Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US metro and micro areas.

Safety37#587/924
Economy32#627/925
Housing3#900/925
Health47#489/925
Healthcare97#31/923
Environment47#491/917
Education47#488/925
Infrastructure69#291/925
Community38#577/925
Leisure & amenities44#519/925

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Springfield, MA metro area ranks highest and lowest among US metro and micro areas (score = percentile, 100 = best).

Strengths

Mental health providers · high1,193 /100k
100/100Massachusetts 787 /100kUnited States 348 /100k2025University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Uninsured residents (under 65) · low3.6%
99/100Massachusetts 3.3%United States 9.8%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B27010
Access to exercise opportunities · high95.7%
98/100Massachusetts 94.7%United States 84.5%2022 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Distance to an Amtrak station · low5 mi
97/100Massachusetts 11 miUnited States 43 mi2026Federal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census BureauAggregated from counties
Firearm deaths · low6.5 /100k
96/100Massachusetts 3.5 /100kUnited States 12.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
Suicide rate · low10.4 /100k
95/100Massachusetts 8.4 /100kUnited States 14.1 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties

Weaknesses

Child care cost burden · high45.1%
2/100Massachusetts 39.7%United States 27.9%2023 & 2024University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Violent crime rate · high578 /100k
6/100Massachusetts 303 /100kUnited States 328 /100k2025Federal Bureau of InvestigationAggregated from counties
Preventable hospital stays · high4,089 /100k
8/100Massachusetts 3,344 /100kUnited States 2,769 /100k2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteAggregated from counties
Loneliness · high38.0%
8/100Massachusetts 35.0%United States 33.2%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionAggregated from counties
High ozone days · high3 days
10/100Massachusetts 2 daysUnited States 7 days2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyAggregated from counties
Unemployment rate · high5.5%
11/100Massachusetts 4.5%United States 4.3%2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsPartial year

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Drought exposureWorsening
0% (2021) → 16% (Oct 2025–Sep 2026)
+16 pts5 yearsUS 40% → 43%
Cost of buying a home todayWorsening
29.9% (Dec 2021) → 41.6% (Aug 2026)
+12 pts5 yearsUS 26.4% → 34.1%
Drug overdose deathsImproving
48.4 /100k (2021) → 27.6 /100k (Mar 2025–Feb 2026)
−43%5 yearsUS 30.8 /100k → 18.4 /100k
Homicide rateImproving
6.0 /100k (2021) → 3.5 /100k (May 2025–Apr 2026)
−42%5 yearsUS 7.8 /100k → 4.8 /100k
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
81.2% (2015-2019) → 89.0% (2020-2024)
+7.8 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
New homes permittedImproving
0.6 /1k (2021) → 0.8 /1k (Sep 2025–Aug 2026)
+33%5 yearsUS 5.2 /1k → 4.2 /1k

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Springfield, MA metro area improved on 12 of 31 measures with a comparison and declined on 7. 7 moved within the margin of error and 5 barely changed.

Earlier period
Latest period
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among metro and micro areas: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts. Periods differ by measure (most compare 2015-2019 with 2020-2024); each row names its own in its tooltip and in the table.

Improved12

Unemployment−5.5 points11.0% → 5.5%
Firearm deaths−26%8.8 /100k → 6.5 /100k
Overdose deaths−44%49.5 /100k → 27.6 /100k
Homicides−42%6.0 /100k → 3.5 /100k
Grocery stores+5.2%1.6 /10k → 1.7 /10k

Declined7

Bachelor's+−3.5 points32.8% → 29.3%
Poverty+1.5 points14.8% → 16.3%
Traffic deaths+30%7.8 /100k → 10.2 /100k
Transit use−0.7 points2.3% → 1.6%
Suicides+16%9.0 /100k → 10.4 /100k

All 31 measures

Change of every measure of Springfield, MA metro area between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Arts, entertainment and recreation	2.8 /10k2020	3.1 /10k2025	+11%	Improved	55%
Average commute time	23.3 min2015-2019	22.7 min2020-2024	−0.5 min	Within the margin of error	78%
Bachelor's degree or higher	32.8%2015-2019	29.3%2020-2024	−3.5 points	Declined	1%
Broadband subscriptions	81.2%2015-2019	89.0%2020-2024	+7.8 points	Improved	35%
Child poverty rate	21.5%2015-2019	22.9%2020-2024	+1.4 points	Within the margin of error	12%
Distance to an airport	15 mi2020	15 mi2025	0 mi	Little change	50%
Drug overdose deaths	49.5 /100k2020	27.6 /100kMar 2025–Feb 2026	−44%	Improved	74%
Effective property tax rate	1.62%2015-2019	1.41%2020-2024	−0.2 points	Little change	75%
Firearm deaths	8.8 /100k2020	6.5 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−26%	Improved	89%
Grocery stores	1.6 /10k2020	1.7 /10k2025	+5.2%	Improved	69%
Gyms and fitness centers	1.1 /10k2020	1.2 /10k2025	+7.8%	Improved	56%
High school diploma or higher	88.5%2015-2019	87.2%2020-2024	−1.3 points	Within the margin of error	2%
Home price to income ratio	3.8×2015-2019	4.2×2020-2024	+0.4×	Declined	61%
Homicide rate	6.0 /100k2020	3.5 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	−42%	Improved	69%
Income adjusted for local prices	$54,0542019	$68,9542024	+28%	Improved	20%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4682015-2019	0.4702020-2024	+0.002	Within the margin of error	46%
Median household income	$59,4192015-2019	$71,3062020-2024	+20%	Improved	14%
New business applications	6.8 /1k2020	8.6 /1k2025	+27%	Improved	23%
Pharmacies	2.4 /10k2020	2.1 /10k2025	−13%	Declined	38%
Poverty rate	14.8%2015-2019	16.3%2020-2024	+1.5 points	Declined	9%
Property crime rate	1,919 /100k2020	1,754 /100k2025	−8.6%	Improved	11%
Public libraries	0.7 /10k2019	0.7 /10k2024	+0.5%	Little change	67%
Public transit commuters	2.3%2015-2019	1.6%2020-2024	−0.7 points	Declined	25%
Rent as share of income	32.1%2015-2019	32.1%2020-2024	0 points	Within the margin of error	59%
Rent-burdened households	54.3%2015-2019	54.0%2020-2024	−0.3 points	Within the margin of error	62%
Restaurants and bars	7.1 /10k2020	6.9 /10k2025	−3.5%	Little change	30%
Suicide rate	9.0 /100k2020	10.4 /100kMay 2025–Apr 2026	+16%	Declined	31%
Traffic deaths	7.8 /100k2015-2019	10.2 /100k2020-2024	+30%	Declined	18%
Unemployment rate	11.0%2020	5.5%2025	−5.5 points	Improved	96%
Uninsured residents (under 65)	3.3%2015-2019	3.6%2020-2024	+0.3 points	Within the margin of error	34%
Violent crime rate	584 /100k2020	578 /100k2025	−1%	Little change	27%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 708 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: Regional Economic Accounts; Local Area Unemployment Statistics; Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; Mapping Injury, Overdose, and Violence; American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates; Business Formation Statistics; Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master files; Public Libraries Survey; Fatality Analysis Reporting System; Distance to airports and intercity rail. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 925 metro and micro areas that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Metro and micro areas like Springfield, MA metro area five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Springfield, MA metro area in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Springfield, MA metro area itself moved −3.7 points in standing on average over the same 30 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

462,815 residents

Men
Women

80 and over
70–79
60–69

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

184,471 households (±919)

Springfield, MA metro area
United States share

Under $25k20%36,262
$25k–50k17%32,054
$50k–75k15%27,905

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

184,471 households (±919)

Springfield, MA metro area
United States share

Own62%114,780
Rent38%69,691

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Own (−1.0 points).

Table view

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

209,421 workers (±2,641)

Springfield, MA metro area
United States share

Drive alone76%159,156
Carpool7.9%16,486
Public transit1.6%3,261

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The 10 largest occupations in Springfield, MA employ 51,810 people. 9 pay a median above the US median and 1 below it.

Above the US median
Below the US median

The largest occupations in Springfield, MA by employment, with median annual pay and how it compares with the United States
Occupation	Jobs	Median pay	vs USCompared with the US	Concentration
Home Health and Personal Care Aides15,840 jobs	15,840	$40,860US $35,800	+14%	2.84×
Registered Nurses5,830 jobs	5,830

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

Springfield, MA has 9,339 employer establishments, 202 for every 10,000 residents (0.81× the US rate of 248), with 168,744 paid employees at an average annual pay of $57,005. The Census Bureau also counts 32,688 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 9,339; 32,688 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 202; US 248
Paid employees: 168,744
Average annual pay: $57,005; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Springfield, MA by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Restaurants and other eating places	739	16	0.87×About typical	12,422	$24,315	181
Ambulatory health care services	695	15	0.72×Fewer than typical	15,903	$73,997	1,343
Specialty trade contractors	616	13.3	0.86×About typical	5,843	$82,291	1,999
Lessors of real estate	369	8	0.65×Fewer than typical	1,899	$52,648	3,227
Full-service restaurants	335	7.2	0.94×About typical	6,136	$24,867	69
Services to buildings and dwellings	330	7.1	1.06×About typical	1,874	$45,951	1,518
Limited-service restaurants	286	6.2	0.77×Fewer than typical	4,510	$22,954	77
Building equipment contractors	265	5.7	0.95×About typical	3,519	$84,973	421
Construction of buildings	263	5.7	0.75×Fewer than typical	1,530	$75,073	986
Automotive repair and maintenance	239	5.2	1.03×About typical	1,317	$49,670	360
Grocery and convenience stores	229	5	1.67×More than typical	4,419	$28,282	125
Landscaping services	217	4.7	1.34×More than typical	686	$76,433	460

Rank places for an industry

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 462,133 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
A metro area's figures are the exact sums of its counties.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contract spending

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $56.9M on contracts performed in Springfield, MA metro area: $122 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $56.9M; −15% vs FY2025
Per resident: $122; US $1,994
Sole-source: 11%; US 30%
Single offer: 1.2%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration and Management$18.6M33%
Department of the Army$18.5M32%
Department of the Air Force$9.8M17%
Federal Prison System / Bureau of Prisons$3.3M5.9%
Department of the Navy$1.6M2.8%
Defense Logistics Agency$1.5M2.6%
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement$1.3M2.2%
Department of Veterans Affairs$872.6K1.5%

Top recipients

EDUCATION & TRAINING RESOURCES LLC$18.6M33%
THE NUTMEG COMPANIES, INC.$15.2M27%
EAST BAKING COMPANY, INC.$3.3M5.9%
WESTERN METAL SUPPLY COMPANY, INC.$2.2M3.8%
SUNSHINE VILLAGE INC$1.6M2.8%

Spending by fiscal year

81.6MFY2017
85.5MFY2018
91.8MFY2019
96MFY2020
113MFY2021
46.9MFY2022
93.6MFY2023
51.9M

Top industries (NAICS)

Technical and trade schools · 6115$18.6M33%
Nonresidential building construction · 2362$16M28%
Architectural and structural metals manufacturing · 3323$2.2M3.8%
Support activities for air transportation · 4881$2.1M3.6%
Traveler accommodation · 7211$2M3.6%
Other food manufacturing · 3119$1.8M

Largest awards

BASE OPERATING SERVICES$76.6M
PHOENIX MANAGEMENT INC· Hampden County, MA· Professional services· Mar 1, 2019 – Jan 8, 2026· FA660619CA003
WESTOVER JOB CORPS CENTER WITH OUTREACH AND ADMISSIONS AND CAREER TRANSITION SERVICES.$68.3M
EDUCATION & TRAINING RESOURCES LLC· Hampden County, MA· Education & social services· Oct 20, 2022 – Aug 21, 2026· 1605JE23C0001
WESTOVER JCC$64M
ALTERNATE PERSPECTIVES INC· Hampden County, MA· Facilities & utilities· Aug 3, 2018 – Apr 28, 2026· 1630J118C0008
AWARD OF BASE AND OPTIONS 1A EAST SHOP SHELL, OPTION 2A WEST SHOP SHELL, AND OPTION 5 INSULATED METAL PANELS FOR REGIONAL C-5 ISOCHRONAL HANGAR AT WESTOVER AIR RESERVE BASE. PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE IS 730 DAYS FROM NTP.

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

Federal grants & assistance

Grants, loans (counted at their subsidy cost), direct payments and insurance, by fiscal year of the action (USAspending.gov, FABS). Reported apart from contracts and never added to them.

In FY2026, federal agencies obligated $3.2B in grants, loans, direct payments and insurance for Springfield, MA metro area: $6,806 per resident (US $12,955).

Assistance · FY2026: $3.2B; −5.8% vs FY2025
Per resident: $6,806; US $12,955
Loan face value: $71.7M; lent or guaranteed
To individuals: 0.3%; counted, never named

Top programs

96.002 · Social Security Retirement Insurance$1.7B53%
96.001 · Social Security Disability Insurance$334.6M11%
96.006 · Supplemental Security Income$237.5M7.5%
64.109 · Veterans Compensation for Service-Connected Disability$188M5.9%
96.004 · Social Security Survivors Insurance$159.1M5.0%
93.774 · Medicare Supplementary Medical Insurance$93.2M2.9%
14.871 · Section 8 Housing Choice Vouchers$77.7M2.5%
14.195 · Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA)$62.3M2.0%

Top recipients (organizations)

SPRINGFIELD HOUSING AUTHORITY$58.8M1.9%
SPRINGFIELD, MA
MASSACHUSETTS DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION$35.5M1.1%
BOSTON, MA
HOLYOKE HOUSING AUTHORITY$28.8M0.9%
HOLYOKE, MA
SPRINGFIELD TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE$18.2M0.6%
SPRINGFIELD, MA
HOLYOKE.CHICOPEE.SPRINGFIELD HEAD START, INC.

Organizations only: awards to individuals and county aggregate records count in the totals but are never listed. Grants to state governments recorded at the agency's own address are counted statewide, not in the capital's county.

Top agencies

Social Security Administration$2.4B76%
Under Secretary for Benefits/Veterans Benefits Administration$216.1M6.8%
Department of Veterans Affairs
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services$175.7M5.6%
Department of Health and Human Services
Assistant Secretary for Public and Indian Housing$102.3M3.2%
Department of Housing and Urban Development
Assistant Secretary for Housing--Federal Housing Commissioner

Assistance by fiscal year

2.8BFY2021
2.6BFY2022
2.9BFY2023
3.1BFY2024
3.4BFY2025
3.2BFY2026

County aggregates

89%

Share of obligations reported only as county totals of many small awards (for example Social Security or Medicare payments), with no recipient named.

Source: Federal financial assistance transactions (Financial Assistance Broker Submission) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026 · FY2021–FY2026.

Counties in Springfield, MA

Whole counties, as the U.S. Office of Management and Budget delineates the area. Federal spending below is the exact sum of these counties.

Hampden CountyCentral county49464,338

Principal cities

The cities the area is named for.

SpringfieldPrincipal city154,749

Largest cities and towns

By population, for places with most of their residents in the area.

Other metro and micro areas in Massachusetts

Areas based in Massachusetts, best score first.

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Places that share a border, best score first.

Similar metro and micro areas

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

Mapping Injury, Overdose, and ViolenceCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2026-10-01
PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Daily county PM2.5 and ozone (EPA downscaler model)Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2022
Care Compare: Hospital General Information and Timely and Effective CareCenters for Medicare & Medicaid Services · release 2026-07-22
Distance to airports and intercity railFederal Aviation Administration · Bureau of Transportation Statistics · U.S. Census Bureau · release 2025+amtrak-2026-04-23
Uniform Crime Reporting Program, Return A master filesFederal Bureau of Investigation · release 2025
Public Libraries SurveyInstitute of Museum and Library Services · release FY2024
U.S. Drought Monitor county statisticsNational Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAA · release 2026-09-29
Fatality Analysis Reporting SystemNational Highway Traffic Safety Administration · release 2024
nClimGrid-Daily county averagesNOAA National Centers for Environmental Information · release 2025
Regional Economic AccountsU.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis · release 2024
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
Quarterly Census of Employment and WagesU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2026 Q1
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Building Permits SurveyU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-08
Business Formation StatisticsU.S. Census Bureau · release 2026-10-01
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Alternative Fuels Data Center station locatorU.S. Department of Energy · release 2026-10
Election Administration and Voting SurveyU.S. Election Assistance Commission · release 2024
Air Quality Index Annual Summary by CountyU.S. Environmental Protection Agency · release 2025
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement
Zillow Home Value Index, Observed Rent Index and affordabilityZillow Research · release 2026-08

JSON · /api/v1/places/M44140

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends

What changed in five years

Improved12

Declined7

Metro and micro areas like Springfield, MA metro area five years ago that improved

Who lives here

Age and sex

Income

Household income

Homes

Owners and renters

Getting to work

How people get to work

Jobs and pay

Local businesses

Federal contract spending

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

Federal grants & assistance

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

Counties in Springfield, MA

Principal cities

Largest cities and towns

Other metro and micro areas in Massachusetts

Neighboring metro and micro areas

Similar metro and micro areas

Data and sources

Improved12

Declined7

Age and sex

Household income

Owners and renters

How people get to work

Race and Hispanic origin

Education

Rent paid

Home values

Age of homes

Size of homes

Time to get to work

Look up any occupation

Top programs

Top recipients (organizations)

Top agencies

Assistance by fiscal year

County aggregates

By type

Top buying agencies

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

Top industries (NAICS)

Largest awards

What was bought