Springfield, MA — Momentum Score, Home Values & Best-For

All states·Massachusetts·Springfield

Hampden County · Springfield · population 154,888

First-time buyers
Springfield, MA
Image: Wikipedia · Springfield, Massachusetts
OverviewCost of livingMoving guide
View watchlist →
72
Rising
Momentum score · 0–100

Where Springfield stands

At or near all-time high. rents up 5.1% in the last year.

Median home $298,985
1-year +3.7%
5-yr CAGR +6.8%
vs 5-yr peak +0.0%
Population -0.2%/yr

Home value trajectory · last 10 years

Zillow ZHVI · monthly
peak 2026-04$299k$125k$187k$249k$311k201620182020202220242026

Lifestyle scores

🚶
Walkability
52/100
Somewhat walkable
Estimated from population density. Higher = denser, more amenities within walking distance.
🚉
Public transit
30/100
Minimal transit
Curated list of major US transit systems + population-based estimate. Higher = real subway/rail/bus options.
💻
Remote work fit
82/100
Excellent for remote work
Composite of city size, housing cost, state tax structure, and region's remote-work track record.

Scores are heuristic estimates from population density, state, and known transit/walkable cities. Not based on a paid Walk Score / Transit Score API — see methodology for the formula.

Rent trajectory · last 5 years

Zillow ZORI · monthly
$1,703/mo$1,100$1,471$1,841202220242026

Home value vs rent · indexed to 100

Both rebased at first month of ZORI data (~2015)
Home valueRent139144100120140202220242026

Rent vs buy

Price-to-rent ratio: 14.6
Buy

At a 14.6 price-to-rent ratio, buying generally beats renting in Springfield on a long-enough horizon. The headline math is that one year of mortgage payments approximates 14.6 years of rent — well below the 15+ threshold where ownership starts to dominate.

How the momentum score breaks down

methodology →
Home YoY
68 · w22%
Home 5-yr CAGR
73 · w22%
Distance from peak
90 · w18%
Population growth
42 · w16%
Rent YoY
79 · w12%
Home 10-yr CAGR
83 · w10%
Long thesis

Springfield has held up across the cycle: home values at $298,985 with +6.8% 5-year CAGR. The bull case is structural — population, location, employer base — and holds even if next year's print is soft.

Short thesis

Springfield's bear case is the boring one: the cycle is real and any market that's run hard can stall. Watch for slowing population growth, rising days-on-market, or builder discounts as the early warning signals.

About Springfield

Springfield is a city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, with an estimated population of 154,888. The median home value in Springfield is $298,985 as of 2026-04, up 3.7% over the last 12 months. Over the last five years, home values have averaged +6.8% annual growth, with prices at or near the 5-year peak. Rents in Springfield average $1,703 per month, up 5.1% year-over-year. The composite momentum score is 72 of 100 (Rising). The market is healthy with prices supported by underlying demand.

▲ Bull case

●Healthy 5-year run: +6.8% annualized over 5 years, outpacing US inflation.
●Quiet strength: +3.7% over the trailing year — not a melt-up, but the market is bid.
●Held the highs: currently +0.0% from the 5-year peak — this market refused to give back gains.
●Hot rental market: rents up 5.1% YoY — landlords have pricing power, supports new investment math.

▼ Bear case

○Local nuance: city-level data smooths over neighborhood differences. School zones, HOA rules, and street-level character matter — visit before deciding.

About Springfield (Wikipedia)

Springfield is the most populous city in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States, and its county seat. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers: the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern Mill River. At the 2020 census, the city's population was 155,929, making it the third most populous city in the U.S. state of Massachusetts and the fourth most populous city in New England after Boston, Worcester, and Providence. Metropolitan Springfield, as one of two metropolitan areas in Massachusetts, had a population of 699,162 in 2020.

Source: Wikipedia · this summary is contributed and licensed under CC-BY-SA.

City facts

MayorDomenic Sarno
Area33.08 sq mi
Elevation70 ft
Density4892.66/sq mi
Named forSpringfield, Essex

Extracted from the Wikipedia infobox. Values may be slightly out of date relative to the latest sources.

Playbook

Buyer

You're not in a frenzy but you're not getting bargains either. Make a competitive offer with normal inspection terms. Don't lowball — the listing will move with or without you.

Seller

Price at fair market value; expect movement in 30-45 days. Don't get clever with terms (rent-back, contingencies) — buyers in a Rising market have options.

Investor

Appreciation tailwind exists but cash flow requires discipline on price. Run the numbers conservatively and confirm rent comps before committing.

Local safety & alerts

No active National Weather Service alerts for Hampden County right now.

NWS active alerts (MA)Massachusetts Emergency ManagementHow to prepare (NWS)

Public-safety links are official .gov sources, not curated by us. Hampden County routes NWS alerts; check the state EM portal for non-weather emergencies.

Neighborhoods of Springfield

17 tracked · ranked by median home value
1Atwater Park$387,464+4.7%
2Sixteen Acres$321,781+4.4%
3East Forest Park$315,657+3.2%
4Memorial Square$303,563+3.1%
5Forest Park$301,134+3.3%
6McKnight$296,741+5.5%
7Brightwood$290,084+6.2%
8Boston Road$288,218+3.3%
9Indian Orchard$287,731+2.1%
10Liberty Heights$286,974+2.6%
11East Springfield$286,282+2.3%
12Pine Point$278,946+4.0%
13Upper Hill$272,623+6.6%
14Bay$272,156+5.5%
15Old Hill$254,636+8.9%
16Maple High-Six Corners$249,412-0.7%
17Metro Center$150,993-4.7%

Cities like Springfield

New Bedford, MA72 · RisingLawrence, MA69 · RisingWestfield, MA70 · RisingHaverhill, MA68 · Rising

Run the numbers for Springfield

ToolCan I afford Springfield?Income → city shortlistToolROI on a Springfield rentalCap rate, cash-on-cash, DSCRToolCompare Springfield to anywhereSide-by-side up to 3 citiesToolSpringfield cost-of-livingEquivalent income elsewhere

Sources: Zillow ZHVI (home values), Zillow ZORI (rents), US Census ACS + place population. Updated when source agencies publish revisions.

Climate & natural-disaster risk

Winter (Jan)
35° / 21°
avg high / low
Summer (Jul)
81° / 64°
avg high / low
Sunny days/yr
200
~55% of year
Annual precip
48″ rain
43″ snow
Disaster risk (1=very low, 5=very high)
Hurricane
Moderate
Tornado
Low
Wildfire
Very low
Earthquake
Very low
Flood
Moderate

State-level averages from NOAA Climate Normals (1991-2020) and FEMA National Risk Index. City-level conditions can vary significantly within a state.

Current weather

Loading current conditions…

7-day forecast on weather.gov →

Find rentals & listings

Open current Springfield listings on the major real-estate sites.

Links open the live search on the destination site — results are always current.

Local news & community

Updated 2026-05-21 from Google News + Reddit RSS. Headlines link to original sources.

Local sports teams

Major professional teams the Springfield area cheers for. Detailed stats, schedules, and player pages on intherafters.com.