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Western Massachusetts

Map of Amherst RadiusWestern Massachusetts is a region made of relatively rural communities. Springfield (population 154,000), Holyoke (population 38,000) and Amherst (population 37,000) are the largest cities in the region between the Berkshires and central Massachusetts.

As in much of the United States, Western Massachusetts is experiencing a housing crisis. Many students are now searching for housing within a 30 minute driving radius of UMass Amherst. In addition to the resources listed below, you can reach out to Registered Student Organizations for housing leads and visit the UMass off-campus housing website to find an apartment, find information for rental requirements, and review best practices for renting an apartment.

To the left is a map of towns in that radius, an overview of the towns/cities in the radius, and a list of large housing complexes within those towns/cities. Many communities in Western Massachusetts are rural and accessing housing and resources is much easier with a car.

 

 

 

Surrounding Areas

Towns that require one bus


  • Greenfield
  • Sunderland
  • Hadley
  • Northampton
  • Florence (a neighborhood in Northampton)
  • Easthampton
  • South Hadley
  • Belchertown
  • Ware

Towns that require two or more busses


  • Whately
  • Deerfield
  • Turners Falls
  • Williamsburg
  • Shelburne Falls

Towns that are not on public transportation


  • Leverett
  • Pelham
  • Shutesbury
  • Southampton
  • Hatfield
  • Ashfield
  • Goshen

Large Housing Complexes

Please note that none of the information below is a recommendation of or vetting for apartments or housing units.

 

Amherst

Easthampton

Amherst

Rolling Green

Easthampton

Cottage Square Apartments

Amherst

Mill Valley Estates

Easthampton

Orchard View

Amherst

New Hollister - Puffton

Greenfield

Greenfield Garden

Amherst

The Boulders

Greenfield

Mill House Apartments

Amherst

ReNew Amherst

Greenfield

Leyden Woods Apartments

Amherst

Aspen Heights

Greenfield

Reed Apartments

Amherst

New Fort River Apartments - Puffton

Hadley

University and Woodland Apartments

Amherst

Seventy University Drive

Holyoke

Devonshire Place

Amherst

Brandywine Apartments

Holyoke

Valley View

Amherst

Alpine Commons

Holyoke

Jarvis Heights

Amherst

Hawkins Meadow

Northampton

Aster Fields

Belchertown

Crowne Point Apartments

Northampton

Hathaway Farms

Chicopee

Partridge Hollow

Northampton

Laurel Ridge

Chicopee

Beacon Square

Northampton

Bedford Terrace/74 State St

Chicopee

Montcalm Heights

Sunderland

Sugarloaf Estates

Chicopee

Chicopee Village Townhomes

Sunderland

Cliffside

Easthampton

Valley Apartments

Sunderland

Amherst Grove

Easthampton

Pleasant View

Sunderland

North 116 Flats

 

Temporary Accommodations

For students arriving early, there are a number of temporary accommodations available in the region:

What to Bring

Packing for your move to Amherst is deeply personal, but this guide can offer a broad overview of categories of what to pack. It is recommended that you reach out to your department’s program manager and connect with students in campus Registered Student Organizations (Indian Students Association, Chinese Student Association, Vietnamese Student Association, etc.) for more specific advice.

  • Household Items/Food
  • Electronics
    • Bring your laptop!
    • If you do not have a laptop and need to borrow one for a short period of time, the UMass Library has a limited number to be borrowed.
    • If you need to purchase a laptop, you can purchase online and shipped to your home, online and shipped to store for pickup, or in person in a store. Most of the department stores in Hadley sell HP, Dell, and Lenovo laptops.
  • Clothing
    • Temperatures in Amherst can range between -8°C to 28°C. Click here for a yearly overview of the temperatures to expect while living in Amherst, MA.
  • Personal Care Items
    • Soap/body wash
    • Toothbrush and toothpaste
    • Contact lens solution and case
    • Period products
  • Personal Care Items Only Available by Prescription in the U.S.
    • Hormonal birth control
    • Contact lenses
    • Prescription eyeglasses