| Oakham, Massachusetts | |
|---|---|
| — Town — | |
| Town Center | |
| Location in Worcester County in Massachusetts | |
| Coordinates: | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Massachusetts |
| County | Worcester |
| Settled | 1749 |
| Incorporated | 1775 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Open town meeting |
| Area | |
| • Total | 21.5 sq mi (55.8 km2) |
| • Land | 21.1 sq mi (54.7 km2) |
| • Water | 0.4 sq mi (1.1 km2) |
| Elevation | 1,050 ft (320 m) |
| Population (2010) | |
| • Total | 1,902 |
| • Density | 88.3/sq mi (34.1/km2) |
| Time zone | Eastern (UTC-5) |
| • Summer (DST) | Eastern (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 01068 |
| Area code(s) | 508 / 774 |
| FIPS code | 25-50670 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0618378 |
Oakham is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,902 at the 2010 census.
Contents |
Oakham was first settled in 1749 and was officially incorporated in 1762. It was originally named Oakhampton, but the name was changed for an unknown reason.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 21.5 square miles (56 km2), of which 21.1 square miles (55 km2) is land and 0.4 square miles (1.0 km2), or 1.90%, is water.
Oakham is bordered by Barre to the northwest, Rutland to the northeast, Paxton to the southeast, Spencer to the south, and New Braintree to the southwest.
| Historical populations | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1850 | 1,137 | — |
| 1860 | 959 | −15.7% |
| 1870 | 860 | −10.3% |
| 1880 | 869 | +1.0% |
| 1890 | 738 | −15.1% |
| 1900 | 588 | −20.3% |
| 1910 | 552 | −6.1% |
| 1920 | 477 | −13.6% |
| 1930 | 502 | +5.2% |
| 1940 | 423 | −15.7% |
| 1950 | 455 | +7.6% |
| 1960 | 524 | +15.2% |
| 1970 | 730 | +39.3% |
| 1980 | 994 | +36.2% |
| 1990 | 1,503 | +51.2% |
| 2000 | 1,673 | +11.3% |
| 2001* | 1,730 | +3.4% |
| 2002* | 1,775 | +2.6% |
| 2003* | 1,837 | +3.5% |
| 2004* | 1,888 | +2.8% |
| 2005* | 1,904 | +0.8% |
| 2006* | 1,922 | +0.9% |
| 2007* | 1,941 | +1.0% |
| 2008* | 1,929 | −0.6% |
| 2009* | 1,944 | +0.8% |
| 2010 | 1,902 | −2.2% |
| * = 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 1,673 people, 578 households, and 467 families residing in the town. The population density was 79.2 people per square mile (30.6/km²). There were 591 housing units at an average density of 28.0 per square mile (10.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.33% White, 0.36% African American, 0.12% Native American, 0.60% Asian, 0.24% from other races, and 0.36% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.02% of the population.
There were 578 households out of which 41.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.5% were married couples living together, 6.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 19.2% were non-families. 14.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.89 and the average family size was 3.24.
In the town the population was spread out with 29.6% under the age of 18, 6.0% from 18 to 24, 29.0% from 25 to 44, 27.5% from 45 to 64, and 7.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 100.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $60,729, and the median income for a family was $63,487. Males had a median income of $42,065 versus $30,882 for females. The per capita income for the town was $23,175. About 1.5% of families and 1.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.8% of those under age 18 and 2.2% of those age 65 or over.
| 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): | Kimberly Ferguson (R) |
| State Senator(s): | Stephen M. Brewer (D) |
| Governor's Councilor(s): | Jen Caissie (R) |
| Federal government | |
| U.S. Representative(s): | John W. Olver (D-1st District), |
| U.S. Senators: | John Kerry (D), Scott Brown (R) |
The Oakham Free Public Library was established in 1892.[12][13] In fiscal year 2008, the town of Oakham spent 1.71% ($47,657) of its budget on its public library—some $24 per person.[14]