North Adams, MA
Demographics And Statistics

Demographics | Crime | Cost Of Living
Updated: 2023-12-15

Living In North Adams, Massachusetts Summary

Life in North Adams research summary. HomeSnacks has been using Saturday Night Science to research the quality of life in North Adams over the past nine years using Census, FBI, Zillow, and other primary data sources. Based on the most recently available data, we found the following about life in North Adams:

  • The population in North Adams is 12,937.

  • The median home value in North Adams is $232,713.

  • The median income in North Adams is $49,525.

  • The cost of living in North Adams is 101 which is 1.0x higher than the national average.

  • The median rent in North Adams is $843.

  • The unemployment rate in North Adams is 5.0%.

  • The poverty rate in North Adams is 15.1%.

  • The average high in North Adams is 56.3° and the average low is 35.3°.

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North Adams SnackAbility

6
Overall SnackAbility
Jobs
7/10
Housing
6
Affordability
7
Diversity
7
Safety
4
Amenities
8
Education
6
Commute
8.5
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North Adams, MA Crime Report

Crime in North Adams summary. We use data from the FBI to determine the crime rates in North Adams. Key points include:

  • There were 436 total crimes in North Adams in the last reporting year.

  • The overall crime rate per 100,000 people in North Adams is 3,396.7 / 100k people.

  • The violent crime rate per 100,000 people in North Adams is 1,005.0 / 100k people.

  • The property crime rate per 100,000 people in North Adams is 2,391.7 / 100k people.

  • Overall, crime in North Adams is 46.15% above the national average.

436
Total Crimes
46.15%
Above National Average

Crime In North Adams Comparison Table

Statistic Count
Raw
North Adams
/ 100k People
Massachusetts
/ 100k People
National
/ 100k People
Total Crimes Per 100K 436 3,396.7 1,362.0 2,324.2
Violent Crime 129 1,005.0 308.8 369.8
Murder 2 15.6 2.3 6.3
Robbery 7 54.5 43.7 66.1
Aggravated Assault 114 888.1 235.9 268.2
Property Crime 307 2,391.7 1,053.2 1,954.4
Burglary 50 389.5 149.7 269.8
Larceny 247 1,924.3 804.3 1,401.9
Car Theft 10 77.9 99.2 282.7

North Adams, MA Cost Of Living

Cost of living in North Adams summary. We use data on the cost of living to determine how expensive it is to live in North Adams. Real estate prices drive most of the variance in cost of living around Massachusetts. Key points include:

  • The cost of living in North Adams is 101 with 100 being average.

  • The cost of living in North Adams is 1.0x higher than the national average.

  • The median home value in North Adams is $232,713.

  • The median income in North Adams is $49,525.

101
North Adams's Overall Cost Of Living
1.0x
Higher Than The National Average

Cost Of Living In North Adams Comparison Table

Living Expense North Adams Massachusetts National Average
Overall 101 143 100
Services 107 126 100
Groceries 108 108 100
Health 119 117 100
Housing 77 202 100
Transportation 122 114 100
Utilities 93 123 100

North Adams, MA Weather

  • The average high in North Adams is 56.3° and the average low is 35.3°.

  • There are 89.8 days of precipitation each year.

  • Expect an average of 45.4 inches of precipitation each year with 71.0 inches of snow.

StatNorth Adams
Average Annual High56.3
Average Annual Low35.3
Annual Precipitation Days89.8
Average Annual Precipitation45.4
Average Annual Snowfall71.0
56.3°
Average High
89.8°
Days of Rain

North Adams, MA Photos

Main Street North Adams
Source: Wikipedia User Beyond My Ken | GFDL
Public Library North Adams From West
Source: Wikipedia User Beyond My Ken | GFDL
The Boardman North Adams
Source: Wikipedia User Beyond My Ken | GFDL
Johnson School North Adams From East
Source: Wikipedia User Beyond My Ken | GFDL
Hathaway Tenementc North Adams Ma
Source: Wikipedia User John Phelan | CC BY 3.0
Eclipse Mill Union Street North Adams
Source: Wikipedia User Beyond My Ken | GFDL
North Adams Ma Highlight Large
Source: Public Domain
Norad Mill Roberts Drive North Adams From West
Source: Wikipedia User Beyond My Ken | GFDL
Mass Moca
Source: Wikipedia User Beyond My Ken | GFDL

1 Reviews & Comments About North Adams

Overall User Rating
1.0
/5
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HomeSnacks User - 2019-03-23 16:16:56.970836

The economy of North Adams is based on drug trafficking, abetted by proudly corrupt city administrators and a few bad apples among the State Police commanders of Berkshire County. At least half the people walking the streets are junkies, and most of the North Adams police officers above patrol rank are in the business of protecting organized crime.

Soon after a multiagency bust in November 2015 disrupted the Latin Kings leadership around Springfield, MA, hordes of Latin Kings from Springfield began pouring into North Adams to establish a lucrative new base for their narcotics trade. Around the same time, the police director issued a taxi license to two business partners who had been previously convicted of operating a taxi service to distribute narcotics in the Philadelphia area. This taxi service - whose employees range from shady to scary - keeps busy 24/7 ferrying customers, dealers, and bag men to and from drug houses all over the city, with no fear of police intervention.

Meanwhile, the NAPD and Berkshire Narcotics Task Force make headlines for their drug busts - chiefly targeting the UNPROTECTED players in the local drug scene who dare compete with the Latin Kings. This serves the purpose of making local law enforcement look proactive against narcotics even while protecting a major faction of criminals.

The Latin Kings have a history of corrupting public officials in several states, and even of infiltrating police departments. Presto, in late 2017 the North Adams police director was bold enough to appoint a full-time police officer whose shoddy personal history would disqualify him even from civilian duties with any police department upholding minimal standards. This person's pattern of bad driving, failing to pay bills, defaulting on court appearances, falsifying job applications, obtaining Taser training under false pretenses, and being dismissed from previous part-time police positions, makes a mockery of every respectable police officer on the force.

Woe to any citizens who complain about this state of affairs. If you don't like the network of Latin Kings drug operators colonizing entire apartment buildings near your home, or the noise and menace emanating from one of their crack dens, forget about seeking assistance from the police. They will ignore all demands for investigation or intervention. If the thugs start to burglarize and vandalize your home in retaliation, the police will ignore it, all the while denying the existence of any crimes, failing to take reports even of felonies, and filing false reports to support their crooked agenda. If you complain too persistently, the police may target you, trying to silence you with name-calling and threats, gaslighting you as crazy, and even encouraging the criminals to lay siege to your home.

Don't expect help from the mayor, either. Although the City Charter mandates oversight of the police department as one of his duties, Thomas Bernard has no intention of changing the status quo of corruption and abuse. His concerns don't include crime victims, or the more abstract notion of justice as a crucial underpinning of civilized society. As a petty bureaucrat, his instinct is not to lead, but to dodge responsibility while groveling to appease his masters higher up in the Berkshire County political food chain. Which brings us to the former mayor Richard Alcombright, the former district attorney David Capeless. and the recently retired police director Michael Cozzaglio. It was on their watch that the Latin Kings swarmed into North Adams,and it was those crooked officials who stood by for years, refusing to intervene as an 86-year-old woman and her middle-aged daughter suffered hundreds of crimes ranging from prowling to felony burglaries, home invasions, and relentless vandalism of their home.

Per the City Charter, the City Council's role is to represent the people of North Adams in matters concerning the municipality. In reality, most of the councilors ignore their constituents and care little about many serious problems in the city. During my 6+ years here, I have observed that they take their cues from the mayor to ignore major criminal problems and marginalize people whom Alcombright and Cozzaglio wanted to silence.

All the city councilors have enough intelligence to do their job, but they are self-serving and complacent, displaying no curiosity about matters outside their own areas of concern. As long as they feel safe and comfortable, they see no problem with fellow North Adams residents being victimized to the point of ruin. They refuse to hold the mayor accountable for the quality of the police department or to stand up for vulnerable people who are being victimized. The mayor, in his turn, lacks the integrity and brainpower to do his job. Despite an elite academic pedigree and an advanced degree in public administration, he appears unfamiliar with a concept most 12-year-olds encounter in middle school civics class: that ensuring that a justice system that fails to serve everyone fairly ends up serving nobody at all. Here in North Adams, the vacuum of civic leadership has resulted in the police department subverted to serve organized crime, at the expense of all the rest of us.

What stands out in North Adams- Drugs, drugs, and more drugs! The mayor who refuses to do his job of overseeing the police department, and the city councilors who turn their backs on crime victims, can't wait to bring legalized marijuana into town. Farms! Retail stores! Accessories! Edibles! POT POT POT! Medical! Recreational! Warehouses full of it!

Note also: The Porches, an upscale hotel catering to the needs of MassMOCA, is located square in the middle of a major corridor of police-sanctioned Latin Kings activity, with unsavory characters strollingbiking past the hotel day and night. It seems likely that the officials who welcome Springfield gangsters to the neighborhood have worked out some agreement that the criminals are to refrain from menacing The Porches' guests. However, the Porches itself apparently doesn't bother to conduct even rudimentary background checks of its employees. Several young women on the housekeeping staff and at the front desk are local junkies/dealers who work closely with the Latin Kings. They are criminals, with criminal boyfriends who may specialize in home invasions, cat burglaries, identity theft, etc. These are the people who handle your credit card and driver's license when you check in. Then you must trust them to clean your room, with your luggage and expensive possessions sitting there unguarded when you go out to lunch.

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North Adams Demographics And Statistics

Population over time in North Adams

The current population in North Adams is 12,937. The population has decreased -6.6% from 2010.

Year Population % Change
2022 12,937 -1.2%
2021 13,089 -0.9%
2020 13,211 -0.9%
2019 13,326 -1.0%
2018 13,459 -0.8%
2017 13,563 -0.7%
2016 13,657 -0.5%
2015 13,725 -0.3%
2014 13,763 -0.6%
2013 13,851 -

Race / Ethnicity in North Adams

White
86.2% (11,158)
African American
1.4% (184)
American Indian
0.3% (33)
Asian
3.4% (436)
Hawaiian
0.0% (0)
Other
0.2% (21)
Two Or More
2.1% (276)
Hispanic
6.4% (829)

North Adams is:

  • 86.2% White with 11,158 White residents.

  • 1.4% African American with 184 African American residents.

  • 0.3% American Indian with 33 American Indian residents.

  • 3.4% Asian with 436 Asian residents.

  • 0.0% Hawaiian with 0 Hawaiian residents.

  • 0.2% Other with 21 Other residents.

  • 2.1% Two Or More with 276 Two Or More residents.

  • 6.4% Hispanic with 829 Hispanic residents.

Race North Adams MA USA
White 86.2% 68.9% 58.9%
African American 1.4% 6.6% 12.1%
American Indian 0.3% 0.1% 0.6%
Asian 3.4% 6.9% 5.7%
Hawaiian 0.0% 0.0% 0.2%
Other 0.2% 1.0% 0.4%
Two Or More 2.1% 3.9% 3.5%
Hispanic 6.4% 12.6% 18.7%

Gender in North Adams

Female
49.6% (6,411)
Male
50.4% (6,526)
  • North Adams is 49.6% female with 6,411 female residents.

  • North Adams is 50.4% male with 6,526 male residents.

Gender North Adams MA USA
Female 49.6% 51.0% 50.4%
Male 50.4% 49.0% 49.6%

Highest level of educational attainment in North Adams for adults over 25

  • 4.0% of adults in North Adams completed < 9th grade.

  • 7.0% of adults in North Adams completed 9-12th grade.

  • 33.0% of adults in North Adams completed high school / ged.

  • 20.0% of adults in North Adams completed some college.

  • 9.0% of adults in North Adams completed associate's degree.

  • 14.0% of adults in North Adams completed bachelor's degree.

  • 10.0% of adults in North Adams completed master's degree.

  • 1.0% of adults in North Adams completed professional degree.

  • 2.0% of adults in North Adams completed doctorate degree.

< 9th Grade
4.0% (517)
9-12th Grade
7.0% (905)
High School / GED
33.0% (4,269)
Some College
20.0% (2,587)
Associate's Degree
9.0% (1,164)
Bachelor's Degree
14.0% (1,811)
Master's Degree
10.0% (1,293)
Professional Degree
1.0% (129)
Doctorate Degree
2.0% (258)
Education North Adams MA USA
< 9th Grade 4.0% 3.0% 4.0%
9-12th Grade 7.0% 5.0% 6.0%
High School / GED 33.0% 23.0% 26.0%
Some College 20.0% 15.0% 20.0%
Associate's Degree 9.0% 8.0% 9.0%
Bachelor's Degree 14.0% 25.0% 21.0%
Master's Degree 10.0% 15.0% 10.0%
Professional Degree 1.0% 3.0% 2.0%
Doctorate Degree 2.0% 3.0% 2.0%

Household Income For North Adams, Massachusetts

  • 7.0% of households in North Adams earn Less than $10,000.

  • 7.9% of households in North Adams earn $10,000 to $14,999.

  • 11.7% of households in North Adams earn $15,000 to $24,999.

  • 9.5% of households in North Adams earn $25,000 to $34,999.

  • 14.2% of households in North Adams earn $35,000 to $49,999.

  • 15.6% of households in North Adams earn $50,000 to $74,999.

  • 13.4% of households in North Adams earn $75,000 to $99,999.

  • 10.4% of households in North Adams earn $100,000 to $149,999.

  • 4.8% of households in North Adams earn $150,000 to $199,999.

  • 5.5% of households in North Adams earn $200,000 or more.

Less than $10,000
7.0% (90,754)
$10,000 to $14,999
7.9% (101,654)
$15,000 to $24,999
11.7% (151,257)
$25,000 to $34,999
9.5% (123,230)
$35,000 to $49,999
14.2% (184,178)
$50,000 to $74,999
15.6% (201,528)
$75,000 to $99,999
13.4% (173,501)
$100,000 to $149,999
10.4% (134,130)
$150,000 to $199,999
4.8% (62,505)
$200,000 or more
5.5% (70,957)
Income North Adams MA USA
Less than $10,000 7.0% 4.4% 4.9%
$10,000 to $14,999 7.9% 3.7% 3.8%
$15,000 to $24,999 11.7% 5.9% 7.0%
$25,000 to $34,999 9.5% 5.6% 7.4%
$35,000 to $49,999 14.2% 7.8% 10.7%
$50,000 to $74,999 15.6% 12.7% 16.1%
$75,000 to $99,999 13.4% 11.3% 12.8%
$100,000 to $149,999 10.4% 17.7% 17.1%
$150,000 to $199,999 4.8% 11.6% 8.8%
$200,000 or more 5.5% 19.3% 11.4%

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