Peru - 143 E, 2005
Peru’s story
259 years in pictures
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2005.
- 1767Peru is settled
PeruMA
5 bordering townsMap →
Photo: John Phelan · CC BY 3.0
Population
791
2025 Census estimate · −2.5% since 2020
Typical home
$339K
+0.9% in a year
Household income
$91K
median
Median age
52.6
years
Jobs based here
122
A commuter town
Is Peru a good place to live?
No town among the 284 in Massachusetts we compare has a higher share of households owning their home than Peru. 49% of the land in Peru is conserved, where Massachusetts’ towns sit at 19% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. The biggest place to walk is Peru Wildlife Management Area, 3,905 acres with 4.2 miles of trail. Peru has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Peru stand out
Where Peru beats most towns.
Small town
791 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
HinsdaleMiddlefieldWorthingtonWashingtonCummingtonPeru
Nearby attractions
All 140 attractions →Mount Greylock and 68 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Peru. Close and well known come first.
17 mi MountainMount Greylock
31 mi National Historic SiteSpringfield Armory National Historic Site14K visitors a year
15 mi TheatreTanglewood
18 mi MuseumNorman Rockwell Museum
33 mi Theme parkSix Flags New England
38 mi LakeQuabbin ReservoirSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Mount Greylock: Jstergis, CC BY 3.0 · Springfield Armory National Historic Site: National Park Service, Public domain · Tanglewood: Daderot., CC BY-SA 3.0 · Norman Rockwell Museum: User:Rmrfstar, CC BY 2.5 · Six Flags New England: Canadaolympic989, Public domain · Quabbin Reservoir: engineerchange, CC BY 2.0
,_Tanglewood,_Lenox,_Massachusetts.JPG){kind=link}
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Peru: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Peru, and how to reach them.
PowerEversource21.5¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet3 providers96% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpNearest public drop-offWindsor Transfer Station, 5 miOpenStreetMap
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 herePeru Town ClerkThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Jun 2023
ZIP code0123501235 100%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 Peru.
Outdoors
Peru has set aside nearly a third of its land for conservation
23 miles of trail in 6 parks and preserves. Peru’s trail density is 0.9 miles per square mile, against 1.8 in Massachusetts’ towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns.
48.7%conserved
48.7%
conserved · 8,069 of 16,562 acres
23 mi
of trails · 0.9 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Rice Sanctuary | 5 mi | 279 |
| 2. Peru Wildlife Management Area | 4.2 mi | 3,905 |
| 3. Middlefield State Forest | 4.1 mi | 1,262 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Housing
Peru’s typical home value is about $339K
The typical Peru home is worth about $339,000, up 0.9% in a year, 48% below the Massachusetts typical home.
$339KZillow home value
Typical home value
Peru$339K
Massachusetts$655K
+0.9%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Work & commute
Peru stands out in Massachusetts and nationally, with fewer of its working residents who work locally
Of the 284 Massachusetts towns we compare, none has a lower share of working residents who work in town than Peru. Since 2013, Peru has added 80 jobs, to 122 in 2023. 3.2% of residents live below the poverty line in Peru.
2%work in town
| Peru | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 3.2% | 6% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 31 minutes | 30 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Work from home | 10% | 18% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 2.4% | 9.8% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Peru2%
Pittsfield27%
Dalton9%
North Adams2%
Northampton2%
16 mi
median commute distance
122
jobs based in Peru
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Natural hazards
Peru faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 69% of U.S. communities.
31risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHurricanesCold waves
9
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
Compared with most of Massachusetts and the rest of the country, a typical July afternoon in Peru is cooler
The July high in Peru is 78°F. Peru has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain.
77″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter15–32°
Spring32–53°
Summer54–76°
Fall38–57°
Oct 2
typical first frost
May 13
typical last frost
+1.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Health
How healthy Peru is
Peru beats the Massachusetts average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 10. 15% of Peru adults report frequent physical distress.
| Peru | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 12% | 14% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 24% | 23% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 28% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 33% | 36% |
32 measures vs. Massachusetts
2 better20 too close to call10 worse
| What stands out | Peru | MA |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 9.2% | 11.1% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 79% | 75.4% |
| More adults with COPD | 8.2% | 5.9% |
Berkshire Medical Center
11.4 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 Peru
17pages on Peru
The big questions
Out and about
The story
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
1 within 15 miles of the center of Peru
About 3 of every 100 Peru residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Massachusetts.
Get outside
23 miles of trails in Peru
48.7% of the town is conserved land, across 6 parks and preserves.
2
Peru Wildlife Management Area4.2 mi of trails · 3,905 acres
3
Middlefield State Forest4.1 mi of trails · 1,262 acres
Trails © OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
About Peru
Town in Massachusetts, United States
Peru is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 814 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1767
- Area
- 26 sq mi
- Elevation
- 2,064 ft
- Area code
- 413
Questions about Peru
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Peru, MA a good place to live?
Peru has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.