Town · Massachusetts
Ware, Massachusetts
Ware, town, in Hampshire County, Massachusetts. Ware had 10,128 residents on July 1, 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 0.7% since 2020; the 2020 Census counted 10,066 and the ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates put it at 10,048 (±21). GEOID 2501572880.
Residents, July 2025 estimate
10,128
Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 10,066 · ACS 2020-2024: 10,048 ±21
Median household income
$67,475
±$15,499 (90% margin)
Massachusetts: $103,960
Median home value
$289,700
±$28,028 (90% margin)
Massachusetts: $562,100
Median gross rent
$1,043
±$109 (90% margin)
Massachusetts: $1,762
Where is Ware and what county is it in?
Ware is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts. It covers 34.4 square miles of land, 293 residents per square mile in 2020.
One place lies inside Ware: Ware (CDP, 6,266 in 2020).
Ware is in the Amherst Town-Northampton, 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 Ware, and is it growing?
The Census Bureau estimates that 10,128 people lived in Ware on July 1, 2025, up 0.7% since 2020, slower than Massachusetts (+1.7%). The 2020 Census counted 10,066 residents. The 2020-2024 American Community Survey, a five-year sample, puts the population at 10,048 (±21).
| Measure | Ware | Hampshire County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total population | 10,048±21 | 162,028 | +247 |
| Households | 4,439±281 | 62,114 | no clear change |
| Average household size | 2.26±0.14 | 2.24 | no clear change |
| Housing units | 4,843±300 | 66,786 | no clear change |
Ware's population since 2000
From 9,707 in 2000 to 10,128 in 2025: up 4.3%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts, each for Ware 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 Ware?
The median resident of Ware is 43.1 years old; 19.1% are under 18 and 20.6% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 90.7%, then Hispanic or Latino residents (of any race) at 3.7%. 3.6% of residents were born outside the United States.
| Measure | Ware | Hampshire County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 43.1±4.7 | 37.4 | no clear change |
| Under 18 years | 19.1%±2.9 pts | 14.2% | – |
| 65 years and over | 20.6%±2.8 pts | 19.4% | – |
| Male | 43.5%±3.6 pts | 46.5% | – |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 3.7%±1.7 pts | 7.4% | −4.0 pts |
| White alone, not Hispanic | 90.7%±2.6 pts | 80.3% | no clear change |
| Black or African American alone, not Hispanic | 3.6%±2.1 pts | 2.5% | +2.3 pts |
| Asian alone, not Hispanic | 0.2%±0.2 pts | 5.3% | – |
| American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±0.4 pts | 0.1% | – |
| Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±0.4 pts | 0.0% | – |
| Two or more races, not Hispanic | 1.7%±1.0 pts | 4.1% | – |
| Some other race alone, not Hispanic | 0.0%±0.4 pts | 0.4% | – |
| Born outside the United States | 3.6%±2.0 pts | 8.4% | no clear change |
| Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+) | 5.1%±1.9 pts | 12.9% | – |
| Civilian veterans (age 18+) | 6.6%±2.0 pts | 5.1% | – |
| With a disability | 17.3%±3.8 pts | 12.6% | – |
| No health insurance coverage | 2.0%±1.3 pts | 1.7% | no clear change |
| High school graduate or higher (age 25+) | 91.8%±2.4 pts | 95.4% | – |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+) | 24.0%±5.1 pts | 51.6% | no clear change |
| Graduate or professional degree (age 25+) | 8.3%±3.2 pts | 27.6% | – |
| Lived in the same house a year earlier | 93.6%±3.3 pts | 80.1% | – |
| Moved from another state in the past year | 1.0%±0.9 pts | 3.5% | – |
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 Ware earn?
Half of Ware's 4,439 households earn less than $67,475 a year (±$15,499), against $87,001 in Hampshire County and $103,960 in Massachusetts. In 2015-2019 it was $67,006 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 11.8% of residents live below the poverty line.
| Measure | Ware | Hampshire County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $67,475±$15,499 | $87,001 | no clear change |
| Mean household income | $85,702±$8,753 | $117,323 | – |
| Per capita income | $37,949±$3,156 | $45,568 | no clear change |
| People below the poverty line | 11.8%±3.8 pts | 11.3% | no clear change |
| Children under 18 below the poverty line | 17.6%±11.0 pts | 11.5% | no clear change |
| Households receiving SNAP | 26.7%±5.1 pts | 12.5% | – |
| Households with a computer | 95.8%±2.4 pts | 96.4% | – |
| Households with a broadband subscription | 92.4%±3.2 pts | 92.9% | – |
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 Ware?
Owners occupy 72.3% of Ware's occupied homes and renters 27.7%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $289,700 by its owner (±$28,028). The median renter pays $1,043 a month including utilities, and 49.8% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.
| Measure | Ware | Hampshire County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $289,700±$28,028 | $390,300 | +$40,361 |
| Median gross rent | $1,043±$109 | $1,388 | no clear change |
| Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent | 49.8%±13.5 pts | 44.5% | +16.1 pts |
| Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage | $1,984±$188 | $2,256 | – |
| Owner-occupied homes | 72.3%±5.8 pts | 67.8% | no clear change |
| Renter-occupied homes | 27.7%±5.8 pts | 32.2% | – |
| Housing units | 4,843±300 | 66,786 | no clear change |
| Homeowner vacancy rate | 0.0%±1.3 pts | 0.3% | – |
| Rental vacancy rate | 12.2%±6.6 pts | 6.5% | – |
| Single-family detached homes | 56.6%±6.0 pts | 59.3% | – |
| Mobile homes | 4.5%±2.5 pts | 1.2% | – |
| Built 2020 or later | 1.4%±1.6 pts | 1.0% | – |
| Built 2010 to 2019 | 3.5%±2.2 pts | 5.5% | – |
| Built 1939 or earlier | 37.2%±5.6 pts | 27.1% | – |
| Households with no vehicle | 8.9%±3.1 pts | 7.4% | – |
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 Ware building?
Builders took permits for 81 new housing units in Ware in 2025 (2 in single-family houses), 8.0 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 Ware work and get to work?
74.7% of Ware's workers drive alone and 12.3% work from home. The average trip to work takes 28.4 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 9.2%.
| Measure | Ware | Hampshire County | Change since 2015-2019 |
|---|---|---|---|
| In the labor force (age 16+) | 57.6%±4.6 pts | 61.5% | – |
| Unemployment rate | 9.2%±4.1 pts | 5.0% | no clear change |
| Drove alone to work | 74.7%±6.0 pts | 64.5% | – |
| Carpooled | 7.1%±3.7 pts | 5.2% | – |
| Public transportation | 3.1%±2.5 pts | 2.8% | – |
| Walked | 1.7%±1.8 pts | 7.4% | – |
| Worked from home | 12.3%±4.0 pts | 18.4% | – |
| Mean travel time to work | 28.4 min±2.6 | 23.2 min | −4.1 min |
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 Ware?
2 census tracts lie mostly in Ware (2020 census blocks). Their median household incomes run from $40,288 (Tract 8201.02) to $83,945 (Tract 8201.01).
| Tract | Residents, 2020-2024 | Median household income |
|---|---|---|
| Tract 8201.01Hampshire County | 6,715 | $83,945 |
| Tract 8201.02Hampshire County | 3,333 | $40,288 |
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 Ware) · Census block assignment files
How does Ware compare with other places in Massachusetts?
By the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimates, Ware is the 1,217th-most populous of the 16,079 U.S. towns and townships that have one and the 100th-most populous of 266 in Massachusetts.
Ware ranks 421st 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 | 100th | 266 |
| Growth 2020-2025 (PEP) | 202nd | 292 |
| Residents per square mile | 364th | 461 |
| Median household income | 421st | 453 |
| Per capita income | 423rd | 460 |
| Median home value | 431st | 459 |
| Median gross rent | 378th | 410 |
| Poverty rate | 55th | 338 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 430th | 459 |
| Median age | 281st | 461 |
| Owner-occupied share | 320th | 460 |
| Work from home | 333rd | 429 |
| Travel time to work | 274th | 459 |
Ware's figures with every place in Massachusetts (CSV)
Every place in Massachusetts, sortable · Compare Ware 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 Ware?
9 of the 57 figures for Ware 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 Ware 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' school search.