This is the coolest small city in Massachusetts

If as the song goes, there’s a feeling you get when you look to the west, and you live in Massachusetts, then maybe the Berkshires have something to do with it.

That’s because Stockbridge, Mass., pop. 2,018 as of 2020, made the cut in travel site Fifty Grande’s recent list of the “coolest small cities” in every state.

“The Berkshires are the kind of place you drive through, look at whoever you’re with, and say, ‘Boy, this looks like a Norman Rockwell painting,’” Fifty Grande’s Matt Meltzer wrote.

You can attribute those Rockwellian associations to the fact that much of “Rockwell’s work was inspired by Stockbridge and its surroundings; so much so the town is home of the Norman Rockwell Museum,” Meltzer continued.

The artist’s “images of pastoral American life aren’t the only cultural attraction: Stockbridge is also home to the Clark Art Institute and a large collection of historic homes and museums. In the winter, Main Street turns into a Christmas wonderland, another classic image of Americana you can only find in Stockbridge,” he wrote.

Based on an analysis of U.S. Census data, here are some other facts about Stockbridge:

• Average Age: 60.1 years, which is about 1.3 times the Berkshire County average of 47.1 years old; and 1.5 times the statewide average of 39.6 years old.
• Gender Breakdown: The city is 57.1% female, which is 10% higher than the county and state average of 51%, the analysis showed.
• Racial Breakdown: The city is 88% white, which is about the same as the rest of Berkshire County, which is 87% white, but higher than the statewide rate of 70%, the data showed.
• Median Household Income: Stockbridge’s median income of $46,458 is lower than the countywide media of $63,159 and the statewide median of $89,026, the data showed.

The other New England cities in the Fifty Grande rundown are: Mystic, Conn.; Bar Harbor, Maine; Lincoln, New Hampshire; Newport, Rhode Island, and Brattleboro, Vermont.

As it compiled its nationwide ranking list, Fifty Grande said it wanted to highlight the smaller communities that don’t always get as much attention as the largest cities in each state.

“Lost somewhere in between are the smaller cities, often overlooked places that operate at a slower pace and a smaller scale, but still pack in plenty of great food and outdoor beauty of their own. Many have a fascinating history too; old buildings and creaky bed and breakfasts take you to a different time and place,” Meltzer wrote.