Hampshire County, MA
Get paid to care for your family member in Hampshire County, Massachusetts
About 33,400 people in Hampshire County are 65 or older — 20% of everyone who lives here. That tracks with Massachusetts as a whole. Roughly 3,270 are 85 or older, the age when daily help usually starts. Agencies operate in Hampshire County, though families still run into gaps: no weekend coverage, a new aide every few weeks, hours that don't match real life.
Who needs care in Hampshire
- People 65 and older
- 33,400
- People 85 and older
- 3,270
- Median age
- 37.0
- Rank in Massachusetts
- 11th
20% of Hampshire residents
the age daily help usually starts
older than the country as a whole
of 14 counties, by residents 65+
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Population Estimates (Vintage 2024). Hampshire County is a metro county (USDA Rural-Urban Continuum Code 3). Massachusetts as a whole is 19% aged 65 or older.
What Massachusetts pays family caregivers
$19.50–$23.25/hr
Source: Massachusetts Medicaid program data · Updated September 2026
Massachusetts's programs at a glance
- PCA Program
- Adult Foster Care (AFC)
- Frail Elder Waiver
- Spouse paid?
- Not right now
- Parent paid for a child?
- Not right now
- Waitlist
- No waitlist.
These rules are set by the state, so they are the same in every county. Read the full Massachusetts guide →
Towns and cities in Hampshire County
Massachusetts sets eligibility, not your town — so a family in Amherst Town and a family at the far edge of the county apply the same way. The largest communities in Hampshire County:
- Amherst Town40,989
- Northampton31,315
- South Hadley18,031
- Easthampton16,020
- Belchertown15,372
- Ware10,142
- Southampton6,181
- Granby6,064
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Subcounty Population Estimates.
How families in Hampshire apply
You do not need a county office to start. Families in Hampshire County start with Massachusetts's program:
Apply for MassHealth via the Application for Health Coverage for Seniors/Long-Term Care to a MassHealth Enrollment Center, then get a PCA evaluation through a Personal Care Management agency (or contact an AFC provider agency for AFC).
Or skip the phone tag — our free 2-minute check tells you which Massachusetts program fits your family, then we help with the forms.
See if you qualify →Hampshire questions, answered honestly
Can I get paid to care for a family member in Hampshire County?
Yes. Massachusetts runs real Medicaid programs — like PCA Program — that pay family caregivers, and they cover families in Hampshire County. We help you enroll, and applying costs you nothing.
How much do family caregivers earn in Hampshire County?
Family caregivers in Massachusetts typically earn $19.50–$23.25/hr. The rate is the same across the state, including Hampshire County.
Where do families in Hampshire County apply?
Families in Hampshire County start with the state, not the county. Apply for MassHealth via the Application for Health Coverage for Seniors/Long-Term Care to a MassHealth Enrollment Center, then get a PCA evaluation through a Personal Care Management agency (or contact an AFC provider agency for AFC).
Can I get paid to care for my spouse in Hampshire County?
Not right now — but other family members often can be. The fine print for Massachusetts: no — spouse barred as legally responsible relative in both PCA and AFC
How many people in Hampshire County might need this?
33,400 residents of Hampshire County are 65 or older and about 3,270 are 85 or older, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 population estimates. Most of them are cared for at home by a relative rather than in a facility. Massachusetts's programs exist to pay for exactly that care.
Which towns in Hampshire do you cover?
All of Hampshire County — including Amherst Town, Northampton, South Hadley, Easthampton and Belchertown. Eligibility is set by Massachusetts, not by your town, so where you live inside the county does not change whether you qualify.
Program facts come from Massachusetts's published Medicaid program rules · Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau · Updated September 2026. Rules change — always confirm with the program.
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