City · Massachusetts
Palmer Town, Massachusetts
Palmer Town, city, in Hampden County, Massachusetts. Palmer Town had 12,367 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, down 0.7% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 12,448 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 12,381 (±35). GEOID 2552144.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
12,367
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 12,448 · ACS 2020-2024: 12,381 ±35
Median household income
$78,480
±$7,854 (90% margin)
Massachusetts: $103,960
Median home value
$271,400
±$21,289 (90% margin)
Massachusetts: $562,100
Median gross rent
$1,075
±$103 (90% margin)
Massachusetts: $1,762
Where is Palmer Town and what county is it in?
Palmer Town is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts. It covers 31.6 square miles of land, 394 residents per square mile in 2020.
Palmer Town is in the Springfield, MA metropolitan statistical area (Census Bureau delineation, July 2023).
Source: 2024 Gazetteer and 2020 place-by-county files, U.S. Census Bureau · Census reference files
How many people live in Palmer Town, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 12,367 people lived in Palmer Town on July 1, 2025, down 0.7% since 2020, while Massachusetts grew 1.7%. The 2020 Census counted 12,448 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 12,381 (±35).
| Measure | Palmer Town | Hampden County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 12,381 ±35 | 462,815 | +144 |
| Households | 5,496 ±357 | 184,471 | +612 |
| Average household size | 2.24 ±0.15 | 2.44 | −0.25 |
| Housing units | 5,907 ±423 | 197,591 | +530 |
Palmer Town's population since 2005
From 12,343 in 2005 to 12,367 in 2025: up 0.2%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Palmer Town as it was drawn that year: a place that annexed land, or a community that has since incorporated, covered a different area then. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.
Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); Census PEP Vintage 2025 (SUB-EST2025, CO-EST2025); 2020 Census P.L. 94-171 · Check it at data.census.gov
Who lives in Palmer Town?
The median resident of Palmer Town is 47.8 years old; 15.1% are under 18 and 20.9% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 83.9%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 6.9%.
| Measure | Palmer Town | Hampden County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 47.8 ±5.6 | 40.0 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 15.1% ±2.4 pts | 20.9% | – |
| 65 years and over | 20.9% ±3.4 pts | 18.3% | – |
| Male | 47.3% ±3.1 pts | 48.6% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 4.9% ±2.4 pts | 27.0% | no clear change |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 83.9% ±4.1 pts | 59.3% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 3.7% ±2.4 pts | 7.6% | – |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.3 pts | 2.5% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.3 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0% ±0.3 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 6.9% ±2.8 pts | 3.1% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.6% ±0.8 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 1.2% ±0.8 pts | 9.4% | – |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 3.2% ±1.8 pts | 25.6% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 6.8% ±2.7 pts | 5.5% | – |
| With a disability | 17.5% ±3.1 pts | 16.9% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 1.2% ±0.8 pts | 3.0% | – |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 89.8% ±3.1 pts | 87.2% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 23.5% ±4.6 pts | 29.3% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 8.9% ±3.5 pts | 12.1% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 89.7% ±4.4 pts | 91.7% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 2.6% ±2.3 pts | 1.4% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov
What do households in Palmer Town earn?
Half of Palmer Town's 5,496 households earn less than $78,480 a year (±$7,854), against $71,306 in Hampden County and $103,960 in Massachusetts. In 2015-2019 it was $79,566 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 8.3% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Palmer Town | Hampden County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $78,480 ±$7,854 | $71,306 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $99,329 ±$11,323 | $94,811 | – |
| Per capita income | $45,032 ±$4,270 | $38,219 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 8.3% ±3.0 pts | 16.3% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 6.4% ±4.8 pts | 22.9% | – |
| Households receiving SNAP | 18.4% ±4.4 pts | 25.5% | – |
| Households with a computer | 93.7% ±2.2 pts | 92.1% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 90.4% ±3.3 pts | 89.0% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What does housing cost in Palmer Town?
Owners occupy 71.5% of Palmer Town's occupied homes and renters 28.5%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $271,400 by its owner (±$21,289). The median renter pays $1,075 a month including utilities, and 45.9% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Palmer Town | Hampden County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $271,400 ±$21,289 | $298,800 | +$28,953 |
| Median gross rent | $1,075 ±$103 | $1,136 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 45.9% ±10.8 pts | 44.3% | no clear change |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $2,035 ±$141 | $1,966 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 71.5% ±5.2 pts | 62.2% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 28.5% ±5.2 pts | 37.8% | – |
| Housing units | 5,907 ±423 | 197,591 | +530 |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0% ±1.1 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 10.1% ±8.0 pts | 3.7% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 63.2% ±5.8 pts | 56.3% | – |
| Mobile homes | 4.5% ±2.4 pts | 1.3% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 0.5% ±0.7 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 0.5% ±0.5 pts | 2.8% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 24.5% ±4.8 pts | 27.9% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 6.3% ±2.3 pts | 12.0% | – |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov
How many new homes is Palmer Town building?
Builders took permits for 9 new housing units in Palmer Town in 2025 (9 in single-family houses), 0.7 per 1,000 residents against 1.7 across Massachusetts.
Counts of units in permits a local office issued; not every permitted unit is built. A year marked with months was reported for part of the year.
Source: Building Permits Survey, annual place files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey
How do people in Palmer Town work and get to work?
81.6% of Palmer Town's workers drive alone and 7.3% work from home. The average trip to work takes 31.3 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 2.9%.
| Measure | Palmer Town | Hampden County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 62.4% ±4.9 pts | 60.1% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 2.9% ±1.5 pts | 6.0% | −3.5 pts |
| Drove alone to work | 81.6% ±4.8 pts | 76.0% | – |
| Carpooled | 7.7% ±4.2 pts | 7.9% | – |
| Public transportation | 0.2% ±0.4 pts | 1.6% | – |
| Walked | 1.6% ±1.3 pts | 2.3% | – |
| Worked from home | 7.3% ±2.8 pts | 10.5% | no clear change |
| Mean travel time to work | 31.3 min ±5.2 | 22.7 min | no clear change |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov
What census tracts are in Palmer Town?
3 census tracts lie mostly in Palmer Town, and 1 more reaches into it (2020 census blocks). Their median household incomes run from $69,268 (Tract 8102) to $91,926 (Tract 8103).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 8101Hampden County | 6,325 | $80,240 |
| Tract 8103Hampden County | 3,320 | $91,926 |
| Tract 8102Hampden County | 2,736 | $69,268 |
| Tract 8137.02Hampden County | 4,816 | $93,813 |
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 block assignment files (tract share = share of the tract's census blocks in Palmer Town) · Census block assignment files
How does Palmer Town compare with other places in Massachusetts?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Palmer Town is the 2,771st-most populous of the 19,476 U.S. incorporated places that have one and the 58th-most populous of 58 in Massachusetts.
Palmer Town ranks 382nd of 453 places in Massachusetts with 1,000 or more residents and a reliable estimate, by median household income.
| Measure | Rank | Of |
|---|---|---|
| Population, July 2025 estimate | 58th | 58 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 251st | 292 |
| Residents per square mile | 336th | 461 |
| Median household income | 382nd | 453 |
| Per capita income | 373rd | 460 |
| Median home value | 442nd | 459 |
| Median gross rent | 374th | 410 |
| Poverty rate | 120th | 338 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 434th | 459 |
| Median age | 153rd | 461 |
| Owner-occupied share | 325th | 460 |
| Work from home | 409th | 429 |
| Travel time to work | 182nd | 459 |
Palmer Town's figures with every place in Massachusetts (CSV)
Every place in Massachusetts, sortable · Compare Palmer Town with other places
Source: PlainCities ranks computed from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed
How reliable are the figures for Palmer Town?
14 of the 57 figures for Palmer Town on this page carry a coefficient of variation over 40% and are marked with a ring: they come from a small sample, so read them as rough.
The American Community Survey samples about one household in eight over five years, so every figure is an estimate with a 90% margin of error (shown under each value). A ring marks an estimate whose coefficient of variation is over 40%. A change is called only when the gap between the two periods is larger than their combined 90% margin (the square root of the sum of the two squared margins), the Census Bureau's test. How to read a margin of error.
Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026): margins of error as published · ACS technical documentation
How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections
Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Palmer Town are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' public schools in Palmer Town.