Stoneham, Massachusetts

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Stoneham, Massachusetts
Welcome to Stoneham Massachusetts
Welcome to Stoneham Massachusetts
Location in Middlesex County in Massachusetts
Location in Middlesex County in Massachusetts
Coordinates: 42°28′48″N 71°06′00″W / 42.48, -71.1
Country United States
State Massachusetts
County Middlesex
Settled 1645
Incorporated 1725
Government
 - Type Open town meeting
Area
 - Total 6.7 sq mi (17.4 km²)
 - Land 6.2 sq mi (15.9 km²)
 - Water 0.6 sq mi (1.5 km²)
Elevation 155 ft (47 m)
Population (2000)
 - Total 22,219
 - Density 3,614.1/sq mi (1,395.4/km²)
Time zone Eastern (UTC-5)
 - Summer (DST) Eastern (UTC-4)
ZIP code 02180
Area code(s) 339 / 781
FIPS code 25-67665
GNIS feature ID 0618235
Website: http://www.ci.stoneham.ma.us

Stoneham is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 22,219 at the 2000 census. Stoneham's postal ZIP code is 02180.

Contents

[edit] History

The earliest mention of Stoneham in history of European settlers was in the year 1632 when Governor Winthrop and his party came upon this area to picnic. They found Spot Pond and ate their lunch on Cheese Rock, which is now known as Bear Hill. Stoneham was first settled in 1645 and was originally a part of Charlestown; the original settlers of the area were Whigs. In 1725, the residents of the area petitioned Charlestown to allow them to form a separate town, although no specific reason was given for why they did this. When Stoneham was officially incorporated that year, the taxable male population was 65. Stoneham remained a small town during the colonial era. However, during the Industrial Revolution, Stoneham prospered as a major shoe-manufacturing center. In the 1970s, Stoneham was in the Guinness Book of World Records for having the greatest number of gas stations along a one-mile strip. Stoneham most recently has been known for its successful soccer programs, most notably the Stoneham High School team and the local street soccer known as "Cage".

[edit] Geography

Stoneham is located at 42°28′48″N, 71°5′54″W (42.480145, -71.098352).[1]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 6.7 square miles (17.4 km²), of which, 6.2 square miles (15.9 km²) of it is land and 0.6 square miles (1.5 km²) of it (8.36%) is water.

Stoneham borders the following towns: Woburn, Winchester, Medford, Malden, Melrose, Wakefield, and Reading.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 22,219 people, 9,050 households, and 5,873 families residing in the town. The population density was 3,614.1 people per square mile (1,394.9/km²). There were 9,289 housing units at an average density of 1,510.9/sq mi (583.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 95.01% White, 0.89% Black or African American, 0.05% Native American, 2.61% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.59% from other races, and 0.90% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.79% of the population.

There were 9,050 households out of which 26.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.1% were married couples living together, 8.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 35.1% were non-families. 30.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 3.07.

In the town the population was spread out with 21.0% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 24.3% from 45 to 64, and 18.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 89.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $56,605, and the median income for a family was $71,334. Males had a median income of $46,797 versus $37,274 for females. The per capita income for the town was $27,599. About 3.0% of families and 4.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.7% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] Notable residents

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ US Gazetteer files: 2000 and 1990. United States Census Bureau (2005-05-03). Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  2. ^ American FactFinder. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2008-01-31.
  3. ^ The Political Graveyard: Index to Politicians: Gibbons
  4. ^ TIME

[edit] Further reading

Beautiful 1852 Map of Boston area showing Stoneham.
Beautiful 1852 Map of Boston area showing Stoneham.

[edit] External links

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Municipalities and communities of
Middlesex County, Massachusetts
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