Phillipston, Massachusetts
Encyclopedia
Phillipston is a town in Worcester County
Worcester County, Massachusetts
-Demographics:In 1990 Worcester County had a population of 709,705.As of the census of 2000, there were 750,963 people, 283,927 households, and 192,502 families residing in the county. The population density was 496 people per square mile . There were 298,159 housing units at an average density...

, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...

, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

. The population was 1,682 at the 2010 census.

History

Phillipston was first settled in 1751, and incorporated as the town of Gerry in 1786. The town's name was changed from Gerry to Phillipston in 1814, after lieutenant governor
Lieutenant governor (United States)
In the United States, 43 of the 50 states have a separate, full-time office of lieutenant governor. In most cases, the lieutenant governor is the highest officer of state after the governor, standing in for that officer when he or she is absent from the state or temporarily incapacitated...

 William Phillips, Jr.
William Phillips, Jr.
William Phillips Jr was born in Boston, Massachusetts, April 10, 1750; died in Boston, May 26, 1827. Phillips was elected Lieutenant Governor of Massachusetts and served 1812-1823. He drafted the letter inviting New England Governors to send delegates to the Hartford Convention of 1815.Phillips...


Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...

, the town has a total area of 24.6 square miles (63.7 km²), of which 24.3 square miles (62.9 km²) is land and 0.4 square miles (1 km²), or 1.54%, is water.

Phillipston is bordered by Petersham
Petersham, Massachusetts
Petersham is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,234 at the 2010 census. Petersham is home to a considerable amount of conservation land, including the Quabbin Reservation, Harvard Forest, the Swift River Reservation, and Federated Women's Club State...

 to the southwest, Athol
Athol, Massachusetts
Athol is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 11,584 at the 2010 census.-History:Originally called Pequoiag, the area was first settled by five families in September 1735. When the township was incorporated in 1762, the name was changed to Athol...

 to the northwest, Royalston
Royalston, Massachusetts
Royalston is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,258 at the 2010 census.-History:Royalston is a small town in the North Quabbin area of northwestern-central Massachusetts. It was named after Isaac Royal, a landowner. It is very large in land area—about...

 to the north, Templeton
Templeton, Massachusetts
Templeton is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 8,013 at the 2010 census. The town comprises four main villages: Templeton Center, East Templeton, Baldwinville, and Otter River...

 to the east, Hubbardston
Hubbardston, Massachusetts
Hubbardston is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. As of the 2010 U.S. census, the town population was 4,382.- History :...

 to the southeast, and a small portion of Barre
Barre, Massachusetts
Barre is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 5,398 at the 2010 census.-History:Originally called the Northwest District of Rutland, it was first settled in 1720. The town was incorporated on June 17, 1774, as Hutchinson after Thomas Hutchinson, colonial...

 to the south.

Demographics

As of the census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

of 2000, there were 1,621 people, 580 households, and 443 families residing in the town. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 was 66.8 people per square mile (25.8/km²). There were 739 housing units at an average density of 30.5 per square mile (11.8/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.72% White, 0.37% African American, 0.12% Native American, 0.37% Asian, and 1.42% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.43% of the population.

There were 580 households out of which 39.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.8% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 living together, 8.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.6% were non-families. 17.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.79 and the average family size was 3.19.

In the town the population was spread out with 29.2% under the age of 18, 5.2% from 18 to 24, 33.3% from 25 to 44, 24.7% from 45 to 64, and 7.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 101.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 106.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $46,845, and the median income for a family was $52,011. Males had a median income of $39,231 versus $25,625 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...

 for the town was $18,706. About 3.8% of families and 5.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.5% of those under age 18 and 4.0% of those age 65 or over.

Government

Library

"The Phillips Free Public Library of Phillipston was founded in 1860." In fiscal year 2008, the town of Phillipston spent 1.08% ($31,203) of its budget on its public library—some $17 per person.
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