The Town FilesColrain, Massachusetts
Town in Franklin County · population 1,606 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $284,300
- Household income
- $80,673
- Jan low / Jul high
- 11° / 75°
- Snow a year
- 66 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 11
- Median age
- 49.6
Colrain is a town of 1,606 people in Franklin County, Massachusetts. The median home is worth $284,300, below the typical Massachusetts town ($510,150). It ranks quieter than 98% of Massachusetts towns, better for retirees than 88% of Massachusetts towns, hipper than 82% of Massachusetts towns.
How Colrain ranks
Percentile among Massachusetts towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of Massachusetts towns.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Colrain is worth $284,300, below the typical Massachusetts town ($510,150). Homes cost about 3.5 times the median household income of $80,673, which is more affordable than 91% of Massachusetts towns. Median rent is $1,102 a month. 86.5% of households own their home.
| Housing | Colrain | Typical Massachusetts town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $284,300 | $510,150 |
| Median rent | $1,102 | $1,561 |
| Median household income | $80,673 | $108,622 |
| Home value ÷ income | 3.5× | 4.5× |
| Homeownership | 86.5% | 80.7% |
| Median year built | 1963 | 1968 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 6.6% | — |
Who lives in Colrain
| People | Colrain | Typical Massachusetts town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 49.6 | 44.8 |
| Age 65 and over | 30.4% | 20.7% |
| Under 18 | 15.3% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 37.3% | 45.7% |
| Below the poverty line | 7.2% | 6.3% |
| Veterans | 4.6% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 2.2% | — |
| Work from home | 8.4% | 17.7% |
| Average commute | 33.6 min | 30.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 88.3% | 93.9% |
Weather in Colrain
July highs average 75.1°F and January lows 11.1°F. About 53.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 66.1 inches of snow (typical Massachusetts town: 49.5 in). Expect about 1 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 162 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
11 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Colrain since 1950, compared with 8 for the typical Massachusetts town. The strongest, an F1, struck on July 3, 1997 about 2.1 miles from the town center. The most recent was on July 3, 1997.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 17 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on June 16, 2008.
Severe weather in Franklin County since 1996
Franklin County has been included in 22 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| September 15, 2023 | Hurricane | EM-3599: Hurricane Lee |
| March 27, 2020 | Biological | DR-4496: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3438: Covid-19 |
| April 19, 2013 | Severe Storm | DR-4110: Severe Winter Storm, Snowstorm, And Flooding |
| October 28, 2012 | Hurricane | EM-3350: Hurricane Sandy |
Jobs and pay in Franklin County
Franklin County had 25,435 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $54,261 a year. Unemployment was 2.9% in 2023; in Colrain itself the ACS puts it at 4.1%.
Public schools in Colrain
1 public school with 103 students, about 11.4 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colrain Central | PK-6 | 103 | 11.4 |
Towns near Colrain
- Leyden, MA4.2 mi · 734 people · home $372,900
- Shelburne, MA5.5 mi · 1,884 people · home $405,400
- Heath, MA5.7 mi · 723 people · home $295,000
- Shelburne Falls, MA6.2 mi · 1,719 people · home $314,500
- Halifax, VT6.5 mi · 771 people · home $267,500
- Guilford, VT7.2 mi · 2,120 people · home $312,600
- Bernardston, MA7.7 mi · 2,102 people · home $332,000
- Greenfield, MA8.0 mi · 17,768 people · home $263,100
Colrain questions
Is Colrain, Massachusetts a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Colrain scores better for retirees than 88% of Massachusetts towns and quieter than 98%. 30.4% of residents are 65 or older (median age 49.6).
How much does a house cost in Colrain?
The median owner-occupied home in Colrain is valued at $284,300 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $80,673, so homes cost about 3.5 times income. Median rent is $1,102 a month.
What is the weather like in Colrain?
July highs average 75.1°F and January lows 11.1°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 53.1 inches of precipitation a year and 66.1 inches of snow.
Does Colrain get tornadoes?
11 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Colrain since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F1 on July 3, 1997. The typical Massachusetts town has had 8.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)