A Western Massachusetts town has been named one of the best places to live in the U.S. 

Money’s 2024 Best Places to Live features 50 communities “built around thoughtful policy, civic engagement and community spirit.” 

This year, not only did the publication use data to determine which cities and towns made the list, but it tried something new. Money says it is crafted from the ground up through thorough research and detailed reporting. A particular focus was placed on areas highly committed to livability, equity and sustainability. Additionally, readers were invited to participate in a newsletter poll, which generated hundreds of suggestions.

Each community was compared against a handful of metrics including local job market health, average housing costs, percentage of residents living in poverty and quality of public schools. 

This year the publication also decided not to assign number rankings and instead grouped them into five categories: suburbs with a soul, hidden gems, new boomtowns, not just college towns and culture hubs. 

Northampton, Massachusetts, made the list in the Not Just College Towns category. 

Located a little more than two hours west of Boston, Northampton is in the heart of the Five-College area and home to Smith College. 

Money touts it as a town that dates back to the 1800s but still retains that charm. 

Plus it boasts some pretty famous residents including Sylvia Plath. Madeleine L’Engle, Julia Child,  Jonathan Edwards, Sojourner Truth, Leonard Baskin, Amelia Earhart and Calvin Coolidge. 

With a population of 29,000, the median list price of a home in Northampton is $469,000, and its unemployment rate is 3.1%.