Ayer, Massachusetts
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Ayer is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 7,287 at the 2000 census.
For geographic and demographic information on specific parts of the town of Ayer, please see the articles on Ayer (CDP) and Fort Devens.
History
Ayer's history dates back to 1667 when the first mill in this agricultural community was built. The settlement sits on what the Nipmuc Indians called Nainacocius. A brook remains with that name. Originally part of Groton, the community was initially called Groton Junction or South Groton. The town of Ayer was incorporated in 1871, named in honor of Dr. James Cook Ayer, a prominent resident of Lowell who provided the funding for the recently restored Ayer Town Hall. The town's growth was influenced by a period of rapid development of railroad transportation. Though only 9.5 square miles in area, the town became a major junction for both east-west and north-south rail lines, and developed into an important commercial center oriented towards the rail industry.During the American Civil War an army camp, Camp Stevens, was established here; that camp later became known as Camp Devens, and eventually as Fort Devens. The presence of thousands of military and civilian personnel on the base shifted Ayer's commercial development towards meeting their needs until Fort Devens was closed in 1996.
The town today is a reflection of its history. Within its relatively small area Ayer boasts numerous industries, a thriving, historical downtown unique to the region, and modern commuter rail service to Boston.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 24.8 km² (9.6 mi²). 23.4 km² (9.0 mi²) of it is land and 1.4 km² (0.6 mi²) of it (5.75%) is water.Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 7,287 people, 2,982 households, and 1,774 families residing in the town. The population density was 311.9/km² (808.1/mi²). There were 3,154 housing units at an average density of 135.0/km² (349.8/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 85.92% White, 5.70% Black or African American, 0.26% Native American, 2.90% Asian, 0.14% Pacific Islander, 2.28% from other races, and 2.81% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.69% of the population. The handful of Korean markets and stores serves the spread out Korean population, many of them warbrides and their families from Fort Devens.There were 2,982 households out of which 29.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.9% were married couples living together, 12.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.5% were non-families. 32.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 8.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.94.
In the town the population was spread out with 24.0% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 36.3% from 25 to 44, 18.9% from 45 to 64, and 12.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 96.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $46,619, and the median income for a family was $61,968. Males had a median income of $44,092 versus $32,418 for females. The per capita income for the town was $26,400. About 6.1% of families and 10.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 9.5% of those under age 18 and 11.7% of those age 65 or over.
External links
- [Ayer official website]
- [Maps and aerial photos]
- * Street map from [Google Maps] or [Yahoo! Maps]
- * Topographic map from [TopoZone]
- * Aerial image or topographic map from [TerraServer-USA]
- * Satellite image from [Google Maps] or [Windows Live Local]
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