County outline
Where Hampshire County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 96.7% of Hampshire County’s measured area and water for 3.3%. Its combined area converts to 1,412.2 square kilometers or approximately 348,952 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 527.236 | 1,365.535 | 337,431 |
| Water | 18.002 | 46.625 | 11,521.3 |
| Total | 545.238 | 1,412.16 | 348,952.3 |
How Hampshire County compares
By original Census land area, Hampshire County ranks #8 of 14 in Massachusetts and #1986 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 0.976 times the Massachusetts county-equivalent median of 540.2 square miles. It accounts for 6.8% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete Massachusetts ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
Population and density of Hampshire County
The Census Bureau estimates that 164,065 people lived in Hampshire County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #430 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #10 of 14 in Massachusetts. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 162,315, the population has grown by 1,750 (+1.1%), compared with +1.7% for Massachusetts as a whole.
With 527.2 square miles of land, that is 311 people per square mile (120 per km²), placing Hampshire County #495 nationally for density and #11 in Massachusetts. The median county equivalent has 47 people per square mile; the Massachusetts median is 673. Put another way, there are about 2.1 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 148,597 | 165,218 | 165,193 | 165,217 | 164,679 | 164,065 |
| Change | — | +16,621 | −25 | +24 | −538 | −614 |
U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates. Estimates are revised each year and are not decennial census counts. Density divides the whole population by the whole county’s land area, so it describes an average, not how settlement is distributed within the county. Population sources and methods.
Cities and towns in Hampshire County
Hampshire County is divided into 20 cities and towns. In Massachusetts, county subdivisions are local governments, and together they cover all of the county’s land and residents.
The most populous is Amherst Town city, with 40,920 residents (24.9% of the county). The largest by land is Belchertown town, at 52.6 mi², or 10% of the county’s land. The county seat, Northampton city, has 31,047 residents. Among those with at least 1,000 residents in 2020, Northampton city grew fastest since then (+5%).
| County subdivision | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amherst Town city | 40,920 | +4.2% | 27.6 | 5.2% |
| Northampton cityCounty seat | 31,047 | +5% | 34.2 | 6.5% |
| South Hadley town | 17,768 | −2.1% | 17.7 | 3.4% |
| Easthampton city | 15,851 | −2.2% | 13.3 | 2.5% |
| Belchertown town | 15,265 | −0.6% | 52.6 | 10% |
| Ware town | 10,128 | +0.7% | 34.4 | 6.5% |
| Southampton town | 6,085 | −2.3% | 28.1 | 5.3% |
| Granby town | 5,991 | −1.9% | 27.8 | 5.3% |
| Hadley town | 5,213 | −2.1% | 23.1 | 4.4% |
| Hatfield town | 3,286 | −1.7% | 15.9 | 3% |
| Williamsburg town | 2,445 | −2.4% | 25.5 | 4.8% |
| Huntington town | 2,039 | −2.8% | 26.3 | 5% |
| Westhampton town | 1,618 | −0.2% | 27.2 | 5.2% |
| Pelham town | 1,308 | +2.8% | 25.1 | 4.8% |
| Worthington town | 1,166 | −2.3% | 32 | 6.1% |
Show the other 5 subdivisions
| Name | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chesterfield town | 1,154 | −2.6% | 30.8 |
| Goshen town | 943 | −1.8% | 17.3 |
| Cummington town | 803 | −2.9% | 22.9 |
| Plainfield town | 643 | +2.1% | 21.1 |
| Middlefield town | 392 | +1.3% | 24.1 |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 subcounty estimates, counting only the part of each subdivision inside Hampshire County. Land: 2026 Census Gazetteer. How communities are listed.
Metropolitan area
Hampshire County is a central county of the Amherst Town-Northampton, MA Metropolitan Statistical Area. Hampshire County is the area’s only county equivalent, so the metro area has the same 527.2 square miles of land. By combined land it ranks #352 of 393 metropolitan areas, and #272 by population. It belongs to the Springfield-Amherst Town-Northampton, MA Combined Statistical Area.
ZIP codes
28 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Hampshire County; 26 of them have most of their land inside the county, and the others mainly cover neighboring areas.
01002010030100701011010120102601027010320103301035010380103901050010530106001062010630106601069010700107301075010820108401088010960109801243
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas are the Census Bureau’s approximations of USPS ZIP Code service areas, from the 2020 Census relationship files. Lighter codes have less than half of their land in this county. Post-office-box and single-address ZIP Codes have no tabulation area.
Counties bordering Hampshire County
Hampshire County shares a land border with 4 county equivalents. Each of them has more land than Hampshire County. The largest neighbor is Worcester County (1,510.7 mi²) and the smallest is Hampden County (617 mi²). Together with its neighbors, Hampshire County forms a block of 4,281 mi² of land, of which it holds 12.3%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. Hampshire | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Worcester County | 1,510.7 | 2.9× larger | Compare |
| Berkshire County | 926.9 | 1.8× larger | Compare |
| Franklin County | 699.2 | 1.3× larger | Compare |
| Hampden County | 617 | 1.2× larger | Compare |
How big is Hampshire County compared with U.S. states?
Hampshire County has less land than any of the 50 states. Rhode Island, the smallest state by land area, has 1,033.9 mi², about 2 times as much. Massachusetts’s county land could hold about 15 areas the size of Hampshire County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 23 miles (37 km) on each side. Real county shapes are rarely square, so this is a scale reference rather than a width or driving distance.
State figures are the sums of each state’s county-equivalent land measurements in the same Census release, so states and counties are compared on the same basis. Published state totals can differ slightly because of rounding. Compare all states · Counties bigger than entire states.
What stands out about Hampshire County?
Hampshire County has more land than 1,236 of the other 3,221 county equivalents in the dataset.
A median is the middle county-equivalent measurement, not the average of the largest and smallest. All three bars use the same linear scale. Very small areas may appear as a thin sliver; the labels retain their values.
Does including water change its rank?
Using land plus water places Hampshire County at #2,021 nationally by total area, 35 places farther from the top than its land rank. Other county equivalents gain more area when their water measurements are included.
Its water share is 3.3%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 2.1 percentage points higher. This describes the statistical geography’s land/water mix, not flood exposure or developable land.
Closest positions in the national land ranking
These entries sit immediately beside Hampshire County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1985 | Caroline County, Virginia | 527.4 | Compare |
| #1986 | Hampshire County, Massachusetts | 527.2 | This county |
| #1987 | Maries County, Missouri | 526.9 | Compare |
Calculated from the same Census release as the area table. Total-area order uses original ALAND + AWATER; water shares and chart labels use published square miles. Calculation details.
Representative coordinates
The Census internal point is 42.339460, -72.663692. It represents a location inside the geography; it is not necessarily the centroid or the address of a courthouse.
Source and precision
U.S. Census Bureau, 2026 Gazetteer Files, Counties. Original ALAND: 1,365,533,871 m²; AWATER: 46,625,896 m². Rankings use ALAND; exact ties use ascending GEOID. Tables preserve Census-published square miles to three decimals, with conversions based on those values.
Common questions
How big is Hampshire County?
Hampshire County, Massachusetts has 527.2 square miles (1,365.5 km²) of land and 18 square miles of water, for a total area of 545.2 square miles. It ranks #1986 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is Hampshire County the largest county in Massachusetts?
No. Hampshire County ranks #8 of 14 in Massachusetts by land area. The largest is Worcester County, with 1,510.7 square miles of land.
What counties border Hampshire County?
Hampshire County shares a land border with Hampden County, Franklin County, Berkshire County, and Worcester County.
What is the population of Hampshire County?
The Census Bureau estimates Hampshire County had 164,065 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #430 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 311 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of Hampshire County?
The county seat of Hampshire County is Northampton.
What cities and towns are in Hampshire County?
Hampshire County has 20 county subdivisions (cities, towns and townships). The most populous five are Amherst Town city, Northampton city, South Hadley town, Easthampton city, and Belchertown town.
Is Hampshire County part of a metropolitan area?
Yes. It is a central county of the Amherst Town-Northampton, MA Metropolitan Statistical Area.
How many ZIP codes are in Hampshire County?
28 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Hampshire County, and 26 of them have most of their land inside the county. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate USPS ZIP Code areas.
How does Hampshire County compare with U.S. states?
It has less land than every state. Rhode Island, the smallest, has 2 times as much land.
How many acres of land are in Hampshire County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 337,431 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 348,952 acres. One square mile equals 640 acres.
Why might another source show a different area?
Check whether it reports land or total area, its Census vintage, and its rounding. Our guide explains how to reconcile county area figures.
Can this establish a property boundary?
No. Statistical measurements and generalized maps do not establish property lines. Consult the relevant local surveying or land-records authority.