Burlington, Massachusetts
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Burlington is a town located in Middlesex County, Massachusetts. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 22,876.
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History
Burlington was first settled in 1641 and was officially incorporated in 1799. The Town of Burlington was incorporated on February 28, 1799 and is sited on the watersheds of the Ipswich, Mystic and Shawsheen Rivers. It is now a suburban industrial town at the junction of the Boston-Merrimac corridor but for most of its history it was almost entirely agricultural, selling hops and rye to Boston and supplementing that income with small shoe making shops. Early railroad expansion passed the town by, limiting its early development, and Burlington continued to cure hams for the Boston market and produce milk, fruit and vegetables. This picture changed drastically, however, as soon as Route 128 was built. The highway kicked off an enormous expansion, and between 1955 and 1965 Burlington was the fastest growing town in the state. In one five year period, its population tripled as residential and commercial retail development exploded creating the town's present character.
Located in northeastern Massachusetts, Burlington is bordered by Bedford on the west, Billerica on the northwest, Wilmington on the northeast, Woburn on the southeast and south, and Lexington on the south. Burlington is 12 miles south of Lowell, 13 miles northwest of Boston, 36 miles southeast of Fitchburg, and 224 miles from New York City.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 30.8 km² (11.9 mi²). 30.6 km² (11.8 mi²) of it is land and 0.2 km² (0.1 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.59% water.
Demographics
As of the censusTemplate:GR of 2000, there are 22,876 people, 8,289 households, and 6,374 families residing in the town. The population density is 747.9/km² (1,936.4/mi²). There are 8,445 housing units at an average density of 276.1/km² (714.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the town is 86.71% White, 1.36% Black or African American, 0.07% Native American, 10.65% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.32% from other races, and 0.86% from two or more races. 1.29% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 8,289 households out of which 32.6% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.2% are married couples living together, 9.1% have a female householder with no husband present, and 23.1% are non-families. 19.1% 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 2.76 and the average family size is 3.18.
In the town the population is spread out with 23.6% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 31.1% from 25 to 44, 25.2% from 45 to 64, and 13.9% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 38 years. For every 100 females there are 97.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 93.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town is $75,240, and the median income for a family is $82,072. Males have a median income of $55,635 versus $36,486 for females. The per capita income for the town is $30,732. 1.9% of the population and 1.3% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 2.8% of those under the age of 18 and 1.8% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
External links
- Burlington official website (http://www.burlington.org/)