Hancock Town Hall · National Register of Historic Places
Hancock’s story
211 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1865.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
- 1815Hancock is settled
HancockMA
4 bordering townsMap →
Photo: Bestbudbrian · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
748
2025 Census estimate · −0.5% since 2020
Typical home
$382K
+1.2% in a year
Household income
$96K
median
Median age
47.1
years
Jobs based here
407
Balanced
Is Hancock a good place to live?
Of the 284 Massachusetts towns we compare, none has a lower January low than Hancock. 43% of the land in Hancock is conserved, where Massachusetts’ towns sit at 19% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. The biggest place to walk is Pittsfield State Forest, 6,872 acres with 54.7 miles of trail. Hancock has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Hancock stand out
Where Hancock beats most towns.
Small town
748 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
PittsfieldNew AshfordLanesboroughRichmondHancock
Nearby attractions
All 119 attractions →Mount Greylock and 56 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Hancock. Close and well known come first.
11 mi MountainMount Greylock
13 mi TheatreTanglewood
13 mi MuseumClark Art Institute
17 mi MuseumNorman Rockwell Museum
in town MuseumHancock Shaker Village
34 mi MuseumOlana State Historic SiteSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Mount Greylock: Jstergis, CC BY 3.0 · Tanglewood: Daderot., CC BY-SA 3.0 · Clark Art Institute: Daderot, Public domain · Norman Rockwell Museum: User:Rmrfstar, CC BY 2.5 · Hancock Shaker Village: Bestbudbrian, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Olana State Historic Site: Netniks, CC BY-SA 4.0
,_Tanglewood,_Lenox,_Massachusetts.JPG){kind=link}
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Hancock: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Hancock, and how to reach them.
PowerNational Grid33.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterBeaver Pond Meadows water systemNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers96% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Hancock’s trash rules yet
SchoolsHancock School DistrictMount Greylock/New Lebanon (NY) School Districts in Hancock (7-12)2 districts serve Hancock; which school depends on your address and gradeNCES
Register to voteOnlineIn Massachusetts you can register online until 10 days before Election Day, in person until 10 days before Election Day, or by mail (postmarked 10 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereHancock Town ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2025
ZIP codes01267, 01237, 0120101267 48% · 01237 29% · 01201 23%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 18, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Hancock.
Outdoors
Nearly a third of Hancock is conserved land
75 miles of trail in 9 parks and preserves. At 2.1 miles per square mile, Hancock’s trail density is against 1.8 in Massachusetts’ towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns.
42.7%conserved
42.7%
conserved · 9,712 of 22,750 acres
75 mi
of trails · 2.1 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Pittsfield State Forest | 54.7 mi | 6,872 |
| 2. Bates Memorial State Park | 2 mi | 419 |
| 3. Shaker Ridge Trails | 0.8 mi | 213 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Schools
The schools Hancock’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by the Hancock school district. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hancock ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 48 | C |
NCES · EDFacts
Housing
Homes in Hancock are worth about $382K, by Zillow’s estimate
The typical Hancock home is worth about $382,000, up 1.2% in a year, 42% below the Massachusetts typical home. The median rent in Hancock is $1,268 a month.
$382KZillow home value
| Hancock | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 83% | 79% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,268 a month | $1,683 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Hancock$382K
Massachusetts$655K
+1.2%
value change, 1 year
1
homes sold in May
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Climate
A typical July afternoon in Hancock is cooler than in most of Massachusetts or the rest of the country
Hancock’s July high is 79°F. Hancock has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers.
77″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter15–33°
Spring33–54°
Summer54–76°
Fall39–58°
Oct 5
typical first frost
May 5
typical last frost
+1.7°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazards
Inland flooding leads a low hazard risk in Hancock
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 65% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Hancock since 2000.
35risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHurricanesCold waves
1
paid flood claims since 2000
3
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Work & commute
About one in three of Hancock’s working residents commute to Pittsfield
Most working residents leave Hancock for work: only 7% work in town. Jobs based in Hancock fell to 407 in 2023, 50 fewer than in 2013. 10% of workers work from home in Hancock.
7%work in town
| Hancock | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 30 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 10% | 18% | 11% |
| Median household income | $96,000 | $120,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 6% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Hancock7%
Pittsfield35%
Stockbridge4%
Richmond4%
North Adams3%
12 mi
median commute distance
407
jobs based in Hancock
Balanced
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Health
How healthy Hancock is
Hancock beats the Massachusetts average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4. 30% of Hancock adults have obesity.
| Hancock | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 28% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 24% | 23% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 19% | 25% |
| No health insurance, 18–64 (CDC PLACES) | 4.2% | 3.7% | 8.1% |
32 measures vs. Massachusetts
2 better26 too close to call4 worse
| What stands out | Hancock | MA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 9.1% | 11.1% |
| More adults screened for colon cancer | 73.3% | 68.4% |
| More adults with heart disease | 6.9% | 5.8% |
Berkshire Medical Center
6 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Hancock
19pages on Hancock
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Hancock
Berkshire Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Pittsfield4.9 mi$6,164 in-state tuitionWilliams CollegeUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Williamstown13.9 mi$68,560 tuition
About 4 of every 100 Hancock residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Massachusetts.
Get outside
75 miles of trails in Hancock
42.7% of the town is conserved land, across 9 parks and preserves.
3
Shaker Ridge Trails0.8 mi of trails · 213 acres
Trails © OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
About Hancock
Town in Massachusetts, United States
Hancock is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 757 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Area
- 36 sq mi
- Elevation
- 1,056 ft
Questions about Hancock
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Hancock, MA a good place to live?
Hancock has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.