Residential comparison · 13 facts
Northampton, MA vs Pittsfield, MA
Compare the housing, tax, cost, income, safety, school, and climate facts that are available for both places. The table shows the numbers without declaring one city universally better.
A household earning $85,000 in Northampton needs about $80,500 in Pittsfield to keep the same lifestyle.
Coming from Pittsfield, $85,000 of lifestyle costs about $89,500 in Northampton.
A few differences
- Northampton is higher on median household income ($80,288 vs $70,582).
- Pittsfield is lower on cost of living index (98 vs 112).
- Pittsfield is lower on 2-bedroom rent ($1,263/mo vs $1,568/mo).
Northampton vs Pittsfield · facet by facet
| Facet | Northampton, MA | Pittsfield, MA |
|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $429,700 | $256,900 |
| 2-bedroom rent | $1,568/mo | $1,263/mo |
| Property tax rate | 1.14% | 1.14% |
| State & local income tax | 5% | 5% |
| Sales tax | 6.25% | 6.25% |
| Cost of living index | 112 | 98 |
| Groceries index | 108 | 108 |
| Utilities | $245/mo | $245/mo |
| Median household income | $80,288 | $70,582 |
| Unemployment rate | 3.6% | 3.6% |
| Crime index | 30/100 | 30/100 |
| School rating | 8.5/10 | 8.5/10 |
| Sunny days / year | 200 days | 200 days |
Data: Census ACS 2024 · BLS · Tax Foundation 2024 brackets · HUD/Zillow · NOAA 1991–2020 · FEMA NRI · Values are shown as reported; no universal winner is implied.
Full profiles: Northampton, MA · Pittsfield, MA
Questions & answers
- Is Northampton cheaper than Pittsfield?
- Pittsfield has the lower day-to-day cost index (98 vs 112 against a national 100). The other differences are shown facet by facet in the table.
- What household income in Pittsfield equals $85,000 in Northampton?
- A household earning $85,000 in Northampton needs about $80,500 in Pittsfield to keep the same lifestyle; coming the other way, $85,000 of Pittsfield lifestyle costs about $89,500 in Northampton.