Southbridge, Massachusetts
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Southbridge is a city located in Worcester County, Massachusetts. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 17,214.
For geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place Southbridge, please see the article Southbridge (CDP), Massachusetts.
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History
Southbridge was first settled in 1730 and was officially incorporated in 1816. As early as 1638, John Winthrop Jr. purchased a tract of land for mining ore. Water power from the Quinebaug River made Southbridge a good location for saw and grist mills in the 1700s and textile mills in the 1800s. Immigrants, mostly unskilled laborers or Irish, French-Canadian, Italian and Polish descent, came to work here. Southbridge has a long history of manufacture of optical products. Early in the 20th Century, when American Optical Company was growing, Southbridge was nicknames "Spectown." AO, under the leadership of the Wells family, became the world's largest manufacturer of ophthalmic products and at its height employed more than 6,000 people around the world.
Today Southbridge is a major center for fiber optics technology, as well as cutlery and hand tools. Southbridge has worked hard to renovate and revitalize the downtown area. It has successfully maintained a Moody's bond rating of A for over a decade while ensuring services for its residents.
Many ethnic groups are part of Southbridge's history and present life. French-Canadians, Italians, Irish, Polish, Greek, Albanian, Armenian, Romanian, Hispanic, and Laotian populations all contribute to the heritage and diversity of the town. With the ever growing mix of ethnic groups, churches and religious institutions play a big part in the town's life.
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Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 54.0 km² (20.9 mi²). 52.7 km² (20.4 mi²) of it is land and 1.3 km² (0.5 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 2.40% water.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there are 17,214 people, 7,077 households, and 4,522 families residing in the city. The population density is 326.4/km² (845.4/mi²). There are 7,511 housing units at an average density of 142.4/km² (368.9/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 85.23% White, 1.43% Black or African American, 0.42% Native American, 1.52% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 8.70% from other races, and 2.63% from two or more races. 20.17% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 7,077 households out of which 31.1% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.6% are married couples living together, 15.5% have a female householder with no husband present, and 36.1% are non-families. 29.7% of all households are made up of individuals and 12.1% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.41 and the average family size is 2.98.
In the city the population is spread out with 25.4% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 30.3% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.1% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 36 years. For every 100 females there are 92.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 87.2 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $33,913, and the median income for a family is $41,863. Males have a median income of $36,008 versus $25,685 for females. The per capita income for the city is $18,514. 15.4% of the population and 13.0% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 25.8% of those under the age of 18 and 10.2% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
External link
- Southbridge official website (http://www.ci.southbridge.ma.us/)
- History of Southbridge, MA (PDF) (http://www.dickwhitney.net/HistoryofSouthbridge.pdf)