Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Hatfield grades B+ overall, 130th of 282 graded towns in Massachusetts. It reports less crime per resident than 95% of U.S. towns. It is healthier than 89% of U.S. towns and the median household earns $89K. The trade-off is money: homes are expensive, about $499K for a typical one and 5.7 times the Amherst Town metro’s $87K median household income. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 100% of U.S. towns, with 8 places on the National Register. Hatfield’s trail density is 2.5 miles per square mile, above both the Massachusetts town median (1.8) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4). Only 8 of Massachusetts’ 325 towns score higher on history. The biggest park or preserve is Horse Mountain Conservation Area, at 94 acres.
Where Hatfield beats most towns.
Census counts: 703 in 1790, 3,352 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1860 and 5 maps from 1886 on.
8 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Massachusetts), ordered by how far Hatfield is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Hatfield. Close and well known come first.
19 mi National Historic SiteSpringfield Armory National Historic Site14K visitors a year
16 mi LakeQuabbin Reservoir
24 mi Theme parkSix Flags New England
33 mi MountainMount Greylock
5 mi MuseumEmily Dickinson Museum
6 mi MuseumEric Carle Museum of Picture Book ArtSpringfield Armory National Historic Site: National Park Service, Public domain · Quabbin Reservoir: engineerchange, CC BY 2.0 · Six Flags New England: Canadaolympic989, Public domain · Mount Greylock: Jstergis, CC BY 3.0 · Emily Dickinson Museum: Daderot, Public domain · Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art: John Phelan, CC BY-SA 4.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Hatfield, 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 Hatfield.
Hatfield reports less crime than Whately or any other graded neighbor and trades workers with Northampton and other neighbors, but it carries more natural-hazard risk than most of Massachusetts (mostly inland flooding).
41 miles of trail in 6 parks and preserves.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Horse Mountain Conservation Area | 0.8 mi | 94 |
| 2. Great Swamp Wildlife Management Area | 0.5 mi | 63 |
| 3. Public/Private Conservation Area | 0.4 mi | 10 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Each of its 4 graded neighbors has a higher School Grade than its C, Hadley highest at B.
Its public schools are run by the Hatfield school district. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hatfield ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 201 | B− |
| Smith AcademyLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 109 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MA on state tests and graduation
Its A+ tops all 4 graded towns on its borders; Whately (A−) comes closest. Violent crime is rare: 3 reported in 2025, 0.9 per 1,000 residents.
At 0.3 per 1,000 residents, Hatfield’s property crime rate is against 4.9 in Massachusetts’ towns and 9.9 across U.S. towns.
| Hatfield | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.3 per 1,000 residents | 4.9 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.9 per 1,000 residents | 1.5 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Within Massachusetts it is healthier than 56% of the 279 graded towns: Massachusetts sets a high bar.
24% of Hatfield adults have obesity. Hatfield beats the Massachusetts average on 8 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 3. 84% of Hatfield adults had a checkup this year.
| Hatfield | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 24% | 28% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 84% | 82% | 79% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 33% | 36% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 24% | 23% |
| What stands out | Hatfield | MA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.2% | 12.4% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 7.6% | 11.1% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.6% | 8.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The typical Hatfield home is worth about $499,000, up 3.6% in a year, 24% below the Massachusetts typical home. The median rent in Hatfield is $1,267 a month.
| Hatfield | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,267 a month | $1,683 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 75% | 79% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Hatfield has chilly, snowy winters and warm summers. Only 8 of the 283 Massachusetts towns we compare have a higher July high than Hatfield.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Hatfield has about as many jobs (1,786) as working residents, but only 172 people both live and work here. The average commute takes 20.3 minutes, against 29.1 across Massachusetts.
Most working residents leave Hatfield for work: only 12% work in town. Hatfield’s average trip to work is 20 minutes. Since 2013, Hatfield has lost 170 jobs, to 1,786 in 2023.
| Hatfield | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 30 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $89,000 | $120,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 12% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 8.9% | 6% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
People 65 and older are 23% of residents (18% statewide); children under 18 are 14% of residents (19% statewide). 49% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Hatfield.
| Hatfield | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 14% | 20% | 22% |
| Median age | 46.8 years | 43.4 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 49% | 47% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 23% | 19% | 18% |
53% women, 47% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.5 points. Across Massachusetts, 51.1% of residents are women.
| Hatfield | MA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.5% | 10.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 5.6% | 9.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 11.9% | 9.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9% | 14% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13% | 13% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.9% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 16.8% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 12.8% | 10.5% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 10.5% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5.6% | 8.6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 16.4% | 22.6% | 26% |
| Some college | 17.9% | 14.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11.6% | 7.5% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 27.6% | 25.5% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 20.9% | 21.8% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 3,300, single groups can be off by several points
FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 91% of Massachusetts towns, with expected losses of about $517 per resident a year; that rating is what its C+ for hazard risk is built on.
Since 1984, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Hatfield.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
8 within 15 miles of the center of Hatfield
About 5 of every 100 Hatfield residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Massachusetts.
8 places in Hatfield on the National Register of Historic Places.
8 notable people were born in Hatfield.
Town in Massachusetts, United States
Hatfield is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 3,352 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The census-designated place of Hatfield consists of the town center and surrounding areas.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
4 towns share a border with Hatfield.
| Town | MA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hatfield | #130 | B+ | C− | A+ | C | A |
| Hadley | #199 | B− | C− | D | B | A+ |
| Whately | — | — | C | A− | B | A |
| Northampton | #223 | C+ | D | C | B− | A |
| Williamsburg | — | — | C | A− | B | A |
Whately and Williamsburg have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Compare Hatfield with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Hatfield grades B+ overall, better than 69% of U.S. towns and #130 of 282 in Massachusetts. It grades A for health, A+ for safety and C for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a C−.
Yes. 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 Rodolphus Dickinson and Sophia Smith.
