| Milford, Massachusetts | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| — Town — | |||
| Town Hall | |||
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| Location in Worcester County in Massachusetts | |||
| Coordinates: | |||
| Country | United States | ||
| State | Massachusetts | ||
| County | Worcester | ||
| Settled | 1662 | ||
| Incorporated | 1780 | ||
| Government | |||
| • Type | Representative town meeting | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 14.9 sq mi (38.5 km2) | ||
| • Land | 14.6 sq mi (37.8 km2) | ||
| • Water | 0.3 sq mi (0.7 km2) | ||
| Elevation | 307 ft (94 m) | ||
| Population (2010) | |||
| • Total | 27,999 | ||
| • Density | 1,883.6/sq mi (727.2/km2) | ||
| Time zone | Eastern (UTC-5) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | Eastern (UTC-4) | ||
| ZIP code | 01757 | ||
| Area code(s) | 508 | ||
| FIPS code | 25-41165 | ||
| GNIS feature ID | 0618372 | ||
| Website | http://www.milford.ma.us/ | ||
Milford is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. It had a population of 27,999 at the 2010 census.
For geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place Milford, constituting the center of the town, please see the article Milford (CDP), Massachusetts.
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Milford was first settled in 1662 and was officially incorporated in 1780. It was originally the eastern part of Mendon, called "Mill River".
Milford is renowned for its pink Milford granite, discovered in 1870. Some of this granite has been used for buildings in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Paris, along with a number of war memorials and other monuments, including the Battle Monument at West Point.
Today, it is recognized, in part, for its health care facility - the Milford Regional Medical Center. In January 2008, the Center opened a cancer treatment facility with the Dana–Farber Cancer Institute. The Center is affiliated with UMass Medical Center as a teaching hospital.
Milford is also the home of the "My One Wish" foundation, started in 1984.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 14.9 square miles (39 km2), of which 14.6 square miles (38 km2) is land and 0.3 square miles (0.78 km2), or 1.82%, is water. Milford is drained by the Charles River.
The town is crossed by Interstate 495, as well as state routes 16, 85, and 109.
Milford is located in Central Massachusetts, bordered by:
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1850 | 4,819 | — |
| 1860 | 9,132 | +89.5% |
| 1870 | 9,890 | +8.3% |
| 1880 | 9,310 | −5.9% |
| 1890 | 8,780 | −5.7% |
| 1900 | 11,376 | +29.6% |
| 1910 | 13,055 | +14.8% |
| 1920 | 13,471 | +3.2% |
| 1930 | 14,741 | +9.4% |
| 1940 | 15,388 | +4.4% |
| 1950 | 15,442 | +0.4% |
| 1960 | 15,749 | +2.0% |
| 1970 | 19,352 | +22.9% |
| 1980 | 23,390 | +20.9% |
| 1990 | 25,355 | +8.4% |
| 2000 | 26,799 | +5.7% |
| 2001* | 27,196 | +1.5% |
| 2002* | 27,381 | +0.7% |
| 2003* | 27,521 | +0.5% |
| 2004* | 27,536 | +0.1% |
| 2005* | 27,613 | +0.3% |
| 2006* | 27,706 | +0.3% |
| 2007* | 27,766 | +0.2% |
| 2008* | 27,468 | −1.1% |
| 2009* | 27,588 | +0.4% |
| 2010 | 27,999 | +1.5% |
| * = 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[11] of 2000, there were 26,799 people, 10,420 households, and 7,200 families residing in the town. The population density was 1,835.6 people per square mile (708.7/km²). There were 10,713 housing units at an average density of 733.8 per square mile (283.3/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 92.95% White, 1.35% Black or African American, 0.11% Native American, 1.76% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 1.99% from other races, and 1.77% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.36% of the population.
There were 10,420 households out of which 33.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.0% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.9% were non-families. 25.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54 and the average family size was 3.08.
In the town the population was spread out with 24.8% under the age of 18, 6.5% from 18 to 24, 33.2% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 12.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 94.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $50,856, and the median income for a family was $61,029. Males had a median income of $42,173 versus $30,989 for females. The per capita income for the town was $23,742. About 5.8% of families and 7.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.9% of those under age 18 and 10.4% of those age 65 or over.
Milford has been growing at a fast rate since the introduction of Interstate 495 decades ago. Since then, major retailers have opened in town, including Kmart, Kohl's, Target, Lowe's, and Sports Authority. Other retailers which recently opened stores in Milford include Friendly's, T.G.I. Friday's, Bed Bath & Beyond, Staples, Petco, and Best Buy. Milford was fictitiously featured in a 2008 episode of the Fox television series Fringe.[12]
| County government: Worcester County | |
|---|---|
| Clerk of Courts: | Dennis P. McManus (D) |
| District Attorney: | Joseph D. Early, Jr. (D) |
| Register of Deeds: | Anthony J. Vigliotti (D) |
| Register of Probate: | Stephen Abraham (D) |
| County Sheriff: | Lew Evangelidis (R) |
| State government | |
| State Representative(s): | John V. Fernandes (D) |
| State Senator(s): | Richard T. Moore (D) |
| Governor's Councilor(s): | Jen Caissie (R) |
| Federal government | |
| U.S. Representative(s): | Richard E. Neal (D-2nd District), |
| U.S. Senators: | John Kerry (D), Scott Brown (R) |
The core of Milford's governing system is the Open Town Meeting, where citizens can voice their opinions, but more importantly, directly affect changes in the community. Along with a Board of Selectmen, Town Administrator, Planning Board, Finance Committee, etc., the citizens of Milford have direct input into how the town is run.
The Massachusetts Department of Correction and the Massachusetts National Guard have their headquarters in Milford.[13]
The Milford Public Library was established in 1858.[14][15] In fiscal year 2008, the town of Milford spent 1.5% ($966,758) of its budget on its public library—some $35 per person.[16]
Milford Public Schools operates seven public schools [1] and one catholic school.
Public schools:
Catholic schools:
Vocational schools: