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12,606people live here $47,500median household income▼ 41% below US $793median rent per month▼ 44% below US $195,900median home value▼ 41% below US

What it's like to live in North Adams

North Adams is a small city in Massachusetts with rent below the national average, home prices that remain within reach, commutes that run shorter than most cities, and air quality that stays clean most of the year. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.

The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. North Adams deals with unemployment above the national average, household incomes below the national average, crime rates above the national average, and a population that has been shrinking.

The good

Rent below the national average
Affordable home prices
Short commutes
Clean air
Low student-teacher ratio

The not so good

Above-average unemployment
Below-average household incomes
Crime above national average
Shrinking population
High poverty rate
High rent burden for renters

How North Adams compares

Median household income

North Adams$47,500

Massachusetts avg$103,960

US$80,734

Median rent (per month)

North Adams$793

Massachusetts avg$1,762

US$1,413

Median home value

North Adams$195,900

Massachusetts avg$562,100

US$332,700

What it takes to move to North Adams

Based on North Adams's median rent, home value and household income

To rent

$1,586

up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit

Income to keep rent under 30%: $31,720 a year
60% of North Adams renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent

To buy

$39,180

a 20% down payment on the median home

With 10% down: $19,590
Homes cost 4.1× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)

Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.

The details

Cost of living▼ 44% below US

$793/mo median rent

Rent here is genuinely low, with median rent around $793 a month. Factoring in local incomes, the value gets even better. Money stretches further here than in most of the country. Home prices here are genuinely accessible, with a median around $195,900. That kind of affordability is rare in today's market.

Median home value $195,900 · 60% of renters cost-burdened

Job market▲ 26% above US

5.4% unemployment

Unemployment here is 5.4%, somewhat above the national average of 4.3%. Lining up work before the move is the safer route.

City-level (BLS)

Safety▲ 259% above US

1183 violent crimes per 100k

Crime is a real factor here, with violent rates significantly above the national average. That doesn't make the whole city a write-off, but it does mean specific neighborhoods deserve real research before signing a lease.

Property crime 2543/100k · North Adams Police Department · 2025 data

Getting around▼ 33% below US

17 min average commute

Commutes run short here, averaging 17.4 minutes. That's an underrated perk of living in a smaller or well-planned city, where time isn't lost sitting in traffic. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 9% work from home.

How workers get to work

Drive alone

76%

Work from home

9.2%

Walk

7.3%

Carpool

6.2%

Other

0.8%

Public transit

0.4%

Climate

Summers are comfortable, with highs around 79°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 17°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.

Average month

High °FLow °FPrecip (in)

30-year averages, 1991–2020

Healthcare

1 hospital

There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.

Medicare-certified hospitals

Education & workforce▼ 21% below US

28% bachelor's degree or higher

College degree attainment runs below average at 28%. That tends to reflect a more trade and working-class economy, which can be great or limiting depending on the industry.

Schools

5 public schools inside the boundary

There are 5 public schools inside the boundary. The student-to-teacher ratio is 10:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.

Parks & recreation

The nearest national park or historic site is Coltsville National Historical Park (16 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.

Bottom line

North Adams's strongest points are rent below the national average and home prices that remain within reach; the main tradeoffs are unemployment above the national average and household incomes below the national average. A year of median rent ($793/mo) equals 20% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit people watching their budget and people who want short commutes. It may be a harder fit for anyone moving without a job lined up, anyone who doesn't drive, and anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.

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