Jobs, pay and daily life in Palmer Town, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Palmer Town is a city in Massachusetts with 12,381 residents. The median household earns $78,480 a year and the median rent is $1,075 a month, which is 16.4% of the median household income. It is part of the Springfield, MA metropolitan area, where BLS counts 201,240 jobs.
How Palmer Town compares. Among the 80 largest places in Massachusetts, Palmer Town is #79 by population, #3 for rent (#1 = cheapest), #74 for remote work (#1 = most), #71 for college degrees (#1 = most). Its county, Hampden County, is #11 of 14 counties for average pay ($62,834).
Palmer Town has 12,381 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 0.2% of the population of Massachusetts. It covers 32 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 392 people per square mile. The median age is 47.8, 19% older than the state median (47.8 against 40.0).
The median gross rent is $1,075 a month (rent plus utilities), 39% below the state median ($1,075 against $1,762). Over a year that is 16.4% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $271,400, which is 3.5 times the median household income ($78,480); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 71.5% of households own their home, 14% above the state average (71.5% against 62.5%).
The Springfield, MA metropolitan area has 201,240 jobs in the BLS wage survey, and the median pay across all occupations is $51,930 a year, about the same as the national median ($51,930 against $50,980). The biggest occupation groups are healthcare support (22,020 jobs, median $40,870); office and administrative support (20,680 jobs, median $49,960); food preparation and serving related (16,170 jobs, median $35,350). The area is most specialised in healthcare support (2.1 times) and community and social service (2.0 times), where the share of workers is well above the national share. The best-paying groups with at least 5,000 jobs are management ($121,150) and healthcare practitioners and technical ($89,050). In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Hampden County was 5.3%. 61.1% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Hampden County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 81.6% drive alone, 0.2% use public transit, 1.6% walk, 7.3% work from home. 21.2% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, about the same as the state average (21.2% against 21.5%).
23.5% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 50% below the state share (23.5% against 47.3%). 1.2% of residents were born outside the United States, 93% below the state share (1.2% against 18.1%). The poverty rate is 8.3%, 17% below the state rate (8.3% against 10.0%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 73°F (22.9°C), and the coolest is Jan at 24°F (-4.4°C). About 1,202 mm (47 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Oct is the wettest month (123 mm) and Jan the driest (76 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Springfield (13 miles, rent 6% higher); Chicopee (14 miles, rent 8% higher); Amherst Town (16 miles, rent 55% higher); Southbridge Town (17 miles, rent 17% higher). Rent differences are against Palmer Town; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in Massachusetts (896) →State guide: MassachusettsCountry guideHampden CountyMassachusetts rankings
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| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home Health and Personal Care Aides | 15,840 | 2.84 | $40,860 | $36,840 | $44,340 | +14% |
| Registered Nurses | 5,830 | 1.33 | $98,410 | $73,420 | $127,470 | +1% |
| Fast Food and Counter Workers | 5,660 | 1.13 | $34,130 | $31,200 | $37,280 | +9% |
| Retail Salespersons | 4,410 | 0.87 | $35,440 | $31,200 | $47,280 | +0% |
| General and Operations Managers | 4,390 | 0.97 | $106,390 | $55,010 | $218,850 | +1% |
| Cashiers | 3,610 | 0.90 | $34,030 | $31,200 | $38,130 | +3% |
| Teaching Assistants, Except Postsecondary | 3,150 | 1.71 | $31,200 | $31,200 | $50,330 | -15% |
| Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 3,060 | 1.07 | $39,170 | $33,280 | $52,720 | +6% |
| Customer Service Representatives | 2,930 | 0.87 | $46,790 | $35,420 | $62,140 | +5% |
| Nursing Assistants | 2,930 | 1.56 | $44,740 | $38,140 | $53,050 | +6% |
| Stockers and Order Fillers | 2,840 | 0.78 | $37,160 | $32,310 | $47,690 | -0% |
| Waiters and Waitresses | 2,670 | 0.91 | $36,170 | $31,200 | $61,110 | +3% |
| Office Clerks, General | 2,560 | 0.80 | $46,860 | $34,510 | $63,640 | +4% |
| Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers | 2,400 | 0.90 | $61,420 | $44,980 | $82,520 | +5% |
| Elementary School Teachers, Except Special Education | 2,340 | 1.31 | $79,640 | $58,240 | $96,360 | +24% |
| Laborers and Freight, Stock, and Material Movers, Hand | 2,230 | 0.58 | $43,010 | $35,290 | $54,200 | +7% |
| Maintenance and Repair Workers, General | 1,950 | 0.98 | $52,790 | $36,780 | $77,810 | +6% |
| Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | 1,900 | 0.86 | $51,460 | $37,440 | $71,080 | +8% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers | 1,790 | 0.96 | $71,630 | $49,940 | $102,440 | +3% |
| Substance Abuse, Behavioral Disorder, and Mental Health Counselors | 1,790 | 2.80 | $58,750 | $41,330 | $96,330 | -1% |
| Occupation ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Location quotient ⇅ | Median pay (year) ⇅ | Entry (10th pct.) ⇅ | Top (90th pct.) ⇅ | Median vs US ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Financial Managers | 920 | 0.85 | $175,950 | $94,300 | $282,950 | +6% |
| Computer and Information Systems Managers | 540 | 0.63 | $164,030 | $104,990 | $270,800 | -6% |
| Nurse Practitioners | 530 | 1.26 | $138,460 | $103,280 | $164,240 | +5% |
| Software Developers | 650 | 0.30 | $127,740 | $93,370 | $175,280 | -6% |
| Medical and Health Services Managers | 990 | 1.28 | $124,820 | $82,100 | $318,710 | +1% |
| Lawyers | 770 | 0.79 | $123,320 | $73,270 | $249,430 | -23% |
| Management Analysts | 540 | 0.46 | $107,210 | $74,070 | $163,970 | +5% |
| General and Operations Managers | 4,390 | 0.97 | $106,390 | $55,010 | $218,850 | +1% |
| Education Administrators, Kindergarten through Secondary | 800 | 1.88 | $106,210 | $81,460 | $140,910 | +0% |
| Registered Nurses | 5,830 | 1.33 | $98,410 | $73,420 | $127,470 | +1% |
| Project Management Specialists | 610 | 0.44 | $94,880 | $62,040 | $152,460 | -7% |
| Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters | 670 | 1.10 | $92,080 | $52,760 | $118,820 | +44% |
| Accountants and Auditors | 1,720 | 0.92 | $92,010 | $62,580 | $138,030 | +10% |
| Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists | 1,050 | 0.90 | $85,970 | $48,570 | $147,360 | +9% |
| Business Operations Specialists, All Other | 600 | 0.43 | $85,400 | $52,330 | $125,230 | +3% |
| Compliance Officers | 580 | 1.08 | $84,820 | $52,910 | $119,440 | +5% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Construction Trades and Extraction Workers | 880 | 0.83 | $83,570 | $62,650 | $124,960 | +5% |
| Police and Sheriff's Patrol Officers | 1,570 | 1.81 | $83,050 | $52,000 | $126,880 | +9% |
| First-Line Supervisors of Mechanics, Installers, and Repairers | 860 | 1.08 | $82,550 | $56,200 | $123,240 | +3% |
| Physicians, All Other | 560 | 1.27 | $80,750 | $72,810 | $387,550 | -70% |
These figures are for the whole Springfield, MA metropolitan area, not the city alone.
Median pay across all occupations: $51,930 (US $50,980); unemployment 5.3% (2026M09).
| Industry (residents) ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 28.0% |
| Retail trade | 20.7% |
| Manufacturing | 10.4% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 9.8% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 7.2% |
| Construction | 4.9% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 4.8% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 4.4% |
| Other services | 3.7% |
| Information | 2.8% |
| Public administration | 1.8% |
| Wholesale trade | 0.9% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.6% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Palmer Town lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hampden County | 462,815 | $30,598 million | $66,113 | 202,129 | 18,727 | $62,834 | -0.3% | 5.3% | 225,875 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Health care and social assistance | 52,939 | 31.2% | $58,014 | 1.83 |
| Retail trade | 19,022 | 11.2% | $40,582 | 0.94 |
| Manufacturing | 17,109 | 10.1% | $73,838 | 1.03 |
| Accommodation and food services | 15,958 | 9.4% | $27,982 | 0.87 |
| Construction | 8,025 | 4.7% | $86,772 | 0.76 |
| Transportation and warehousing | 7,560 | 4.5% | $54,160 | 0.88 |
| Administrative and waste services | 6,782 | 4.0% | $50,759 | 0.57 |
| Finance and insurance | 6,686 | 3.9% | $133,702 | 0.82 |
| Wholesale trade | 6,436 | 3.8% | $89,602 | 0.81 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 6,436 | 3.8% | $47,745 | 1.06 |
| Professional and technical services | 5,640 | 3.3% | $93,945 | 0.40 |
| Educational services | 4,968 | 2.9% | $47,487 | 1.19 |
| Management of companies | 3,245 | 1.9% | $94,286 | 0.95 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 2,964 | 1.7% | $27,931 | 0.87 |
| Real estate and rental | 2,139 | 1.3% | $62,577 | 0.68 |
| Information | 1,770 | 1.0% | $77,714 | 0.47 |
| Utilities | 1,221 | 0.7% | $159,575 | 1.59 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 510 | 0.3% | $44,766 | 0.31 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 51 | 0.0% | $139,996 | 0.07 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 81.6% |
| Public transit | 0.2% |
| Walk | 1.6% |
| Work from home | 7.3% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 21.2% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $78,480 |
| Income per person | $45,032 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,075 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 16.4% |
| Median home value | $271,400 |
| Homeowners | 71.5% |
| Poverty rate | 8.3% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | 96.1 |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | $51,930 |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set; graduated states show 0 until you enter your own estimate. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: Graduated, top rate 9.00%.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 47.8 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 89.8% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 23.5% |
| Born abroad | 1.2% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 61.1% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -4.4 | 24 | 76 |
| Feb | -3.3 | 26 | 82 |
| Mar | 1.1 | 34 | 96 |
| Apr | 7.7 | 46 | 103 |
| May | 14.1 | 57 | 93 |
| Jun | 19.2 | 67 | 117 |
| Jul | 22.9 | 73 | 103 |
| Aug | 22.2 | 72 | 103 |
| Sep | 18.3 | 65 | 106 |
| Oct | 11.2 | 52 | 123 |
| Nov | 4.7 | 40 | 90 |
| Dec | -0.8 | 31 | 110 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Springfield | MA | 13 mi | 154,749 | $52,656 | $1,144 |
| Chicopee | MA | 14 mi | 55,295 | $62,615 | $1,157 |
| Amherst Town | MA | 16 mi | 38,182 | $66,968 | $1,671 |
| Southbridge Town | MA | 17 mi | 17,928 | $66,287 | $1,256 |
| Longmeadow | MA | 17 mi | 15,696 | $149,601 | $1,682 |
| Holyoke | MA | 17 mi | 37,813 | $53,605 | $1,021 |
| Hazardville | CT | 18 mi | 6,022 | $81,893 | $1,530 |
| West Springfield Town | MA | 18 mi | 28,772 | $69,371 | $1,144 |
| Agawam Town | MA | 20 mi | 28,539 | $85,421 | $1,256 |
| Thompsonville | CT | 20 mi | 7,927 | $71,805 | $1,404 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
Pick two cities.
vs
12,381 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,075 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 16.4% of the median household income.
$78,480 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
5.3% (BLS county, Hampden County (latest month 2026M09)).
Massachusetts. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.