Hampden County, Massachusetts

Hampden County is a non-governmental county located in the Pioneer Valley of the state of Massachusetts, in the United States. As of the 2010 census, Hampden County's population was 463,490.[1] As of 2019, Hampden County's estimated population was 466,372.[2] Its traditional county seat is Springfield,[3] the Connecticut River Valley's largest city, and economic and cultural capital; with an estimated population of 154,758, approximately 1 in 3 residents of Hampden County live in Springfield. Hampden County was split from Hampshire County in 1812, because Northampton, Massachusetts, was made Hampshire County's "shire town" in 1794; however, Springfield—theretofore Hampshire County's traditional shire town, dating back to its founding in 1636—grew at a pace far quicker than Northampton and was granted shire town-status over its own, southerly jurisdiction. It was named for parliamentarian John Hampden.[4] To the north of Hampden County is modern-day Hampshire County; to the west is Berkshire County; to the east is Worcester County; to the south are Litchfield County, Hartford County, and Tolland County in Connecticut.

Hampden County
County
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Massachusetts
Massachusetts's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 42°07′39″N 72°34′17″W
Country United States
State Massachusetts
Founded1812
Named forJohn Hampden
SeatSpringfield
Largest citySpringfield
Area
 • Total634 sq mi (1,640 km2)
 • Land617 sq mi (1,600 km2)
 • Water17 sq mi (40 km2)  2.7%%
Population
 • Estimate 
(2019)
466,372
 • Density751/sq mi (290/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional districts1st, 2nd

Hampden County is part of the Springfield, MA Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is the most urban county in Western Massachusetts. The Knowledge Corridor surrounding Springfield-Hartford is New England's second most populous urban area (after Greater Boston) with 1.9 million people.

Law and government

As with most Massachusetts counties, Hampden County exists today only as a historical geographic region, and has no county government. All former county functions were assumed by state agencies in 1998. The sheriff and some other regional officials with specific duties are still elected locally to perform duties within the county region, but there is no county council, county commission or other county governing body. Communities are now granted the right to form their own regional compacts for sharing services. Hampden County and Hampshire County together are part of the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission.

Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of February 1, 2017[5]
Party Number of Voters Percentage
Democratic 115,363 36.71%
Republican 38,837 12.36%
Unenrolled 155,646 49.53%
Minor Parties 4,418 1.40%
Total 314,264 100%

Government and politics
Presidential elections results[6]
Year Republican Democratic Third parties
2020 40.0% 87,318 57.7% 125,948 2.2% 4,911
2016 38.2% 78,685 54.6% 112,590 7.2% 14,826
2012 36.6% 73,392 61.7% 123,619 1.7% 3,388
2008 36.1% 71,350 61.4% 121,454 2.5% 4,916
2004 38.0% 70,925 60.9% 113,710 1.1% 2,004
2000 34.6% 59,558 58.2% 100,103 7.2% 12,432
1996 28.2% 48,513 61.0% 105,050 10.9% 18,676
1992 29.0% 54,621 45.7% 86,026 25.3% 47,618
1988 43.2% 74,872 56.1% 97,332 0.7% 1,216
1984 51.1% 89,330 48.6% 84,985 0.4% 656
1980 40.4% 72,528 44.7% 80,369 14.9% 26,823
1976 37.8% 70,008 59.4% 110,028 2.8% 5,254
1972 47.3% 86,164 52.1% 94,945 0.6% 1,024
1968 31.3% 55,783 62.5% 111,376 6.2% 10,991
1964 24.9% 44,299 74.7% 133,085 0.5% 835
1960 37.2% 72,054 62.5% 121,061 0.4% 713
1956 55.9% 104,689 43.6% 81,743 0.5% 935
1952 51.9% 98,641 47.8% 90,936 0.3% 616
1948 41.9% 70,256 56.4% 94,609 1.7% 2,855
1944 40.7% 63,293 59.1% 91,819 0.2% 374
1940 41.7% 64,502 57.8% 89,477 0.5% 817
1936 36.6% 51,288 57.2% 80,164 6.2% 8,728
1932 44.5% 55,032 51.1% 63,189 4.4% 5,408
1928 47.2% 56,063 52.2% 62,056 0.6% 703
1924 60.0% 46,489 24.6% 19,079 15.4% 11,947
1920 68.9% 46,741 28.3% 19,156 2.8% 1,923
1916 50.2% 18,207 46.9% 17,028 2.9% 1,042
1912 37.5% 11,393 34.9% 10,620 27.6% 8,410
1908 52.2% 14,485 35.7% 9,910 12.1% 3,358
1904 57.6% 14,962 36.1% 9,369 6.3% 1,641
1900 54.7% 13,757 41.4% 10,424 3.9% 989
1896 67.7% 16,064 28.6% 6,787 3.8% 893
1892 48.8% 11,373 48.2% 11,228 3.0% 693
1888 49.7% 9,577 47.6% 9,177 2.7% 511
1884 47.8% 7,897 43.8% 7,245 8.4% 1,394
1880 57.7% 8,673 41.2% 6,194 1.1% 170
1876 54.5% 7,963 45.2% 6,605 0.3% 46
County-level state agency heads
Clerk of Courts: Laura S. Gentile (D)
District Attorney: Anthony Gulluni (D)
Register of Deeds: Cheryl Coakley-Rivera (D)
Register of Probate: Suzanne Seguin (I)
County Sheriff: Nicholas Cocchi (D)
State government
State Representative(s): by community
State Senator(s): by community
Governor's Councilor(s): Jennie Caissie (R)
Mary Hurley (D)
Federal government
U.S. Representative(s): Richard Neal (D-1st District),
U.S. Senators: Elizabeth Warren (D), Ed Markey (D)

Geography
Cities and Towns of Hampden County
Chester
Blandford
Tolland
Granville
Russell
Montgomery
Westfield
Southwick
Holyoke
Chicopee
West Springfield
Springfield
Agawam
Longmeadow
East Longmeadow
Ludlow
Wilbraham
Hampden
Palmer
Monson
Brimfield
Wales
Holland

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 634 square miles (1,640 km2), of which 617 square miles (1,600 km2) is land and 17 square miles (44 km2) (2.7%) is water.[7]

Adjacent counties

Cities

Towns

Census-designated places

Other unincorporated communities

City neighborhoods

The following are neighborhoods located in Springfield or West Springfield.

The following are neighborhoods located in Chicopee.

  • Aldenville
  • Burnett Road
  • Chicopee Center (Cabotville)
  • Chicopee Falls
  • Fairview
  • Smith Highlands
  • Westover
  • Willimansett

The following are neighborhoods located in Holyoke.

National Parks

State parks

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.%±
182028,021—
183031,63912.9%
184037,36618.1%
185051,28337.2%
186057,36611.9%
187078,40936.7%
1880104,14232.8%
1890135,71330.3%
1900175,60329.4%
1910231,36931.8%
1920300,30529.8%
1930335,49611.7%
1940332,107−1.0%
1950367,97110.8%
1960429,35316.7%
1970459,0506.9%
1980443,018−3.5%
1990456,3103.0%
2000456,2280.0%
2010463,4901.6%
2019 (est.)466,372[2]0.6%
U.S. Decennial Census[8]
1790–1960[9] 1900–1990[10]
1990–2000[11] 2010–2019[1]

2010 census

As of the 2010 United States Census, there were 463,490 people, 179,927 households, and 115,961 families residing in the county.[12] The population density was 751.0 inhabitants per square mile (290.0/km2). There were 192,175 housing units at an average density of 311.4 per square mile (120.2/km2).[13] The racial makeup of the county was 76.5% white, 9.0% black or African American, 2.0% Asian, 0.4% American Indian, 0.1% Pacific islander, 9.2% from other races, and 2.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 20.9% of the population.[12] The largest ancestry groups were:[14]

Of the 179,927 households, 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 41.9% were married couples living together, 17.5% had a female householder with no husband present, 35.6% were non-families, and 29.2% of all households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.49 and the average family size was 3.09. The median age was 38.6 years.[12]

The median income for a household in the county was $47,724 and the median income for a family was $61,061. Males had a median income of $50,207 versus $37,765 for females. The per capita income for the county was $24,718. About 13.2% of families and 17.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 26.5% of those under age 18 and 11.2% of those age 65 or over.[15]

Income
See also: List of Massachusetts locations by per capita income

The ranking of unincorporated communities that are included on the list are reflective if the census designated locations and villages were included as cities or towns. Data is from the 2007–2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates.[16][17][18]

Rank Town Per capita
income		 Median
household
income		 Median
family
income		 Population Number of
households
1 Longmeadow Town $50,203 $100,092 $111,803 15,772 5,605
2 Wilbraham Town $39,372 $88,839 $107,871 14,145 5,393
3 Hampden Town $38,396 $79,773 $103,173 5,134 1,960
4 Montgomery Town $36,575 $78,125 $90,313 742 291
5 Tolland Town $36,567 $67,083 $75,625 434 164
6 Blandford Town $36,412 $78,875 $82,656 1,174 462
Massachusetts State $35,051 $65,981 $83,371 6,512,227 2,522,409
7 East Longmeadow Town $34,417 $76,517 $89,570 15,555 5,660
8 Southwick Town $33,753 $74,721 $86,915 9,425 3,657
9 Wales Town $32,129 $60,938 $70,536 1,914 773
10 Granville Town $32,050 $71,667 $85,625 1,444 554
11 Brimfield Town $31,671 $78,380 $86,695 3,582 1,385
12 Monson Town $31,274 $70,485 $86,333 8,531 3,318
Monson Center CDP $29,938 $50,242 $51,691 1,880 846
13 Agawam City $29,914 $65,339 $76,258 28,408 11,506
14 Holland Town $29,835 $69,565 $79,779 2,595 998
15 West Springfield City $27,946 $54,251 $63,954 28,320 11,571
United States Country $27,915 $52,762 $64,293 306,603,772 114,761,359
16 Palmer City $27,694 $50,864 $58,144 12,161 5,006
17 Ludlow Town $27,644 $60,694 $73,048 21,131 7,876
18 Chester Town $27,630 $56,711 $69,063 1,320 528
19 Westfield City $26,605 $53,772 $72,210 41,025 15,207
20 Russell Town $25,600 $60,398 $72,759 1,846 681
Hampden County County $25,363 $48,866 $61,800 462,752 177,954
21 Chicopee City $23,703 $45,763 $58,118 55,205 23,136
22 Holyoke City $20,370 $33,915 $42,033 39,897 16,012
23 Springfield City $18,483 $35,603 $41,454 152,992 56,211

Education

Colleges and universities

Public school districts

Other institutions

Although no county government exists in Hampden County, a number of private associations, mainly representing trades remain identified with Hampden County. To maintain current training among municipal inspectors, in 2005 the nongovernmental Hampden County Plumbing & Gas Inspectors Association was formed.[19] The Hampden County Bar Association provides support and resources to the legal community and those seeking such representation.[20] In part a legacy of the Eastern States Exposition, the Hampden County Improvement League, and Hampden County Beekeepers Association, both provide agricultural education and outreach.[21][22] The Hampden County Radio Association, an affiliate of the ARRL, offers training in amateur radio and related technology.[23]

Transportation

Major highways
Hampden County Memorial Bridge over the Connecticut, connecting Springfield/West Springfield, c. 1945

Public transportation

Hampden County is served by both bus and rail service, with intermodal connections at Springfield Union Station, and Holyoke station via the Holyoke Transportation Center. Additionally the region is served by the Westfield-Barnes Regional Airport, and Westover Metropolitan Airport. A bike share program, ValleyBike, connects Springfield, Chicopee, Holyoke and West Springfield to points north in Hampshire County.

Bus

Rail

See also

References
  1. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 26, 2013.
  2. "Population and Housing Unit Estimates". Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  3. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  4. Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp. 148.
  5. "Registration and Party Enrollment Statistics as of February 1, 2017" (PDF). Massachusetts Elections Division. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 19, 2018. Retrieved July 6, 2018.
  6. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 29, 2018.
  7. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on September 14, 2014. Retrieved September 16, 2014.
  8. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 16, 2014.
  9. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved September 16, 2014.
  10. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 16, 2014.
  11. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 16, 2014.
  12. "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  13. "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 – County". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  14. "DP02 Selected Social Characteristics in the United States – 2006–2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  15. "DP03 Selected Economic Characteristics – 2006–2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  16. "SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS 2007–2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved January 26, 2013.
  17. "ACS DEMOGRAPHIC AND HOUSING ESTIMATES 2007–2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved January 26, 2013.
  18. "HOUSEHOLDS AND FAMILIES 2007–2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved January 26, 2013.
  19. "Hampden County Plumbing & Gas Inspectors Association". Archived from the original on February 17, 2019.
  20. "Hampden County Bar Association". Hampden County Bar Association.
  21. "Hampden County Beekeepers Association". Archived from the original on March 2, 2019.
  22. "Hampden County Improvement League". Archived from the original on January 6, 2020.
  23. "Hampden County Radio Association". Archived from the original on January 7, 2019.

Further reading
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