HousatonicMA
The town was settled in 1845 and has 1,113 residents today.
Is Housatonic a good place to live?
No town among the 284 in Massachusetts we compare has a lower share of working residents who work in town than Housatonic. 17% of residents live below the poverty line in Housatonic, above both Massachusetts’ towns (6%) and U.S. towns (9.6%). Housatonic’s density of trails is 1.4 miles per square mile, against 1.8 in Massachusetts’ towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns. We don’t grade Housatonic yet; the figures below are still real.
1,113 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Norman Rockwell Museum and 58 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Housatonic. Close and well known come first.
3 mi MuseumNorman Rockwell Museum
8 mi TheatreTanglewood
29 mi MountainMount Greylock
24 mi MuseumOlana State Historic Site
33 mi MuseumClark Art Institute
36 mi WaterfallKaaterskill FallsPhoto credits
Norman Rockwell Museum: User:Rmrfstar, CC BY 2.5 · Tanglewood: Daderot., CC BY-SA 3.0 · Mount Greylock: Jstergis, CC BY 3.0 · Olana State Historic Site: Netniks, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Clark Art Institute: Daderot, Public domain · Kaaterskill Falls: Mwanner, CC BY-SA 3.0
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Moving to Housatonic: who provides what
Housatonic is unincorporated, so Berkshire County and regional agencies provide most services.
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 Housatonic.
The FEMA risk score in Housatonic is higher than in the typical Massachusetts or U.S. town
Of the losses FEMA expects in Housatonic, 82% come from inland flooding. Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in nearly four fifths of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
With only 0.2 jobs per working resident, most people in Housatonic work out of town
Housatonic’s average trip to work is 22 minutes. It had 70 jobs in 2023, up 40 from 2013. The top destinations are Great Barrington (26%), Pittsfield (11%) and Sheffield (7%). Half the trips to work are shorter than 10 miles.
Where working residents work
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Fewer adults under 35 in Housatonic than across Massachusetts
Housatonic: 52% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more. Adults 18 to 34 are 13% of residents (24% statewide); people 65 and older are 28% of residents (18% statewide).
| Housatonic | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 51.8 years | 43.4 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 52% | 47% | 29% |
Ages · share of residents
Education · adults 25 and older
Women and men · all residents
Somewhere between 36% and 64% women
The Census survey reached too few of Housatonic’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±14.1 points. Across Massachusetts, 51.1% of residents are women.
| Housatonic | MA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 3.2% | 10.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 15.8% | 9.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 4.5% | 9.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 8.5% | 14% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 6.3% | 13% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 16.1% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 17.3% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 14.7% | 10.5% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 13.6% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 1.6% | 8.6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 6.5% | 22.6% | 26% |
| Some college | 27.5% | 14.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 12.1% | 7.5% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 26.7% | 25.5% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 25.6% | 21.8% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,100, single groups can be off by several points
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Housatonic
The range runs from 15° on a January night to 83° on a July afternoon, with about 50 inches of snow a winter.
Typical low → high °F
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Conservation land takes up 12% of Housatonic
3 parks and preserves cover 18 acres in Housatonic.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Flag Rock Wildlife Conservation Easement | 0.2 mi | 14 |
| 2. Monument Mountain Reservation | — | 3 |
| 3. Housatonic Common | — | 1 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
How healthy Housatonic is
12% of adults report frequent physical distress in Housatonic. This Massachusetts town does better than the Massachusetts average on 11 of 32 CDC measures and worse on 2. Two figures for adults locally: 83% had a checkup this year, 9.7% smoke cigarettes.
| Housatonic | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 33% | 33% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 83% | 82% | 79% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 9.7% | 11% | 14% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 19% | 25% |
| What stands out | Housatonic | MA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer older adults who have lost all their teeth | 6% | 11.9% |
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 7.6% | 12.4% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.3% | 8.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The median home in Housatonic sells for about $635K
The midpoint rent for Housatonic comes to $1,491 a month. The share of households in Housatonic who are owner-occupiers: 70%.
| Housatonic | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 70% | 79% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,491 a month | $1,683 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Everything we know about Housatonic
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Housatonic
About 2 of every 100 Housatonic residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Massachusetts.
98% of working residents leave Housatonic for work
Where Housatonic’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Questions about Housatonic
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Housatonic, MA a good place to live?
We don’t grade Housatonic yet; the figures below are still real.