Demographics
Women and girls make up just over half of the population of Western Massachusetts. More than half of those individuals live in Hampden County, and 26% identify as women and girls of color. Racial and ethnic diversity varies substantially across the region; Franklin County has a female population comprised of 9% women and girls of color, while Hampden County’s population includes 37% women and girls of color. Hampden County’s population includes 87% of all Latinx women in Western Massachusetts and 82% of all Black women and girls in the region. 18% of households speak a language other than English, and 78% of these households are in Hampden County. There are an estimated 34,266 single-parent households in Western MA, and 80% are headed by women.
Geographic Distribution
Women and Girls in Western MA Make Up Over Half of the Population
U.S. Census, American Community Survey (ACS), 1-Year Estimate 2017.
More Than Half of the Region’s Women & Girls Reside in Hampden County
Source: U.S. Census, ACS, 2017 1-Year Estimate
Age Demographics
Percentage of Women and Girls in Western MA, by County
| Berkshire | Franklin | Hampden | Hampshire | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 17% | 17% | 20% | 13% |
| 18–65 | 59% | 62% | 62% | 69% |
| 65+ | 24% | 23% | 18% | 17% |
Source: U.S. Census, ACS, 2017 1-Year Estimate
Racial & Ethnic Diversity
Racial Diversity Among Women and Girls in Western MA
Western
MA
In Western Massachusetts, approximately 26% of the female population identified as women and girls of color.
-
White* 73%
-
Latinx 16%
-
Black* 5%
-
Asian* 3%
-
Two or More Races 2%
-
American Indian / Native Hawaiian* <1%
Berkshire
-
White 89%
-
Latinx 4%
-
Black 3%
-
Asian 2%
-
2+ 2%
-
AI/NH <1%
Franklin
-
White 91%
-
Latinx 4%
-
Black 1%
-
Asian 2%
-
2+ 2%
-
AI/NH <1%
Hampden
-
White 63%
-
Latinx 25%
-
Black 8%
-
Asian 3%
-
2+ 2%
-
AI/NH <1%
Hampshire
-
White 83%
-
Latinx 6%
-
Black 3%
-
Asian 6%
-
2+ 2%
-
AI/NH <1%
Source: U.S. Census, ACS, 2017 1-Year Estimate
* Non-Hispanic/Latinx
Notes About Low Numbers
When examining data across communities and disaggregating by race and ethnicity, data were unavailable for some populations because of the smaller population sizes in some parts of Western Massachusetts and the small number of people of color living in some communities.
Acknowledgements
Please visit the “About this Research” page to view acknowledgments related to this data.
