Easthampton vs South Hadley
marks the Massachusetts median on each scale. The better of the two is picked out where the gap is big enough to call; where neither is, they are level.
On schools these two are genuinely close — same tier and within five MCAS percentiles of each other — so the schools should not decide it. Price and commute should.
South Hadley is about 8 minutes closer to downtown Boston at peak. Over a decade of commuting that gap is worth more than most people price it at.
Choose Easthampton if you prefer the town itself — the numbers do not separate them.
All Easthampton numbers →Choose South Hadley if you want the lower price, or the commute matters most.
All South Hadley numbers →Side by side
Some rows have no better. Town character describes a place rather than ranking it, and per-pupil spending tracks need rather than results, so neither is picked out.
SchoolsSouth Hadley ahead on 2 of 8
| Easthampton | South Hadley | |
|---|---|---|
| School tier | solid schoolsT3 | solid schoolsT3 |
| MCAS achievement | 29th | 29th |
| Student growth | 43rd | 48th |
| Graduation rate | 93.1% | 92.5% |
| State accountability | In need of focused/targeted support | Moderate progress toward targets |
| Spending per pupil | $18,410 | $20,200 |
| Schools in the district | 1 | 3 |
| Private schools within 12 mi | 5 | 7 |
What a home costsLevel across all 6
| Easthampton | South Hadley | |
|---|---|---|
| 4BR house | $450kT1 | $450kT1 |
| 3BR townhouse | $350k | $350k |
| 2BR condo | $260k | $260k |
| 3BR rent | $2,347/mo | $2,477/mo |
| Income needed for the 4BR | $130k | $132k |
| 10-year price growth | 5.9% a year | 5.5% a year |
What you pay the townEasthampton ahead on 1 of 4
| Easthampton | South Hadley | |
|---|---|---|
| Tax rate | $15.50T4 | $16.50T4 |
| Est. tax bill on that 4BR | ≈$7,000 | ≈$7,400 |
| Town spending per resident | $3,536 | $3,086 |
| Share of budget on schools | 37% | 48% |
Getting to workSouth Hadley ahead on 1 of 3
| Easthampton | South Hadley | |
|---|---|---|
| Commute to Boston | 122 minT4 | 114 minT4 |
| MBTA rail | No MBTA rail | No MBTA rail |
| Miles from downtown | 84 mi | 76 mi |
Before kindergartenSouth Hadley ahead on 2 of 4
| Easthampton | South Hadley | |
|---|---|---|
| Licensed child care programs | 15 | 16 |
| Child care places | 415 | 560 |
| Centers vs family programs | 6 centers | 8 centers |
| Infant places in centers | 73 | 142 |
What the place is likeDescribes the two, does not rank them
| Easthampton | South Hadley | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | 16,211 | 18,150 |
| Energy | 7/10 | 7/10 |
| Compact center | 7/10 | 6/10 |
| Family amenities | 5/10 | 5/10 |
| Culture | 7/10 | 8/10 |
| Gathering places | 8/10 | 8/10 |
The tax bill is each town’s own rate on its own median 4BR, so a lower rate does not always mean a lower bill. School tiers are editorial, shown beside the state’s own MCAS figures rather than derived from them.
Prices calibrated to Zillow ZHVI and Redfin · FY2026 residential tax rates · rail leg from the MBTA timetable, drive modeled · rents are HUD FY2026 Small Area FMRs · reviewed · methodology. Never uses demographics as an input.
