| Boxford, Massachusetts | |
|---|---|
| — Town — | |
| The Holyoke-French House (c. 1760) in central Boxford | |
| Location in Essex County in Massachusetts | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Massachusetts |
| County | Essex |
| Settled | 1645 |
| Incorporated | 1685 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Open town meeting |
| Area | |
| • Total | 24.6 sq mi (63.6 km2) |
| • Land | 24.0 sq mi (62.1 km2) |
| • Water | 0.6 sq mi (1.5 km2) |
| Elevation | 95 ft (29 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 8,520 |
| • Density | 330.4/sq mi (127.6/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | Eastern (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 01921 |
| Area code(s) | 351 / 978 |
| FIPS code | 25-07420 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0618294 |
| Website | http://www.town.boxford.ma.us/ |
Boxford is a town in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town's population in 2010 was 7,965, making Boxford home to about 0.1% of the state total.
Part of the town comprises the census-designated place of Boxford.
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According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 24.6 square miles (63.6 km²), of which, 24.0 square miles (62.1 km²) of it is land and 0.6 square miles (1.5 km²) of it (2.40%) is water.
Boxford is divided into Boxford Village (commonly called East Boxford) and West Boxford Village, corresponding to the respective East and West Boxford centers. It is heavily forested and criss-crossed by various streams and brooks, many of which empty into the Ipswich River on Boxford's southern border. A number of ponds dot town as well, among them Stiles Pond, Cedar Pond, Spofford Pond, Lowe Pond, Four Mile Pond and Baldpate Pond. Throughout Boxford there are also a number of scenic hiking trails. The highest natural point in Boxford is Bald Hill, at an elevation of 243 feet (74 meters). It sits in a corner of the Boxford State Forest, near Interstate 95 and the town's border with Middleton.
Small family-sized farms are interspersed throughout the Boxford. Stone walls, remnants of old farming land boundaries, meander through the area.
Boxford is located near the geographic center of Essex County, with Boxford Center about ten miles southeast of Lawrence and twenty-four miles north of Boston The town is bordered by Haverhill to the north, Groveland to the northeast, Georgetown and Rowley to the east, Ipswich and Topsfield to the southeast, Middleton to the southwest, and North Andover to the west.
The eastern end of Boxford is crossed by Interstate 95, with three exits lying within the town. Route 133 crosses through the northern part of town, from North Andover to Georgetown, and Route 97 crosses through the eastern part of town, from Topsfield to Georgetown. The town does not have any means of mass transportation. The Newburyport/Rockport Line of the MBTA Commuter Rail passes through neighboring Rowley and Ipswich to the east, and the Haverhill/Reading Line passes to the north. The nearest small airport is Lawrence Municipal Airport, located in North Andover, and the nearest national air service is Logan International Airport.
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1850 | 982 | — |
| 1860 | 1,020 | +3.9% |
| 1870 | 847 | −17.0% |
| 1880 | 824 | −2.7% |
| 1890 | 865 | +5.0% |
| 1900 | 704 | −18.6% |
| 1910 | 718 | +2.0% |
| 1920 | 588 | −18.1% |
| 1930 | 652 | +10.9% |
| 1940 | 778 | +19.3% |
| 1950 | 926 | +19.0% |
| 1960 | 2,010 | +117.1% |
| 1970 | 4,032 | +100.6% |
| 1980 | 5,374 | +33.3% |
| 1990 | 6,266 | +16.6% |
| 2000 | 7,921 | +26.4% |
| 2001* | 8,186 | +3.3% |
| 2002* | 8,232 | +0.6% |
| 2003* | 8,234 | +0.0% |
| 2004* | 8,183 | −0.6% |
| 2005* | 8,143 | −0.5% |
| 2006* | 8,114 | −0.4% |
| 2007* | 8,137 | +0.3% |
| 2008* | 8,185 | +0.6% |
| 2009* | 8,257 | +0.9% |
| 2010 | 7,965 | −3.5% |
| * = population estimate. Source: United States Census records and Population Estimates Program data.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10] |
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As of the census of 2000, there were 7,921 people, 2,568 households, and 2,254 families residing in the town. The population density was 330.4 people per square mile (127.6/km²). There were 2,610 housing units at an average density of 42.0 persons/km² (108.9 persons/sq mi). The racial makeup of the town was 97.37% White, 0.34% African American, 0.11% Native American, 1.21% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.29% from other races, and 0.64% from two or more races. 0.85% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
In 2008, approaching the 2010 census, the current population is slightly upwards of 9,000. Recent public Town budget discussions regarding the possibility of the need for future expansion of the elementary school facilities note that from all evidence, the Boxford Town population has leveled off enough for there to be no current need to address any need in the near future for expansion of either of the two Boxford Town elementary schools.
There were 2,568 households out of which 48.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 80.0% were married couples living together, 6.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 12.2% were non-families. 9.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.08 and the average family size was 3.32.
In the town the population was spread out with 32.2% under the age of 18, 4.2% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 28.5% from 45 to 64, and 9.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 98.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $113,212, and the median income for a family was $119,491. Males had a median income of $90,397 versus $48,042 for females. The per capita income for the town was $48,846. 1.4% of the population and 0.8% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 0.8% are under the age of 18 and 3.1% are 65 or older
Boxford employs the open town meeting form of government, and is led by a board of selectmen and a town executive secretary. Boxford has a police department, a fire department with two branches in the main villages, two post offices, a public works department and a library. A second library was located in West Boxford, but due to budget constraints it was closed in 2008. The nearest hospitals are Merrimack Valley Hospital in Haverhill to the north, Lawrence General to the west, and Beverly Hospital to the south.
On the state level, Boxford is under the jurisdiction of the Central District Court of Essex County, located in Haverhill. It is patrolled by the Newbury station of Troop A of the Massachusetts State Police. The town is represented by two representatives, from the Fourth and Eighteenth Essex districts, in the Massachusetts House of Representatives, and as part of the First Essex and Middlesex district in the Massachusetts Senate. On the national level, the town is part of Massachusetts's 6th congressional district, and has been represented by John F. Tierney (D) since 1997. The state's senior Senator, elected in 1985, is John Kerry (D), and its junior Senator, elected in the 2010 special election, is Scott Brown (R), who won the town with nearly 70% of the vote.
Boxford has one high school, Masconomet Regional High School, named after Chief Masconomet, sagamore of the Agawam tribe, who lived in Essex County at the time of English colonization. Masconomet is a regional school, serving the towns of Boxford, Middleton, and Topsfield. The school is commonly believed to be in Topsfield because it has a Topsfield street address. However, the school, which is located on Endicott Road, lies entirely within Boxford. Students may also elect to attend North Shore Technical High School in Middleton. The nearest private school is The Governor's Academy in Rowley.
Masconomet Regional Middle School is also located in Boxford, and is attached to the high school. There are also two elementary schools in Boxford. The Harry Lee Cole School, which serves Preschool through Grade 2, is located near East Boxford center. The Spofford Pond School, serving Grades 3 through 6, is located on the western side of the town's geographic center.
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