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Welcome to the Greater Springfield Region

Springfield, the fourth largest city in New England, offers a booming economy with more affordable pricing and rural feel than its big city neighbors that makes it a perfect destination for businesses or individuals. With a long history in manufacturing and growing education and health care industries, the city’s economy is strong. A variety of attractions and entertainment options keep locals happy and attract many visitors who contribute to a thriving tourism industry. A prime location, educated workforce and low operating costs make greater Springfield ideal for any business.

In total, more than 15,500 businesses have chosen to call greater Springfield home. These businesses, which employ more than 191,000 workers, span a variety of industries including manufacturing, healthcare, financial services, retail and more. Manufacturing is one of the largest industries in the area and supplies products for a diverse range of specialties including aerospace, defense, medical devices, energy, industrial, consumer products and more. Firearms manufacturing remains a key part of the Springfield economy. Baystate Health, a nationally recognized teaching hospital, is Springfield’s largest employer and a main contributor to the robust health care industry. The financial services industry continues to boom in the city of Springfield, with many major banks and insurance companies locating here, including the Fortune 500 company MassMutual.

Biking trail Western MA.

The area’s location inside the Knowledge Corridor, among the highest concentrations of colleges and universities in the country ensures an educated workforce to support the region’s businesses. With nearly 30 world-renowned higher educational institutions and over 100,000 students, the workforce is plentiful to fill a multitude of jobs. Some of the country’s most innovative ideas come from the cutting-edge research and development within these region’s institutions. Employment in the education sector itself is also high in the region with Springfield alone having three four-year colleges and other technical schools employing about 2,000 people.

Springfield and its surrounding communities are affordable sites for both businesses and employees to locate. The cost of living in western Massachusetts is nearly 50 percent less than nearby major metropolitan centers like Boston or New York. Real estate costs are low for both single-family homes – just below the national average - and for industrial and business sites. Many of the municipalities provide pre-permitting sites and offer tax incentives for locating here, and significant investments in local infrastructure and broadband expansion, provide for a business-friendly environment. Since housing and the cost of living are lower in the region than other cities, this adds to the total cost savings for any business looking to locate or expand here.

The Greater Springfield region is located off 1-91, which connects to Interstate 90, making it easy to get to Boston, Hartford, and New York City. Union Station connects passengers to rail service, and Bradley Airport is just 25 miles from Springfield.

Springfield, MA is known as "The City of Homes" because of its abundance of historic and contemporary housing.

Learn more about Springfield's great homes, convenience, and community!

Basketball Hall of Fame.

Tourism

A diverse variety of recreational and cultural options in and around greater Springfield keep and attract its workforce and have helped build a tourism industry that contributes approximately $750 million annually to the greater Springfield region. With museums, historical sites, sporting facilities and venues for music and theater, combined with many dining, shopping and lodging options in and around the region, there is no lack of alternatives to attract visitors and entertain residents.

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Residency

There is no formal procedure for establishing a legal residence in Massachusetts. Voter registration, automobile registration, a driver’s license, the appearance of a person’s name on a city or town street list, and rent, utility, mortgage or telephone bills normally provide tangible proof of residence. However, individual public or private agencies or institutions may have their own requirements for proof of residence.

Voter registration.

Voter Registration

If you are a U.S. citizen, a Massachusetts resident and you will be 18 years old on or before Election Day, you may register to vote at any city or town hall in person, online, by mail, or by contacting any city or town clerk’s office.

Boston traffic.

Motor Vehicles

Massachusetts residents are required to register their cars. You may do so at any full-service office of the Registry of Motor Vehicles or online.

Beer Lined Up on Bar.

Drinking Age

The legal drinking age in Massachusetts is 21. Proper identification is a Massachusetts driver’s license or a liquor purchase identification card issued by the Registry of Motor Vehicles.

Valley Venture Mentors

Innovation

Springfield’s Innovation District is a vibrant center for entrepreneurship, culture and dining. The Innovation Center is home to Valley Venture Mentors, a regional entrepreneurial accelerator. The center has plans for a café and other tenants.

MGM Springfield

Shopping & Dining

Springfield also has a variety of shopping and dining options, enhanced by the 2018 opening of MGM Springfield, a casino resort with a lively retail, dining and entertainment environment, which includes a hotel, movie theater, bowling alley, and outdoor skating rink, MGM is also committed to partnering with the region’s entertainment venues to bring world-class entertainment to Springfield.

Within a 10-minute drive, visitors can find malls, eclectic boutiques featuring local and international designers, restaurants specializing in family-friendly and ethnic cuisines, and artisan shops and galleries.

Springfield Jazz & Roots Festival

Entertainment

There are a number of live performance venues in the city’s downtown, which attract headline performers, as well as theater performances, sporting events and renowned music performances. Symphony Hall is a venue for concerts as well as Broadway and off-Broadway productions, as well as home to the Springfield Symphony Orchestra, the largest symphony outside of Boston performing classical, pops, family, educational and chamber music. The Springfield Jazz and Roots Festival takes place at Court Square in August. The MassMutual Center is a big economic driver for the city, offering a location for conventions, local sporting events and concerts. MassMutual Center has 100,000 square feet of space that includes a ballroom, five meeting rooms, 40,000 square feet of exhibit space and an 8,000-seat arena. The arena is home to the Springfield Thunderbirds hockey team.

The Springfield Cultural District is a growing initiative to bring arts and culture to downtown Springfield. Its mission is to bring more vitality to the city by highlighting its outstanding cultural offerings as well as making arts and culture more accessible while creating connections between artists and visitors. The Cultural District offers a walking tour of the areas it encompasses.