Easton, Massachusetts
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Easton is a town located in Bristol County, Massachusetts. As of the 2000 census, the town had a total population of 22,299.
Easton is governed by an elected committee of selectmen and a town administrator. Its public high school is Oliver Ames High School, whose athletic mascot is the tiger.
History
Easton was first settled in 1694 and was officially incorporated in 1725.
Easton was built on a successful shovel manufacturing industry, owned by the Ames family. The most notable member of the family is Oakes Ames, a key figure in the Crédit Mobilier of America scandal. The family commissioned 5 buildings by Henry Hobson Richardson and landscaping by Frederick Law Olmsted.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 75.5 km² (29.2 mi²). 73.7 km² (28.4 mi²) of it is land and 1.9 km² (0.7 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 2.54% water.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there are 22,299 people, 7,489 households, and 5,571 families residing in the town. The population density is 302.7/km² (784.1/mi²). There are 7,631 housing units at an average density of 103.6/km² (268.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the town is 91.94% White, 1.59% African American, 0.04% Native American, 1.39% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 4.13% from other races, and 0.91% from two or more races. 1.58% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 7,489 households out of which 37.4% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.3% are married couples living together, 8.9% have a female householder with no husband present, and 25.6% are non-families. 20.7% of all households are made up of individuals and 6.9% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.74 and the average family size is 3.21.
In the town the population is spread out with 24.4% under the age of 18, 13.1% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 9.4% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 36 years. For every 100 females there are 94.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 91.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town is $69,144, and the median income for a family is $82,190. Males have a median income of $51,429 versus $35,912 for females. The per capita income for the town is $30,732. 2.0% of the population and 0.7% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 0.6% of those under the age of 18 and 6.5% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.