA expensive to live in?
- Westfield has a median home value of $325,100 and typical rent around $1,948/mo — pricier than most U.S. cities.
- What's the biggest downside of living in Westfield, MA?
- Its weakest measured area is unemployment rate (4.8%) — 15/100, worse than most U.S. cities. (A county-level figure.)
- What is Westfield, MA best at?
- Its strongest measured area is uninsured adults (5.1%) — 93/100, better than most U.S. cities. Fun fact: Nicknamed 'Whip City' for once being a leading manufacturer of horsewhips and buggy whips.
Sources: U.S. Census (ACS), CDC PLACES, FBI Crime Data Explorer, BLS, EPA AirData, FEMA National Risk Index, and Zillow.