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Hampshire
County
Mass Real
Estate
Amherst
Belchertown
Chesterfield
Cummington
Easthampton
Goshen
Granby
Hadley
Hatfield
Huntington
Middlefield
NORTHAMPTON
Pelham
Plainfield
South
Hadley
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Hampshire County is a county located
in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. As of 2000, the population was 152,251.
Its county seat is Northampton. Like an increasing number of Massachusetts
counties, Hampshire County exists today only as a historical geographic
region, and has no county government. All former county functions were
assumed by state agencies in 1999.
The median income for a household
in the county was $46,098, and the median income for a family was $57,480.
Males had a median income of $39,327 versus $30,362 for females. The per
capita income for the county was $21,685. About 5.10% of families and 9.40%
of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.20% of those
under age 18 and 6.70% of those age 65 or over.
The sheriff and some other regional
officials with specific duties are still elected locally to perform duties
within the county region, but there is no county council or commissioner.
However, communities are now granted the right to form their own regional
compacts for sharing services (Hampshire County's communities, in toto,
have entered into such a compact). Hampshire County is notable for the
presence within its borders of the "five colleges," comprising the University
of Massachusetts flagship campus and four well-known private colleges:
Amherst College, Amherst
Hampshire College, Amherst
Mount Holyoke College, South Hadley
Smith College, Northampton
University of Massachusetts Amherst
A consortium, Five Colleges, Inc.
provides easy course cross-registration and free bus service between the
campuses. |
