Population & age
- Total population
- 640
- Median age
- 48.7
Palmer Town, MA (01079)
Hampden County · Springfield, MA · Population 640
Fresh.Data current as of Apr 24, 2026
Palmer Town, MA (ZIP 01079) sits in Hampden County within the Springfield metro area. The page draws on 1 federal data feed retrieved Apr 24. Top health signal: Depression comes in above the national average at 30.0%. No NCES schools are mapped to this ZIP in the current dataset. 10 colleges and universities serve the area, with median in-state tuition of $51,111. FEMA has issued 24 federal disaster declarations affecting this ZIP since 1985 — a high-frequency exposure profile. Only 3.3% of residents under 65 are uninsured (County Health Rankings, 2025) — well below the national county median. Per IRS migration filings (2022-2023), the area's primary county lost $184,901,000 in net taxable income to other counties. Healthcare access is the area's quieter strength; school options sit on the lighter side, so families may find themselves looking at districts a few ZIPs over. Notable: fair market rent of $1,510 for a two-bedroom, a 23.4% poverty rate (well above the ~12% US average), and a median home value of $264,900. Every figure on this page links to its underlying federal dataset with a retrieval date so you can audit the freshness yourself.
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Demographics
Race & ethnicity
- White
- 94.4%
- Black
- 0.2%
- Asian
- 0.0%
- Hispanic / Latino
- 8.4%
- Other / multi-racial
- 5.5%
Income & housing
- Median home value
- $264,900
Education
- Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+)
- 20.0%
Employment
- Unemployment rate
- 8.6%
Housing
- Owner-occupied
- 163(62.2%)
- Renter-occupied
- 99(37.8%)
- Vacant units
- 0
- Built (median)
- 1960
Commute
- Public transit
- 0(0.0%)
- Work from home
- 117(40.6%)
Economic wellbeing
- Below poverty line
- 150(23.4%)
- Uninsured
- 0(0.0%)
Digital access
- Broadband access
- 262(100.0%)
Language & nativity
- Foreign-born
- 1(0.2%)
- Non-English at home
- 35(5.6%)
Fair Market Rent
Fresh.HUD SAFMR · May 1, 2026Studio
$1,060
/month
1 Bed
$1,200
/month
2 Bed
$1,510
/month
3 Bed
$1,850
/month
4 Bed
$2,000
/month
HUD Fair Market Rents represent the 40th percentile of standard-quality rental housing in this area. FY2026 data.
New housing construction
New housing units permitted
443
Across 315 permitted buildings. Total construction value: $115.8M.
Single-family
289
65% of total units
Multifamily (2+ unit)
154
35% of total units
Single-family value
$94.8M
construction value
Multifamily value
$21.0M
construction value
Based on county-level data (2024).
Source: U.S. Census Bureau Building Permits Survey (census.gov/construction/bps). Public domain. BPS reports annual residential building permits from local permit-issuing jurisdictions, aggregated to county. A permit reflects intent to build, not a completed unit — actual construction lags by 6-24 months for multifamily projects.
Business & employment
Business establishments
8
Total employment
42
Annual payroll
$2.3M
Average annual pay
$54,333
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, ZIP Business Patterns (census.gov). Public domain. ZBP covers establishments with paid employees; Census suppresses employment and payroll values when fewer employers operate in a ZIP than would protect their confidentiality.
Employment & wages
Average annual pay
$62,834
Average weekly wage
$1,208
Total employment
202,129
Total establishments
18,727
That is roughly 4% below the US national average of $65,470 per worker.
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages (bls.gov/cew). Public domain. QCEW is derived from state unemployment-insurance filings and covers ~95% of US jobs. Figures are county-level totals assigned to ZIPs whose primary county matches; small-employer cells are suppressed by BLS to protect employer confidentiality.
Unemployment
Unemployment rate
5.1%
That is 1.1 percentage points above the US national unemployment rate of about 4.0%.
Labor force
225,431
Employed
213,989
Unemployed
11,442
Based on Hampden County, MA data (2024).
Source: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (bls.gov/lau). Public domain. LAUS publishes monthly and annual labor-force estimates for every US county. Figures are county-level totals assigned to ZIPs whose primary county matches.
Public transit
FTA tracks transit service at the urbanized-area level. Numbers below reflect the agencies and modes serving the area that contains this ZIP, not stop-level coverage.
Service status
Available
Springfield, MA--CT
Reporting agencies
1
Largest: Pioneer Valley Transit Authority
Annual ridership
—
unlinked trips · 2024
Source: U.S. Federal Transit Administration, National Transit Database (transit.dot.gov). Public domain.
Federal Disaster Declarations
Federally Declared Disasters
24
Date Range
1985–2023
Most Recent Declaration
HURRICANE LEE
Hurricane — declared September 15, 2023 (DR-3599)
Incident period: September 15, 2023 – September 17, 2023
Top Incident Types
- Hurricane7 (29%)
- Severe Storm6 (25%)
- Snowstorm6 (25%)
- Biological2 (8%)
- Tornado1 (4%)
- Other2 (8%)
Individual Assistance
1
Direct help to disaster survivors
Households Program
3
Housing & temporary lodging support
Public Assistance
24
Repair of public facilities & roads
Hazard Mitigation
9
Funding to reduce future disaster risk
FEMA declares disasters at the county level; counts here include every federally declared disaster touching any county that overlaps this ZIP. Statewide declarations and pre-1964 records without county granularity are excluded. Program flags reflect which FEMA assistance categories were activated (Individual Assistance, Households, Public Assistance, Hazard Mitigation). Source: fema.gov/openfema. Public domain.
Climate
30-year averages (1991-2020) from the nearest GHCN-D weather station. Temperature and precipitation values reflect typical annual conditions, not any single year.
Avg. temperature
47.7°F
37.3° – 58°
Annual precipitation
47.5"
Annual snowfall
47.5"
Heating · cooling days
6,774 · 488.3
Annual base 65°F
Nearest station: BELCHERTOWN, MA US, 6.5 miles from the centroid of Palmer Town, MA (ZIP 01079)
Source: NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, 1991–2020 U.S. Climate Normals (ncei.noaa.gov). Public domain.
Air quality
Median daily AQI
37
GoodGood 290dModerate 74dUSG 2d
Peak AQI (2024)
119
Unhealthy for Sensitive Groups
Primary pollutant
Ozone
227 days as main pollutant
Days measured
366
Based on Hampden County data (2024).
Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Air Quality System (epa.gov). Public domain. Only counties with EPA AQS monitoring stations appear here (~30% of US counties); rural ZIPs whose primary county has no monitor will not show this section.
Community health profile
Years of potential life lost (per 100K)
8,992
That is roughly 792 years per 100,000 above the national county median (~8,200).
Premature death is the headline composite outcome CHR reports — age-adjusted, all-cause, before age 75.
Fair or poor health
21%
of adults self-report
Poor physical health days
4.5
avg per adult per month
Poor mental health days
6.0
avg per adult per month
Uninsured
3.3%
of residents under 65
Primary care MDs
67
per 100,000 residents
Preventable hospital stays
3,998
per 100K Medicare enrollees
Food environment (0-10)
8.1
10 = best access & security
Exercise access
96%
residents near a facility
Flu vaccinated
55%
of Medicare enrollees
Low birth weight (under 2,500 g) accounts for 9.0% of live births in this county — an early-life health input that downstream outcomes track against.
Based on Hampden data (2025 CHR release).
Source: County Health Rankings & Roadmaps, University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute (countyhealthrankings.org). Annual release. Underlying source datasets vary by measure (CDC BRFSS, NCHS Vital Statistics, AHA, USDA Food Environment Atlas, and others). Figures are county-level and assigned to every ZIP whose primary county matches.
Food access
Food access status
Moderate food access challenges
23.8% of Hampden County, MA residents live more than 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural) from the nearest supermarket.
Grocery stores
0.21
per 1,000 residents
Supercenters & clubs
0.01
per 1,000 residents
SNAP-authorized stores
1.10
accepting food benefits
Fast-food restaurants
0.61
per 1,000 residents
Among low-income residents, 4.8% are low-access — those without a supermarket within 1 mile (urban) or 10 miles (rural).
Per-1,000 figures show how many of each store type exist in Hampden County, MA for every 1,000 residents. Higher grocery and supercenter density usually means easier access to fresh food; higher convenience-store-only density (with low grocery rate) often signals a food swamp.
Source: USDA Economic Research Service, Food Environment Atlas (ers.usda.gov). County-level metrics fanned to ZIP via the primary county in the Census ZCTA-county relationship file. Variable years differ per family (stores ~2020, low-access ~2019).
Who’s moving in and out
Net migration (2022-2023)
▼−1,435 people
−1,256 households • −$184.9M net AGI flow
Moved in
8,877households
14,668 people • $520.7M AGI
Moved out
10,133households
16,103 people • $705.6M AGI
Where new residents came from
- Hampshire County, MA — 1,233 households
- Capitol Planning Region, CT — 775 households
- Worcester County, MA — 561 households
- Middlesex County, MA — 314 households
- Suffolk County, MA — 206 households
Where departing residents went
- Capitol Planning Region, CT — 1,162 households
- Hampshire County, MA — 1,063 households
- Worcester County, MA — 459 households
- Middlesex County, MA — 240 households
- Suffolk County, MA — 220 households
Incoming households reported an average AGI of $58,657 versus departing households' $69,633.
Source: U.S. Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income, Migration Data (irs.gov). Public domain. Migration is measured by year-over-year changes in the address on individual tax returns; figures are county-level totals attributed to ZIPs whose primary county matches. Foreign migration contributes to inflow/outflow totals but does not appear in the top-county lists. Small flows are suppressed by IRS to protect taxpayer confidentiality.
Taxes & benefits in Massachusetts
State-level rules that apply to every resident of ZIP 01079. Numbers reflect the most recent published year per source.
Tax rates
Income tax
9.00%
flat · 1 brackets
Sales tax (combined)
6.25%
State 6.25% · avg local 0.00%
Property tax (effective)
1.33%
Median $5,207/year
Tax burden rank
34 of 50
10.80% of personal income
For ZIP 01079: Applied to this ZIP's typical home value of $264,900, that works out to roughly $3,530/year in property tax.
Paid family leave
Program
Paid Family and Medical Leave
Mandatory (state-run insurance)
Max weeks/year
26
Parental
12wk
Max weekly benefit
$1,230
Replacement: 80% AWW up to 0.5x SAWW + 50% above · job protection
Safety net
SNAP eligibility
200% FPL
Broad-Based Categorical Eligibility (raises gross income limit above federal 130% floor). No asset test.
Sources: Tax Foundation (state tax rates & brackets), Bipartisan Policy Center (paid family leave), USDA FNS (SNAP categorical eligibility).
Other ZIPs near 01079
Other ZIPs in Palmer Town
Nearby ZIPs by distance
01069 (Palmer Town, 1.3 mi) · 01080 (Palmer Town, 1.5 mi) · 01009 (Palmer Town, 1.8 mi) · 01092 (West Warren, 5 mi) · 01095 (Wilbraham, 5.6 mi) · 01057 (Monson Center, 6.4 mi)
Compare ZIP-level stats — population, schools, housing, climate — across nearby areas. Source: U.S. Census Bureau ZCTA basemap.
Data sources used on this page
All data on this page is sourced from federal government datasets · Not AI-generated · Methodology
Health profile
Crude prevalence estimates from CDC PLACES, derived from BRFSS small-area modeling. Population-level figures only.
Obesity
33.0%
Tracks close to the 33.0% national rate.
High Blood Pressure
32.8%
Tracks close to the 32.0% national rate.
Depression
30.0%
8.0pp above the 22.0% national rate.
Annual Checkup
80.7%
4.7pp above the 76.0% national rate.
Health Insurance
5.2%
7.8pp below the 13.0% national rate.
Diabetes
10.3%
Tracks close to the 11.0% national rate.
Colleges & universities nearby
Colleges in this area
10
Median in-state tuition
$51,111
Median earnings (10 yr)
$54,443
- 4-Year
University of Massachusetts-Amherst
Amherst, MA · 01003
- In-state tuition
- $17,772
- Out-of-state tuition
- $40,449
- Acceptance rate
- 59.7%
- Graduation rate
- 83.2%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $71,631
- Median student debt
- $22,763
- 4-Year
Westfield State University
Westfield, MA · 01086
- In-state tuition
- $12,179
- Out-of-state tuition
- $18,259
- Acceptance rate
- 81.4%
- Graduation rate
- 54.6%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $57,346
- Median student debt
- $22,457
- 2-Year
Holyoke Community College
Holyoke, MA · 01040
- In-state tuition
- $5,988
- Out-of-state tuition
- $10,932
- Acceptance rate
- —
- Graduation rate
- 30.6%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $37,277
- Median student debt
- $8,250
- 4-Year
Smith College
Northampton, MA · 01063
- In-state tuition
- $65,178
- Out-of-state tuition
- $65,178
- Acceptance rate
- 21.0%
- Graduation rate
- 89.4%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $64,027
- Median student debt
- $17,550
- 4-Year
Mount Holyoke College
South Hadley, MA · 01075
- In-state tuition
- $67,018
- Out-of-state tuition
- $67,018
- Acceptance rate
- 36.0%
- Graduation rate
- 84.7%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $58,418
- Median student debt
- $22,902
- 4-Year
Amherst College
Amherst, MA · 01002
- In-state tuition
- $70,480
- Out-of-state tuition
- $70,480
- Acceptance rate
- 9.0%
- Graduation rate
- 93.7%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $77,644
- Median student debt
- $13,740
- 4-Year
College of Our Lady of the Elms
Chicopee, MA · 01013
- In-state tuition
- $43,325
- Out-of-state tuition
- $43,325
- Acceptance rate
- 85.3%
- Graduation rate
- 66.2%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $51,540
- Median student debt
- $25,000
- 4-Year
Hampshire College
Amherst, MA · 01002
- In-state tuition
- $58,896
- Out-of-state tuition
- $58,896
- Acceptance rate
- 75.3%
- Graduation rate
- 55.9%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $46,938
- Median student debt
- $26,893
- Certificate
DiGrigoli School of Cosmetology
West Springfield, MA · 01089
- In-state tuition
- —
- Out-of-state tuition
- —
- Acceptance rate
- —
- Graduation rate
- 74.6%
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $14,195
- Median student debt
- —
- 2-Year
Bard College - Holyoke Microcollege
Holyoke, MA · 01040
- In-state tuition
- —
- Out-of-state tuition
- —
- Acceptance rate
- —
- Graduation rate
- —
- Median earnings (10 yr)
- $46,543
- Median student debt
- $24,254
Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (collegescorecard.ed.gov). Public domain data. Earnings figures reflect median earnings 10 years after entry for federally-aided students.
What these numbers say together
Palmer Town, MA (ZIP 01079) sits in Hampden County within the Springfield metro area. The page draws on 1 federal data feed retrieved Apr 24. Top health signal: Depression comes in above the national average at 30.0%. No NCES schools are mapped to this ZIP in the current dataset. 10 colleges and universities serve the area, with median in-state tuition of $51,111. FEMA has issued 24 federal disaster declarations affecting this ZIP since 1985 — a high-frequency exposure profile. Only 3.3% of residents under 65 are uninsured (County Health Rankings, 2025) — well below the national county median. Per IRS migration filings (2022-2023), the area's primary county lost $184,901,000 in net taxable income to other counties. Healthcare access is the area's quieter strength; school options sit on the lighter side, so families may find themselves looking at districts a few ZIPs over. Notable: fair market rent of $1,510 for a two-bedroom, a 23.4% poverty rate (well above the ~12% US average), and a median home value of $264,900. Every figure on this page links to its underlying federal dataset with a retrieval date so you can audit the freshness yourself.
The two domains pull in different directions. Healthcare access reads strong, but the on-paper school count is on the lighter side — that’s less a quality signal and more a density one. Households here often look at districts a few ZIPs over for school choice while keeping their providers local.
One concrete reading worth keeping: Depression prevalence sits higher the national rate at 30.0%. Each figure on this page links to the original federal dataset with its retrieval date — this synthesis is a reading, not a substitute for the underlying records.
Frequently Asked Questions — ZIP 01079
What is the obesity rate in ZIP 01079?
33.0%, which is 0.0 percentage points above the national average of 33.0% (CDC PLACES, retrieved Apr 24, 2026).
What is the depression rate in ZIP 01079?
30.0%, which is 8.0 percentage points above the national average of 22.0% (CDC PLACES, retrieved Apr 24, 2026).
What is the high blood pressure rate in ZIP 01079?
32.8%, which is 0.8 percentage points above the national average of 32.0% (CDC PLACES, retrieved Apr 24, 2026).
What is the population of ZIP 01079?
640 people live in ZIP 01079, with a median age of 48.7 (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
Is ZIP 01079 mostly renters or homeowners?
In ZIP 01079, 62.2% of occupied housing units are owner-occupied and 37.8% are renter-occupied (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
How do people commute in ZIP 01079?
In ZIP 01079, 40.6% of workers work from home. Public transit is used by 0.0% of commuters (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
What is the poverty rate in ZIP 01079?
23.4% of the population in ZIP 01079 lives below the federal poverty line (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
What percentage of households in ZIP 01079 have broadband internet?
100.0% of households in ZIP 01079 have broadband internet access (Census ACS 5-Year 2022, retrieved Apr 30, 2026).
How many businesses are in ZIP 01079?
As of 2022, 8 business establishments operated in ZIP 01079 employing 42 workers (Census ZIP Business Patterns, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What is the average salary in ZIP 01079?
The average annual pay across all local establishments in ZIP 01079 is $54,333, based on Census ZIP Business Patterns 2022 data (retrieved May 3, 2026).
How vulnerable is ZIP 01079 to disasters and public health emergencies?
According to the CDC Social Vulnerability Index (2022), ZIP 01079 ranks in the 28th percentile nationally for social vulnerability — a moderate vulnerability profile (retrieved May 3, 2026).
What is the biggest vulnerability factor in ZIP 01079?
Socioeconomic Status is the highest-scoring CDC SVI theme for ZIP 01079, ranking in the 49th percentile nationally (CDC/ATSDR Social Vulnerability Index 2022, retrieved May 3, 2026).
How many federally declared disasters has ZIP 01079 experienced?
FEMA has recorded 24 federal disaster declarations affecting ZIP 01079 between 1985–2023 (FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What kinds of disasters most often hit ZIP 01079?
Hurricane is the most common federally declared disaster type affecting ZIP 01079, accounting for 7 of 24 declarations (29%, FEMA OpenFEMA, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What was the most recent disaster declared for ZIP 01079?
The most recent FEMA disaster declaration affecting ZIP 01079 was "HURRICANE LEE" — a hurricane declared in 2023 (DR-3599) (FEMA OpenFEMA, retrieved May 3, 2026).
What colleges are near ZIP 01079?
10 colleges and universities are listed near ZIP 01079 by the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, including University Of Massachusetts-Amherst, Westfield State University, and Holyoke Community College (retrieved May 2, 2026).
What is the average tuition at colleges near ZIP 01079?
Median in-state tuition across 10 nearby institutions is $51,111 (College Scorecard, retrieved May 2, 2026).
What do graduates earn from colleges near ZIP 01079?
Graduates of nearby colleges earn a median of $54,443 ten years after entry (College Scorecard, retrieved May 2, 2026).
What is the climate like in ZIP 01079?
ZIP 01079 has an average annual temperature of 47.7°F and 47.5" of annual precipitation based on the BELCHERTOWN, MA US weather station 6.5 miles from the ZIP centroid (NOAA 1991–2020 Climate Normals, retrieved May 8, 2026).
Does ZIP 01079 have public transit?
Yes — ZIP 01079 is part of the Springfield, MA--CT urbanized area, primarily served by Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (National Transit Database 2024, retrieved May 4, 2026).
What taxes apply in ZIP 01079?
Massachusetts has a flat income tax with a top rate of 9.00%. Combined sales tax: 6.25% (Tax Foundation 2025).
Does Massachusetts have paid family leave?
Massachusetts runs an active paid family leave program (Paid Family and Medical Leave) offering up to 26 weeks of paid leave per year, with a maximum weekly benefit of $1,230 (Bipartisan Policy Center 2026).
What data is available for ZIP 01079?
This page covers health outcomes from CDC PLACES (40 metrics), demographics from the Census ACS 5-Year (2022), colleges from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (10 institutions), local business & employment from Census ZIP Business Patterns (2022), social vulnerability scores from the CDC/ATSDR SVI (2022), federal disaster declarations from FEMA OpenFEMA (24 on record), climate normals from NOAA NCEI (1991-2020), public transit coverage from the National Transit Database (2024), and state-level tax rates from the Tax Foundation. Data is refreshed on Mubboo's standard schedule.
How current is this data?
Health data retrieved Apr 24, 2026 from CDC PLACES. Demographics retrieved Apr 30, 2026 from Census ACS 5-Year (2022). College data retrieved May 2, 2026 from U.S. Dept of Education College Scorecard. Business & employment retrieved May 3, 2026 from Census ZBP (2022). Social vulnerability scores retrieved May 3, 2026 from CDC/ATSDR SVI (2022). Federal disaster declarations retrieved May 3, 2026 from FEMA OpenFEMA (24 on record). Climate normals retrieved May 8, 2026 from NOAA NCEI (1991-2020). Transit coverage retrieved May 4, 2026 from the National Transit Database (2024). State-level tax rates retrieved 2026-05-05 15:58:22.284+00 from the Tax Foundation.
Other ZIPs near 01079
Other ZIPs in Palmer Town
Nearby ZIPs by distance
01069 (Palmer Town, 1.3 mi) · 01080 (Palmer Town, 1.5 mi) · 01009 (Palmer Town, 1.8 mi) · 01092 (West Warren, 5 mi) · 01095 (Wilbraham, 5.6 mi) · 01057 (Monson Center, 6.4 mi)
Compare ZIP-level stats — population, schools, housing, climate — across nearby areas. Source: U.S. Census Bureau ZCTA basemap.
More Info topics
Have a specific question about ZIP 01079?
Ask Mubboo — launching Q4 2026.
Data refreshed via Mubboo's ETL pipeline; oldest source on this page retrieved Apr 24, 2026.
Social Vulnerability Index
Overall SVI
28th percentile
Moderate Vulnerability
Based on 1 census tract, population 603
Vulnerability Themes
Households Without Vehicle
13
Persons with Disability
56
Without HS Diploma
24
Without Health Insurance
18
Adults Age 65+
66
The Social Vulnerability Index uses U.S. Census data to identify communities most at risk during public health emergencies and natural disasters. Higher percentiles indicate greater vulnerability. Tract-level scores are aggregated to this ZCTA via Census 2020 ZCTA→Tract crosswalk, weighted by land-area share. Source: atsdr.cdc.gov. Public domain.