Wales, Massachusetts
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| Wales, Massachusetts | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country | United States |
| State | Massachusetts |
| County | Hampden |
| Settled | 1726 |
| Incorporated | 1775 |
| Government | |
| - Type | Open town meeting |
| Area | |
| - Total | 16.0 sq mi (41.3 km²) |
| - Land | 15.8 sq mi (40.8 km²) |
| - Water | 0.2 sq mi (0.5 km²) |
| Elevation | 949 ft (289 m) |
| Population (2000) | |
| - Total | 1,737 |
| - Density | 110.3/sq mi (42.6/km²) |
| Time zone | Eastern (UTC-5) |
| - Summer (DST) | Eastern (UTC-4) |
| ZIP code | 01081 |
| Area code(s) | 413 |
| FIPS code | 25-72390 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0619389 |
Wales is a town in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 1,737 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area.
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[edit] History
Wales was first settled in 1726 and was officially incorporated on August 23, 1775 as South Brimfield, a name it kept until February 20, 1828.
[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 16.0 square miles (41.3 km²), of which, 15.8 square miles (40.8 km²) of it is land and 0.2 square miles (0.5 km²) of it (1.32%) is water. Wales is bounded on the west by Monson; on the south by Stafford, Connecticut and Union, Connecticut; on the east by Holland; and on the north by Brimfield.
[edit] Education
Wales Elementary School, serving grades K-6, has its own school committee, part of School Union 61. Wales students attend Tantasqua Regional Junior High School (grades 7-8) and Tantasqua Regional High School in Sturbridge. Union 61 and the Tantasqua district share administrators, including the superintendent, and both include Brimfield, Brookfield, Holland, Sturbridge and Wales.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census[1] of 2000, there were 1,737 people, 660 households, and 481 families residing in the town. The population density was 110.3 people per square mile (42.6/km²). There were 796 housing units at an average density of 50.5/sq mi (19.5/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.75% White, 0.52% African American, 0.29% Native American, 0.17% Asian, 0.35% from other races, and 0.92% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.63% of the population.
There were 660 households out of which 33.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.4% were married couples living together, 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.1% were non-families. 20.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 5.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.01.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.0% under the age of 18, 6.4% from 18 to 24, 32.2% from 25 to 44, 29.0% from 45 to 64, and 7.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 99.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $48,906, and the median income for a family was $51,629. Males had a median income of $39,766 versus $27,557 for females. The per capita income for the town was $21,267. About 1.8% of families and 3.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.2% of those under age 18 and 3.9% of those age 65 or over.
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