Bridgewater (town), Massachusetts
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Bridgewater is a town located in Plymouth County, Massachusetts. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 25,185.
For geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place Bridgewater, please see the article Bridgewater (CDP), Massachusetts.
History
Bridgewater was first settled in 1650 and was officially incorporated in 1656. It is the home to Bridgewater State College.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 73.1 km² (28.2 mi²). 71.2 km² (27.5 mi²) of it is land and 1.9 km² (0.7 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 2.62% water.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there are 25,185 people, 7,526 households, and 5,584 families residing in the town. The population density is 353.7/km² (916.2/mi²). There are 7,652 housing units at an average density of 107.5/km² (278.4/mi²). The racial makeup of the town is 87.28% White, 4.04% Black or African American, 0.23% Native American, 1.08% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 6.23% from other races, and 1.12% from two or more races. 2.75% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 7,526 households out of which 38.6% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.5% are married couples living together, 9.5% have a female householder with no husband present, and 25.8% are non-families. 19.6% of all households are made up of individuals and 7.7% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.81 and the average family size is 3.27.
In the town the population is spread out with 22.9% under the age of 18, 14.7% from 18 to 24, 32.9% from 25 to 44, 20.9% from 45 to 64, and 8.6% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 34 years. For every 100 females there are 110.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 111.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town is $65,318, and the median income for a family is $73,953. Males have a median income of $48,438 versus $32,383 for females. The per capita income for the town is $23,105. 3.5% of the population and 1.9% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 2.6% of those under the age of 18 and 6.1% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.