Greenfield, Massachusetts
|
|
Greenfield is a city located in Franklin County, Massachusetts. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 18,168. It is the county seat of Franklin County 6. Greenfield's city status was established by the election in November 2003 of their first mayor, upgrading it from the "town" status it previously held, when it was governed by a selectboard.
For geographic and demographic information about the census-designated place Greenfield, please see the article Greenfield (CDP), Massachusetts.
| Contents |
History
Greenfield was first settled in 1686 and was officially incorporated in 1775.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 56.8 km² (21.9 mi²). 56.3 km² (21.7 mi²) of it is land and 0.5 km² (0.2 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.87% water.
It is located at latitude 42 degrees 35 minutes North, longitude 72 degrees, 36 minutes West. On a road map it is at the intersection of Interstate 91 and state route 2, near the common intersection of the borders of Massachusetts, Vermont, and New Hampshire.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there are 18,168 people, 7,939 households, and 4,374 families residing in the city. The population density is 322.8/km² (836.2/mi²). There are 8,301 housing units at an average density of 147.5/km² (382.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 93.39% White, 1.34% Black or African American, 0.32% Native American, 1.10% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 1.41% from other races, and 2.43% from two or more races. 3.54% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 7,939 households out of which 26.1% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 38.6% are married couples living together, 12.7% have a female householder with no husband present, and 44.9% are non-families. 36.9% of all households are made up of individuals and 13.6% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.19 and the average family size is 2.88.
In the city the population is spread out with 21.9% under the age of 18, 8.4% from 18 to 24, 28.7% from 25 to 44, 23.5% from 45 to 64, and 17.5% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 40 years. For every 100 females there are 88.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 85.4 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $33,110, and the median income for a family is $46,412. Males have a median income of $33,903 versus $26,427 for females. The per capita income for the city is $18,830. 14.0% of the population and 11.4% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 19.2% of those under the age of 18 and 11.1% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Life in Greenfield
Greenfield itself is a fairly small family community with five elementary schools, the Greenfield Middle School (renovated 2002), and the Greenfield High School. It is the county seat and also the largest town in Franklin County. For such a small town in a rural county, Greenfield has a surprising array of businesses, including four supermarkets and doubles of many chain restaurants, like Friendly's and McDonald's.
Greenfield is only a twenty-five minute drive from college towns Amherst, Massachusetts and Northampton, Massachusetts and a ten to twenty minute drive from many renowned private schools such as The Bement School (http://www.bement.org/), Eaglebrook (http://www.eaglebrook.org), Northfield Mount Hermon, and Deerfield Academy.
Seldom mentioned, but known to most locals, is Greenfield's very own gravitational anomaly "Gravity Hill". It's located between the Rt. 2 overpass & Homestead Rd. From under the overpass, the road appears to curve gently & rise slightly to a crest a few hundred feet away. The illusion is slight, but convincing. A car in neutral at the "bottom" of the rise will appear to crawl uphill.
Government
Greenfield is incorporated as a town, but it has a mayor and town council. The current mayor, Christine Forgey, was the first mayor elected after the town adopted a mayoral system in 2003.