Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
21% of residents live below the poverty line in Wendell, above both the Massachusetts town median (6%) and the median of U.S. towns (9.6%). No town among the 284 in Massachusetts we compare has a lower share of working residents who work in town than Wendell. 61% of the land in Wendell is conserved, against 19% in Massachusetts’ towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. Wendell State Forest, at 7,757 acres with 44.7 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Wendell has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Wendell beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 2012.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Wendell. Close and well known come first.
15 mi LakeQuabbin Reservoir
32 mi National Historic SiteSpringfield Armory National Historic Site14K visitors a year
26 mi MountainMount Monadnock
39 mi MountainMount Greylock
37 mi Theme parkSix Flags New England
14 mi MuseumEmily Dickinson MuseumQuabbin Reservoir: engineerchange, CC BY 2.0 · Springfield Armory National Historic Site: National Park Service, Public domain · Mount Monadnock: Jonwmcinenrey, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Mount Greylock: Jstergis, CC BY 3.0 · Six Flags New England: Canadaolympic989, Public domain · Emily Dickinson Museum: Daderot, Public domain
Who provides power, water and the rest in Wendell, 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 Wendell.
Count the trails in 8 parks and preserves and they come to 60 miles. For Wendell, the trail network density is 1.9 miles per square mile. Parks and preserves in the town: 8, covering 9,191 acres.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Wendell State Forest | 44.7 mi | 7,757 |
| 2. Fiske Pond Conservation Area | 2.8 mi | 122 |
| 3. Quabbin Reservoir Reservation | 1 mi | 619 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The public schools here belong to the New Salem-Wendell school district. Its one school is below. 134 students attend the town’s public school.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Swift RiverLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 134 | B |
NCES · EDFacts
In Wendell, 87% of households own their home. Over the 12 months to September 2026, the typical home gained 5.2% in value. The town’s rent at the middle of the market stands at $1,239 a month.
| Wendell | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 87% | 79% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,239 a month | $1,683 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
For most workers, Wendell is a place to come home to: only 1% work in town. In Wendell, the median household income is $65,000. Jobs based in the town fell to 51 in 2023, 22 fewer than in 2013. The top destinations are Greenfield (11%), Montague (7%) and Erving (6%).
| Wendell | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $65,000 | $120,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 33 minutes | 30 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Adults 18 to 34 are 12% of residents (24% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 49% of residents (39% statewide). Among residents in Wendell, 23% are 65 or older. Just over half of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 47% across Massachusetts.
| Wendell | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 16% | 20% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 51% | 47% | 29% |
| Median age | 47.1 years | 43.4 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 23% | 19% | 18% |
52% women, 48% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.6 points. Across Massachusetts, 51.1% of residents are women.
| Wendell | MA | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 7.4% | 10.2% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.6% | 9.2% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 4.2% | 9.8% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 7.8% | 14% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 20.4% | 13% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.1% | 12.3% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 16.8% | 13.6% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 9.2% | 10.5% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 13.5% | 7.4% | 7% |
| No diploma | 3.5% | 8.6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 20.5% | 22.6% | 26% |
| Some college | 20.1% | 14.1% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 4.7% | 7.5% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 23.9% | 25.5% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 27.3% | 21.8% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 900, single groups can be off by several points
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
For adults in Wendell, the share who have high blood pressure is 37%. CDC measures, 32 in all: Wendell beats Massachusetts on 2 and trails on 6.
| Wendell | Massachusetts towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 28% | 35% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 37% | 32% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 82% | 82% | 79% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 9.3% | 12% |
| What stands out | Wendell | MA |
|---|---|---|
| More adults screened for colon cancer | 74.1% | 68.4% |
| More adults getting cholesterol checked | 91.5% | 89.7% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.1% | 8.5% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Wendell’s risk rating from FEMA comes in at 51 of 100. Federal aid has come to Wendell households in 7 declared disasters; the latest was in 2013. 71% of the town’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by cold waves at 8%.
FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
3 within 15 miles of the center of Wendell
About 5 of every 100 Wendell residents are enrolled in college, against 8 across Massachusetts.
61.1% of the town is conserved land, across 8 parks and preserves.
Town in Massachusetts, United States
Wendell is a town in Franklin County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 924 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)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Wendell has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
2 notable people were born here, including James C. Greenough and Anne Toppan Wilbur Wood.
