Leyden-Frizzell Hill, 2004
Leyden’s story
198 years in pictures
Census counts: 989 in 1790, a low of 260 in 1940, 734 in 2020. The archive holds 5 old photos and papers going back to 2004 and 6 maps from 1890 on.
- 1828Leyden is settled
LeydenMA
4 bordering townsMap →
Photo: ToddC4176 (talk) · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
725
2025 Census estimate · −0.3% since 2020
Typical home
$427K
+0.9% in a year
Household income
$106K
median
Median age
53.2
years
Jobs based here
197
A commuter town
Is Leyden a good place to live?
29% of residents are 65 or older in Leyden, where Massachusetts’ towns sit at 19% and U.S. towns at 18%. No town among the 284 in Massachusetts we compare has a lower share of working residents who work in town than Leyden. 29% of the land in Leyden is conserved, above both the Massachusetts town median (19%) and the median of U.S. towns (4.3%). Leyden Wildlife Management Area, at 771 acres with 3.1 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Leyden has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Leyden stand out
Where Leyden beats most towns.
Small town
725 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
ColrainBernardstonGuilfordGreenfieldLeyden
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Leyden: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Leyden, and how to reach them.
PowerEversource21.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet4 providers95% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNot on file yetWe don’t have Leyden’s trash rules yet
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 hereLeyden Town ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP codes01337, 0130101337 63% · 01301 37%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 Leyden.
Outdoors
Conserved land covers nearly a quarter of Leyden
7.8 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves. Leyden’s trail density is 0.4 miles per square mile.
28.7%conserved
28.7%
conserved · 3,301 of 11,484 acres
7.8 mi
of trails · 0.4 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Leyden Wildlife Management Area | 3.1 mi | 771 |
| 2. Leyden State Forest | — | 58 |
| 3. Shattuck Brook Wildlife Management Area | — | 36 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Housing
Homes in Leyden are worth about $427K, by Zillow’s estimate
The typical Leyden home is worth about $427,000, up 0.9% in a year, 35% below the Massachusetts typical home. The median rent in Leyden is $1,917 a month.
$427KZillow home value
| Leyden | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 93% | 79% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,917 a month | $1,683 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Leyden$427K
Massachusetts$655K
+0.9%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commute
Most of Leyden’s workers commute out: the town has 0.5 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Leyden for work: only 1% work in town. 11% of Leyden residents live below the poverty line. The top destinations are Greenfield (21%), Montague (7%) and Deerfield (6%).
1%work in town
| Leyden | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 33 minutes | 30 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 11% | 18% | 11% |
| Median household income | $106,000 | $120,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 11% | 6% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Leyden1%
Greenfield21%
Montague7%
Deerfield6%
Bernardston5%
14 mi
median commute distance
197
jobs based in Leyden
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Who lives here
Older than Massachusetts overall
People 65 and older are 29% of residents (18% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 17% of residents (24% statewide). 14% of residents are under 18 in Leyden. 40% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 47% across Massachusetts.
53.2median age · MA 40
| Leyden | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 53.2 years | 43.4 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 14% | 20% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 40% | 47% | 29% |
LeydenMassachusettsUnited States
Ages · share of residents
18%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma6%
High school29%
Some college17%
Associate’s8%
Bachelor’s19%
Graduate21%
Women and men · all residents
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.2 points. Across Massachusetts, 51.1% of residents are women.
| Leyden | MA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9.1% | 10.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 4.7% | 9.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 3% | 9.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.8% | 14% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 9.6% | 13% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.2% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 18.1% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 17.4% | 10.5% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 11.1% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5.7% | 8.6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 29.2% | 22.6% | 26% |
| Some college | 16.8% | 14.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8.3% | 7.5% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 19.4% | 25.5% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 20.6% | 21.8% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 700, single groups can be off by several points
Climate
Four seasons and pleasant summers in Leyden
Leyden has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 82°, January nights drop to 14° and about 37 inches of snow falls in a winter.
37″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter17–35°
Spring34–57°
Summer56–80°
Fall39–61°
Oct 11
typical first frost
May 1
typical last frost
+1.9°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Leyden is
Leyden beats the Massachusetts average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 6.
| Leyden | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 28% | 35% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 32% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 83% | 82% | 79% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 24% | 23% |
32 measures vs. Massachusetts
2 better24 too close to call6 worse
| What stands out | Leyden | MA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 9% | 11.1% |
| More adults screened for colon cancer | 72.9% | 68.4% |
| More adults with COPD | 7.9% | 5.9% |
Baystate Franklin Medical Center
7.3 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: primary care
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Natural hazards
Moderate risk in Leyden, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 54% of U.S. communities.
46risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingCold wavesHurricanes
8
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Nearby attractions
All 118 attractions →Mount Monadnock and 45 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Leyden. Close and well known come first.
29 mi MountainMount Monadnock
28 mi MountainMount Greylock
29 mi LakeQuabbin Reservoir
30 mi MuseumClark Art Institute
23 mi Ski areaMount Snow119 runs · 1,648 ft vertical
25 mi MuseumMassachusetts Museum of Contemporary ArtSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Mount Monadnock: Jonwmcinenrey, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Mount Greylock: Jstergis, CC BY 3.0 · Quabbin Reservoir: engineerchange, CC BY 2.0 · Clark Art Institute: Daderot, Public domain · Mount Snow: William J Sisti from Morristown, NJ, USA, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art: N-Lange.de, CC BY-SA 3.0
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Leyden
18pages on Leyden
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
2 within 15 miles of the center of Leyden
Greenfield Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Greenfield6.8 mi$5,810 in-state tuitionSIT Graduate InstituteUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Brattleboro, VT13.7 mi
About 1 of every 100 Leyden residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Massachusetts.
A commuter town
99% of working residents leave Leyden for work
Where Leyden’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
197jobs based in Leyden
1%of working residents work in town
14 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
Famous people from Leyden
5 notable people were born in Leyden.
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About Leyden
Town in Massachusetts, United States
Leyden is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 734 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)
- Area
- 18 sq mi
- Elevation
- 928 ft
- Area code
- 413
Questions about Leyden
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Leyden, MA a good place to live?
Leyden has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What is Leyden, MA known for?
5 notable people were born here, including Henry Kirke Brown and Homer Taylor.