‘Blueprint for the future’: Mass. city named among 50 best places to live in America

NORTHAMPTON, Mass. — A city dubbed the “heart of western Massachusetts” has been named among the 50 best places to live in America.

In its “Best Places to Live of 2024″ list, Money compared communities across the country based on a handful of metrics, including the health of the local job market, the average housing costs borne by homeowners and renters, the percentage of residents in poverty, and the quality of public schools.

“We took a holistic approach, acknowledging that many factors that make a place worth living can’t be quantified,” Money wrote in its report. “This year’s Best Places to Live list celebrates cities and towns where a thriving economy meets affordability, diversity, and an exceptional quality of life. Backed by rigorous research and data-driven analysis, these 50 places are the blueprint for the future.”

Northampton, a city in Hampshire County that’s home to five colleges, indie bookstores, a vibrant art scene, beautiful scenery, and an array of locally-owned restaurants and shops, was Massachusetts’ lone community on the list.

“Though times have changed, the town retains its charm,” Money wrote of the city. “As the backdrop to Smith College, a prestigious liberal arts women’s college whose alumnae ranks include literary icons like Sylvia Plath and Madeleine L’Engle, culinary legend Julia Child, and countless others, Northampton offers a fittingly vibrant art scene.”

Northampton is home to 29,327 people, the median listing price for a home is $469,000, and the unemployment rate is 3.10 percent, according to data referenced by Money.

Other New England cities included on Money’s list:

• Portland, Maine
• Pawtucket, Rhode Island
• Milford, Connecticut

For more, click here for the full report.

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