Middlesex County, Massachusetts
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Image:Map of Massachusetts highlighting Middlesex County.png
Middlesex County is a county located in the state of Massachusetts. As of 2000, the population is 1,465,396. Its county seats are Cambridge and Lowell6. The county government was abolished in 1997 but the county itself still survives as a legal venue and for other administrative purposes.
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Law and government
Like an increasing number of Massachusetts counties, Middlesex County exists today only as a historical geographic region, and has no county government. All former county functions were assumed by state agencies in 1997. The sheriff and some other regional officials with specific duties are still elected locally to perform duties within the county region, but there is no county council or commissioner. However, communities are now granted the right to form their own regional compacts for sharing services. See also: MassGov page on counties (http://lwvma.org/govcounty.shtml).
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 2,195 km² (848 mi²). 2,133 km² (823 mi²) of it is land and 62 km² (24 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 2.84% water.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there are 1,465,396 people, 561,220 households, and 360,864 families residing in the county. The population density is 687/km² (1,780/mi²). There are 576,681 housing units at an average density of 270/km² (700/mi²). The racial makeup of the county is 85.88% White, 3.36% Black or African American, 0.15% Native American, 6.26% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 2.07% from other races, and 2.24% from two or more races. 4.55% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 561,220 households out of which 30.20% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.30% are married couples living together, 9.90% have a female householder with no husband present, and 35.70% are non-families. 27.10% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.50% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.52 and the average family size is 3.11.
In the county the population is spread out with 22.50% under the age of 18, 9.00% from 18 to 24, 33.40% from 25 to 44, 22.40% from 45 to 64, and 12.80% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 36 years. For every 100 females there are 93.70 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 90.70 males.
The median income for a household in the county is $60,821, and the median income for a family is $74,194. Males have a median income of $49,460 versus $36,288 for females. The per capita income for the county is $31,199. 6.50% of the population and 4.30% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 7.20% of those under the age of 18 and 7.10% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Cities and towns
- Acton
- Arlington
- Ashby
- Ashland
- Ayer
- -- Fort Devens (former U.S. Army base in Ayer -- also known as "Devens")
- Bedford
- Belmont
- Billerica
- -- Pinehurst (a part of Billerica)
- Boxborough
- Burlington
- Cambridge
- Carlisle
- Chelmsford
- Concord
- -- West Concord (a part of Concord)
- Dracut
- Dunstable
- East Pepperell
- Everett
- Framingham
- Groton
- Holliston
- Hopkinton
- Hudson
- Lexington
- Lincoln
- Littleton
- -- Littleton Common (a village of Littleton)
- Lowell
- Malden
- Marlborough
- Maynard
- Medford
- Melrose
- Natick
- Newton
- -- Auburndale** (a village of Newton)
- -- Chestnut Hill** (a village of Newton and Brookline, Massachusetts)
- -- Newton Center** (a village of Newton)
- -- Newton Highlands** (a village of Newton)
- -- Newton Lower Falls** (a village of Newton)
- -- Newton Upper Falls** (a village of Newton)
- -- Newtonville** (a village of Newton)
- -- Nonantum** (a village of Newton)
- -- Waban** (a village of Newton)
- North Reading
- Pepperell
- Reading
- Sherborn
- Shirley
- Somerville
- Stoneham
- Stow
- Sudbury
- Tewksbury
- Townsend
- Tyngsborough
- Wakefield
- Waltham
- Watertown
- Wayland
- -- Cochituate (a part of Wayland)
- Westford
- Weston
- Wilmington
- Winchester
- Woburn
* Villages are census division, but have no separate corporate existence from the towns they are in.
** In the City of Newton, villages are post office division, but are commonly used within the community.
External links
- National Register of Historic Places listing for Middlesex Co., Massachusetts (http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/MA/Middlesex/districts.html)
- Middlesex County entry from Hayward's New England Gazetteer of 1839 (http://newenglandtowns.org/massachusetts/middlesex-county.html)