Hampden County, Massachusetts Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Hampden County, MA Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around averageLeast healthy county in Massachusetts
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C
Income Below averageLeast wealthy county in Massachusetts
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D
Education Well below averageLeast educated county in Massachusetts
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Hampden County | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 462,481 | 7,031,620 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 729.2 | 666.0 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | -0.15% | 0.53% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 38.9 | 39.0 | 37.3 |
| Households | 184,257 | 2,777,931 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Hampden County declined by 1.3% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 462,481 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Hampden County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 21.7% of residents. That is about the same share as Massachusetts.
- Gen Z 13–28 100,166 21.7% on par
- Millennials 29–44 96,733 20.9% -1.0 pts
- Gen X 45–60 94,700 20.5% -0.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 82,420 17.8% +0.5 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below Massachusetts, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 51.5% of the people living in Hampden County and men 48.5%.
- Women 51.5% Massachusetts 51.2%
- Men 48.5% Massachusetts 48.8%
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Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Hampden County
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Economy
Hampden County has a the economy index of C, which means it is somewhat prosperous.
| Metric | Hampden County | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $71,193 | $104,336 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.23% | 4.91% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 6.0% | 5.1% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Hampden County is about 32% lower than in Massachusetts.
Housing
| Metric | Hampden County | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $229,767 | $494,523 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,135 | $1,761 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 62.2% | 62.5% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Hampden County is about 16.9 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,135 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Hampden County spend about 41 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 171 hours, about 7.1 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Hampden County | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 20.5 | 25.6 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 41.0 | 51.1 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 171 | 213 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,289 | $6,603 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 10.5% | 18.6% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 9,369 | 14,741 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,708 | 2,164 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
Massachusetts:
Nantucket County (12.8 min), Dukes County (15.4 min), Berkshire County (16.8 min).
Slowest:
Norfolk County (31.0 min), Suffolk County (30.4 min), Middlesex County (28.4 min).
The average commute time in Hampden County is 20 minutes, shorter than the 26 minutes in Massachusetts.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Hampden County has a education index of D, which means it is barely educated.
| Metric | Hampden County | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 26.1% | 42.7% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.43 | 2.44 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
Massachusetts:
Middlesex County (0.5), Norfolk County (0.4), Nantucket County (0.4).
Lowest:
Hampden County (0.3), Bristol County (0.3), Berkshire County (0.3).
Health
Hampden County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Hampden County | Massachusetts Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 78.6 | 80.5 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 16.8% | 11.8% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 17.4% | 13.9% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
Massachusetts:
Middlesex County (0.8), Hampshire County (0.8), Norfolk County (0.8).
Lowest:
Hampden County (0.8), Bristol County (0.8), Worcester County (0.8).
Hampden County, MA Compared With Nearby Counties
Hampden County, MA is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 462,481 residents against a local median of 129,358. Where Hampden County, MA breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 30% below the local median of $330,403 at $229,767.
Median household income tells the same story from another angle: $71,193 against a local median of $87,740, 19% below it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is median household income, and at 19% below the local median it puts Hampden County, MA at the weaker end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $182,483 on median home price, so Hampden County, MA sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Hampden County, MA has the 6th highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hampden County, MA | 462,481 | $71,193 #6/6 | $229,767 #6/6 | 20.5 min #3/6 |
| Hampshire County, MA | 161,946 | $87,740 | $415,384 | 21.3 min |
| Capitol Planning Region, CT | 920,648 | $94,231 | $232,901 | 21.4 min |
| Franklin County, MA | 70,937 | $74,921 | $330,403 | 20.4 min |
| Berkshire County, MA | 129,358 | $76,040 | $337,519 | 16.8 min |
| Northwest Hills Planning Region, CT | 104,183 | $95,230 | $304,911 | 21.9 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Hampden County, Massachusetts.
How many people live in Hampden County, Massachusetts?
About 462,481 people live in Hampden County, Massachusetts, in 184,257 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 38.9, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 2 years.
How densely populated is Hampden County, Massachusetts?
Averaged over its land area, Hampden County, Massachusetts has 729 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 8.4 times the U.S. average of 86.
How affordable is housing in Hampden County, Massachusetts?
The median home costs 3.2 times the median household income ($229,767 against $71,193), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,135 a month takes about 19% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
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