Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Brimfield grades A− overall, ranked 103rd of 282 in Massachusetts, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. It reports less crime per resident than 87% of U.S. towns and the median household earns $111K. It also does better than most on health: CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 78% of the country. Its lowest everyday mark is in cost of living: the typical home is worth about $446K, 6.2 years of the Springfield metro’s $71K median household income. Only 9 of Massachusetts’ 325 towns score lower on walkability. Brimfield’s trail density is 0.8 miles per square mile, against 1.8 in Massachusetts’ towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns. Brimfield State Forest, at 1,789 acres with 17 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
Where Brimfield beats most towns.
Census counts: 1,211 in 1790, a low of 778 in 1920, 3,694 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1794 and 8 maps from 1887 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Massachusetts), ordered by how far Brimfield is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Brimfield. Close and well known come first.
Big draw20 mi LakeLake Chaubunagungamaug
19 mi National Historic SiteSpringfield Armory National Historic Site14K visitors a year
17 mi LakeQuabbin Reservoir
22 mi Theme parkSix Flags New England
6 mi MuseumOld Sturbridge Village
35 mi Stadium & arenaPeoplesBank ArenaLake Chaubunagungamaug: Bree from Worcester, MA, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Springfield Armory National Historic Site: National Park Service, Public domain · Quabbin Reservoir: engineerchange, CC BY 2.0 · Six Flags New England: Canadaolympic989, Public domain · Old Sturbridge Village: Wgmleslie at en.wikipedia, CC BY-SA 2.5 · PeoplesBank Arena: PeoplesBank Arena, CC BY 2.5
Who provides power, water and the rest in Brimfield, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Brimfield.
Brimfield pairs an A− overall with homes cheaper than the Massachusetts norm, sees little violent crime and is healthy by national standards but behind most towns in Massachusetts.
Violent crime is rare: 4 reported in 2025, 1.1 per 1,000 residents.
At 1.9 per 1,000 residents, Brimfield’s property crime rate is below both the Massachusetts town median (4.9) and the median of U.S. towns (9.9).
| Brimfield | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.9 per 1,000 residents | 4.9 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.1 per 1,000 residents | 1.5 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Its public schools are run by the Brimfield school district. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brimfield ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 258 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MA on state tests and graduation
Within Massachusetts it is less healthy than 71% of the 279 graded towns: Massachusetts sets a high bar. Against the 6,971 U.S. towns with household incomes like Brimfield’s, it is healthier than 59%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
27% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Brimfield. Brimfield beats the Massachusetts average on 8 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 3. 83% of adults had a checkup this year in Brimfield.
| Brimfield | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 24% | 23% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 83% | 82% | 79% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 28% | 35% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 3.4% | 3.7% | 8.1% |
| What stands out | Brimfield | MA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer uninsured adults | 3.4% | 5.2% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.8% | 12.4% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.2% | 8.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Most working residents leave Brimfield for work: only 8% work in town. Brimfield’s average trip to work is 34 minutes. Since 2013, Brimfield has added 97 jobs, to 539 in 2023.
| Brimfield | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 34 minutes | 30 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 3.6% | 6% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $111,000 | $120,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 14% | 18% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Brimfield grades A− overall with a typical home of about $446K, below the Massachusetts typical value; only 21 of the 109 Massachusetts towns graded A− or better can say that.
The median rent in Brimfield is $886 a month. Typical home values rose 6.4% in the year to September 2026. 88% of Brimfield households own their home.
| Brimfield | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $886 a month | $1,683 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 88% | 79% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Adults 18 to 34 are 13% of residents (24% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 44% of residents (39% statewide). 45% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 47% across Massachusetts.
| Brimfield | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 22% | 19% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 45% | 47% | 29% |
| Median age | 43.7 years | 43.4 years | 40.5 years |
48% women, 52% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.9 points. Across Massachusetts, 51.1% of residents are women.
| Brimfield | MA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.1% | 10.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.1% | 9.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 4.5% | 9.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 8.4% | 14% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 17.7% | 13% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 8.9% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 17% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 17.3% | 10.5% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 2.2% | 8.6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 31% | 22.6% | 26% |
| Some college | 13.9% | 14.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8.2% | 7.5% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 28.7% | 25.5% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 16% | 21.8% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 3,700, single groups can be off by several points
Brimfield has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 81°, January nights drop to 16° and about 64 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Brimfield State Forest | 17 mi | 1,789 |
| 2. Brown Cons Area (Abijah Lot) | — | 25 |
| 3. East Brimfield Lake Flood Risk Management Project | — | 10 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 65% of U.S. communities. Since 2005, 4 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Brimfield.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
None within 15 miles of Brimfield; the nearest are
About 4 of every 100 Brimfield residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Massachusetts.
Where Brimfield’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
8 notable people were born in Brimfield.
Town in Massachusetts, United States
Brimfield is a town in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 3,694 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
6 towns share a border with Brimfield.
It grades higher overall than all 5 graded towns on its borders; Sturbridge (B+) comes closest.
| Town | MA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brimfield | #103 | A− | C | A | B | A− |
| Palmer Town | #261 | D | C− | C+ | C− | B− |
| Warren | #238 | C | B− | B | C+ | B |
| Monson | #254 | C− | C | B− | C− | B− |
| Wales | — | — | C | A+ | B | B |
| Holland | #178 | B | D | A | B | B |
| Sturbridge | #146 | B+ | C | B− | B | A |
Wales has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Compare Brimfield with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Brimfield grades A− overall, better than 78% of U.S. towns and #103 of 282 in Massachusetts. It grades A− for health, A for safety and B for schools. Walkability is its weak spot, with a D.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
8 notable people were born here, including Erasmus D. Keyes and Erastus Fairbanks.
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