Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Northfield grades B− overall, 201st among Massachusetts's 282 graded towns, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. It reports less crime per resident than 90% of U.S. towns and CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 85% of the country. On the other side, its public schools trail 79% of Massachusetts towns on state tests and graduation. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 99% of U.S. towns, with 4 places on the National Register. 30% of the land in Northfield is conserved, above both the Massachusetts town median (19%) and the median of U.S. towns (4.3%). Only 14 of Massachusetts’ 325 towns score lower on walkability. The biggest place to walk is Northfield State Forest, 3,456 acres with 29.5 miles of trail.
Where Northfield beats most towns.
Northfield Main Street Historic District
Census counts: 868 in 1790, 2,866 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1795 and 7 maps from 1887 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within Massachusetts), ordered by how far Northfield is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Northfield, 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 Northfield.
Northfield keeps more of its land conserved than most of Massachusetts, sees little violent crime and is healthy by national standards but mid-pack in Massachusetts.
Violent crime is rare: 1 reported in 2025, 0.3 per 1,000 residents.
At 0.3 per 1,000 residents, Northfield’s violent crime rate is where Massachusetts’ towns sit at 1.5 and U.S. towns at 1.6. Northfield’s property crime rate is 2.4 per 1,000 residents.
| Northfield | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.3 per 1,000 residents | 1.5 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.4 per 1,000 residents | 4.9 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Its public schools are run by the Pioneer Valley school district. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Northfield ElementaryLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 141 | C |
| Pioneer Valley RegionalLargest public high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 239 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within MA on state tests and graduation
Its 6,781 conserved acres are a larger share of the town than in 80% of Massachusetts towns.
70 miles of trail in 13 parks and preserves. The trail density in Northfield is 2.0 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Northfield State Forest | 29.5 mi | 3,456 |
| 2. Northfield Mountain Recreation and Environmental Center | 7.5 mi | 269 |
| 3. Satan's Kingdom Wildlife Management Area | 3.5 mi | 776 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Within Massachusetts it is less healthy than 54% of the 279 graded towns: Massachusetts sets a high bar.
25% of adults have obesity in Northfield. Northfield beats the Massachusetts average on 7 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 82% of adults had a checkup this year in Northfield.
| Northfield | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 28% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 82% | 82% | 79% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 25% | 24% | 23% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 20% | 19% | 25% |
| What stands out | Northfield | MA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 8.8% | 12.4% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 8.1% | 11.1% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.1% | 8.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The typical Northfield home is worth about $372,000, about the same as a year ago, 43% below the Massachusetts typical home.
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Most working residents leave Northfield for work: only 10% work in town. Jobs based in Northfield fell to 404 in 2023, 70 fewer than in 2013. The top destinations are Greenfield (14%), Brattleboro (5%) and Montague (5%).
| Northfield | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 31 minutes | 30 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $103,000 | $120,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 6.8% | 6% | 9.6% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Northfield has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 84°, January nights drop to 14° and about 52 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
People 65 and older are 26% of residents (18% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 18% of residents (24% statewide). 15% of Northfield residents are under 18. 42% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 47% across Massachusetts.
| Northfield | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 15% | 20% | 22% |
| Median age | 48.9 years | 43.4 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 26% | 19% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 42% | 47% | 29% |
49% women, 51% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4 points. Across Massachusetts, 51.1% of residents are women.
| Northfield | MA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 4.7% | 10.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.1% | 9.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.4% | 9.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 11.6% | 14% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 10.5% | 13% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.7% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 18.5% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 16.6% | 10.5% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.9% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5.8% | 8.6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 25.5% | 22.6% | 26% |
| Some college | 14.6% | 14.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11.6% | 7.5% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 25.6% | 25.5% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 16.8% | 21.8% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 2,900, single groups can be off by several points
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 63% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Northfield. Close and well known come first.
22 mi MountainMount Monadnock
40 mi National Historic SiteSpringfield Armory National Historic Site14K visitors a year
23 mi LakeQuabbin Reservoir
36 mi MountainMount Greylock
39 mi MuseumClark Art Institute
21 mi MuseumEmily Dickinson MuseumMount Monadnock: Jonwmcinenrey, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Springfield Armory National Historic Site: National Park Service, Public domain · Quabbin Reservoir: engineerchange, CC BY 2.0 · Mount Greylock: Jstergis, CC BY 3.0 · Clark Art Institute: Daderot, Public domain · Emily Dickinson Museum: Daderot, Public domain
1 within 15 miles of the center of Northfield
About 4 of every 100 Northfield residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Massachusetts.
Where Northfield’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
4 places in Northfield on the National Register of Historic Places.
10 notable people were born in Northfield.
Town in Massachusetts, United States
Northfield is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. Northfield was first settled in 1673. The population was 2,866 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Springfield metropolitan area, Massachusetts. The Connecticut River runs through the town, dividing West Northfield from East Northfield and the village of Northfield, where the town hall is located. Part of the town is included in the census-designated place of Northfield.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Northfield.
| Town | MA rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northfield | #201 | B− | C | A | C− | A |
| Gill | — | — | C− | B+ | D | A− |
| Erving | — | — | B | A− | D | A− |
Gill and Erving have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Compare Northfield with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Northfield grades B− overall, better than 50% of U.S. towns and #201 of 282 in Massachusetts. It grades A for health, A for safety and C− for schools. Walkability is its weak spot, with a D.
That is 5 years of the area's median household income ($74,907 across the Greenfield, MA area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
10 notable people were born here, including Dwight Lyman Moody and Judson Philips.
