Orange, Massachusetts

Community in Franklin County · population 3,636 (2020 Census)

Median home: $231,400
Household income: $48,115
Jan low / Jul high: 14° / 84°
Snow a year: 52 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950: 6
Median age: 37.6

Orange is a community of 3,636 people in Franklin County, Massachusetts. The median home is worth $231,400, below the typical Massachusetts town ($510,150). It ranks hipper than 73% of Massachusetts towns.

Orange in our rankings:

#3 in 25 Small Towns in Massachusetts With the Cheapest Homes

How Orange 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.

The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Orange is worth $231,400, below the typical Massachusetts town ($510,150). Homes cost about 4.8 times the median household income of $48,115, which is more affordable than 43% of Massachusetts towns. Median rent is $963 a month. 66.5% of households own their home.

Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of Massachusetts towns with 500+ people.

Housing	Orange	Typical Massachusetts town
Median home value	$231,400	$510,150
Median rent	$963	$1,561
Median household income	$48,115	$108,622
Home value ÷ income	4.8×	4.5×
Homeownership	66.5%	80.7%
Median year built	1938	1968
Seasonal / vacation homes	0.4%	—

Who lives in Orange

People	Orange	Typical Massachusetts town
Median age	37.6	44.8
Age 65 and over	15.2%	20.7%
Under 18	23.4%	—
Bachelor's degree or higher	12.8%	45.7%
Below the poverty line	25.2%	6.3%
Veterans	6.0%	—
Born outside the U.S.	2.5%	—
Work from home	5.8%	17.7%
Average commute	24.5 min	30.1 min
Homes with broadband	88.0%	93.9%

Weather in Orange

July highs average 83.7°F and January lows 14.0°F. About 42.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 52.2 inches of snow (typical Massachusetts town: 49.5 in). Expect about 10 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 161 nights at or below freezing.

NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Orange Muni Ap station (2.4 mi away); snow from Tully Lake (4.2 mi).

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

6 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Orange since 1950, compared with 8 for the typical Massachusetts town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on July 11, 2006 about 6.7 miles from the town center. The most recent was on July 11, 2006.

NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 17 times; the largest was 2.25 inches on May 22, 2013.

Severe weather in Franklin County since 1996

NOAA Storm Events Database, Franklin County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 2 deaths recorded.

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 Orange itself the ACS puts it at 13.2%.

BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.

Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Towns near Orange

Orange, MA
0.0 mi · 3,636 people · home $231,400
Athol, MA
3.3 mi · 8,486 people · home $248,700
Athol, MA
3.8 mi · 11,945 people · home $268,100
Northfield, MA
9.6 mi · 2,866 people · home $375,800
Templeton, MA
11.4 mi · 8,149 people · home $358,500
Montague, MA
11.9 mi · 8,580 people · home $282,100
Winchendon, MA
12.8 mi · 10,364 people · home $323,800
Turners Falls, MA
13.5 mi · 4,512 people · home $246,700

Orange questions

Is Orange, Massachusetts a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Orange scores better for retirees than 10% of Massachusetts towns and quieter than 50%. 15.2% of residents are 65 or older (median age 37.6).

How much does a house cost in Orange?

The median owner-occupied home in Orange is valued at $231,400 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $48,115, so homes cost about 4.8 times income. Median rent is $963 a month.

What is the weather like in Orange?

July highs average 83.7°F and January lows 14.0°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 42.2 inches of precipitation a year and 52.2 inches of snow.

Does Orange get tornadoes?

6 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Orange since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on July 11, 2006. The typical Massachusetts town has had 8.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Orange's Census boundary (GEOID 2551230). Comparisons use the median of Massachusetts towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center.

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)

Data snapshot 2026-11-12.