Belmont, Massachusetts
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Belmont is a town located in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, a suburb of Boston. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 24,194.
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About the town
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Belmont Massachusetts Town Seal
The Town Seal, created in 1882 by Henry Mitchell
Belmont was founded on March 18, 1859 by former citizens of, and land from, the bordering towns of Watertown (to the south), Waltham (to the west) and West Cambridge (now Arlington, to the north and east). The town was named after Bellmont, the 200 acre (0.8 km²) estate of one of the leading advocates of, and largest donor to, its creation, John Perkins Cushing. There are three major commercial centers in Belmont: Belmont Center in the center, Cushing Square in the south, and Waverley Square in the west. Town Hall is located in Belmont Center. Belmont is best known for the mansion filled Belmont Hill neighborhood, but most of the residents live in more densely settled, low-lying areas around the Hill. The major roads in the town are Concord Avenue, which bisects the town from east to west, Common Street and Pleasant Street (Route 60) which travel north-south through Belmont, and Trapelo Road and Belmont Street which run along the southern edge of the town. Massachusetts Route 2 runs along the northern border of the town. Belmont is also served by the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority's (the "T") Fitchburg Commuter Rail line and several bus lines. The town is home to McLean Hospital, a mental hospital and research center, and the Boston Massachusetts Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Geography
Belmont is located at 42°23'30" North, 71°10'30" West (42.391546, -71.174712)Template:GR.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 12.2 km² (4.7 mi²). 12.1 km² (4.7 mi²) of it is land and 0.1 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 1.06% water.
Belmont is bordered by Cambridge on the East, Arlington on the North, Lexington on the Northwest, Waltham on the West, and Watertown on the South.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 24,194 people, 9,732 households, and 6,452 families residing in the town. The population density is 2,004.6/km² (5,190.2/mi²). There are 9,980 housing units at an average density of 826.9/km² (2,141.0/mi²). The racial makeup of the town is 91.19% White, 1.10% Black or African American, 0.13% Native American, 5.76% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.41% from other races, and 1.41% from two or more races. 1.82% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 9,732 households out of which 31.0% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.9% are married couples living together, 8.8% have a female householder with no husband present, and 33.7% are non-families. 25.9% of all households are made up of individuals and 11.9% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.45 and the average family size is 3.01.
In the town the population is spread out with 22.7% under the age of 18, 4.5% from 18 to 24, 31.0% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 16.7% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 40 years. For every 100 females there are 87.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 82.8 males.
The median income for a household in the town is $80,295, and the median income for a family is $95,057. Males have a median income of $64,579 versus $45,505 for females. The per capita income for the town is $42,485. 4.4% of the population and 3.6% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 3.9% of those under the age of 18 and 5.3% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Education
There are four public elementary schools in Belmont, the Burbank, Butler, Winn Brook, and Wellington schools. Two other public elementary schools, Payson Park and Kendall, were closed in the 1970s and 1980s, respectively. One public junior high (or middle) school is in Belmont, the Chenery Middle School. Additionally, there is one public high school, Belmont High School. The Chenery Middle School's teams are all the Cheetahs, and Belmont High School's teams are all the Marauders.
The division between public elementary and middle school in Belmont is slightly earlier than the norm: the elementary schools run only through 4th grade, with students from 5th through 8th grades attending Chenery Middle School. This division was forced by economic and demographic circumstance. Prior to 1997, the elementary schools ran through the 5th grade, and faced growing overcrowding. In 1995 the Chenery Middle School, already slated for demolition and rebuilding, albeit a few years off, was accidentally destroyed by fire. This prompted an accelerated rebuilding schedule, and when the new Chenery Middle School opened in the fall of 1997, the fifth grade moved to the new school. In the school year 2004-2005 a new principal came to the Belmont High School after Dr. Wright, the former principal retired. The new principal is Dr. Landman.
Belmont Hill School (http://www.belmont-hill.org) is a private, non-sectarian all-male high school, grades 7-12. Tuition for the 2004-2005 school year is $25,020. Belmont Day School (http://www.belmontday.org/home.html) is a private, non-sectarian K-8 school. There are several smaller private schools.
Famous residents
- Painter Winslow Homer
- Landscape Architect Frederick Law Olmsted
- Composer Walter Piston
- Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney
- Author/Journalist Sebastian Junger
- Folk Musician Joan Baez
- Crown Princess of Japan Masako Owada
External links
- Town of Belmont (http://town.belmont.ma.us)
- McLean Hospital (http://mcleanhospital.org)
- Town Of Belmont / Mass.gov (http://www.mass.gov/portal/index.jsp?pageID=mg2localgovccpage&L=3&L0=home&L1=State+Government&L2=Local+Government&sid=massgov2&selectCity=Belmont&go_city2.x=10&go_city2.y=13)