ZIP Code 01950

Newburyport is a coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, 35 miles (56 km) northeast of Boston. A historic seaport with vibrant tourism industry, Newburyport includes part of Plum Island. The city was once a fishing, shipbuilding and shipping center, with an industry in silverware manufacture. It was a center for privateering during the Revolutionary War and War of 1812. It is on a major north-south highway, Interstate 95, and the outer circumferential highway of Boston, Interstate 495, passes nearby in Amesbury. A Coast Guard station oversees boating activity, especially in the sometimes dangerous tidal currents of the Merrimack River. The town prospered and became a city in 1851, but today it gives little hint of its former maritime importance, with the docks missing and the waterfront parking lot currently located on the edge of the Newbury Marshes. The first of many clipper ships built here was used in the First "Tea Party Party rebellion to oppose the British Tea Tax" in 1854. The oldest continuously active courthouse in the United States is on Newbury port, and one of the oldest banks in the U.S. is still in operation. The Custom House Museum (1835), designed by Robert Mills, was referred to in the H.P. Lovecraft story, "The Shadow Over Innsmouth", as being located near Newbury Port, in fact being located in Newbury City. The NewburyPort/Rockport MBTA commuter rail from Boston's North Station terminates in the city.

History

Newburyport is a city in Massachusetts, located near the mouth of the Merrimack River. It was once a fishing, shipbuilding and shipping center, with an industry in silverware manufacture. H. P. Lovecraft in fact based his depiction of Innsmouth largely on Newburyport. The city was the subject of the most ambitious community study ever undertaken, the Yankee City project conducted by anthropologist W. Lloyd Warner and his associates. It is one of the oldest banks in the U.S. still in operation, and the oldest continuously active courthouse in Massachusetts. The town is home to the Old South Church, where George Whitefield, the influential English preacher who helped inspire the First Great Awakening in America, was buried after his death in 1770. In 1792, a bridge was built two miles above the town where the river contained an island. In 1851, the city became a city, and it became the smallest in Massachusetts with a population of 2,800 living in 357 homes. Today, it gives little hint of its former maritime importance, with the docks missing and the waterfront parking lot located in the middle of the city. It has been the site of many historic events, including the first of many clipper ships built here. It also hosted the first state mint and treasury building. It hosted the "Tea Party" rebellion to oppose the British Tea Tax in 1847. It had a silverware industry from 1867 to 1873, and made Southerner Derringer pistols in their Newbury port factory.

Historic preservation

Newburyport's historic downtown section was scheduled to be razed prior to reconstruction with federal money. At the last moment, however, the city changed its mind and signed a federal grant that allowed it to keep most of its historic architecture. Renovation and restorations began during the early 1970s, and continued throughout most of the decade, initially along State Street, and culminating with creation of a pedestrian mall along Inn Street. Newburyport is often cited as an example by preservationists of how to maintain a city's architecture and heritage, while still having it remain functional and liveable. The city's downtown area is now considered one of the best places to live in the U.S., along with Boston and New York City. It is located on the Massachusetts Turnpike, which was built in the early 20th century as part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The turnpike was completed in the mid-20th century, and has since become a major tourist attraction in the state. The town is home to the Massachusetts Maritime Museum, which opened in the late 1960s. The museum is located in the former town hall building, which dates back to the 18th century. It was the first of its kind in the area, and is now home to a number of museums, galleries, and other public spaces, including the Massachusetts Museum of Fine Arts and the Museum of Science and Industry. It also hosts a museum of American Art, which is dedicated to the history of the town.

Geography

Newburyport was laid out on the elevated south bank of the Merrimack River between the river and Newbury marshes. Several parks and beaches dot the city, including Plum Island Point Beach, Simmons Beach, Joppa Park, Waterfront Park, Woodman Park, Moseley Pines Park and Atkinson Common and March's Hill Park. The city is located 37 miles (60 km) north-northeast of Boston, 19 miles (31 km) east-nortsheast of Lawrence, and 21 miles (34 km) south-southeast of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The portion of Plum Island that is in the city has no direct access to the rest of the city; similarly, there is no access between the mainland and Woodbridge Island or Seal Island. Newburyport is located at 42°4845N 70°5239W (42.812391, 70.877440). The city has a total area of 10.6 square miles (27 km²), of which 8.4 sq miles (22 km²) is land and 2.2sq miles (5.7km²) (20.77%) is water. It is bordered by the Gulf of Maine (Atlantic Ocean) to the east, Newbury to the south and southeast, West Newbury, Amesbury, and Salisbury to the north and northwest. The border between the South End and Joppa is just behind Hancock Street, Chestnut Street, and, Part of Prospect Street.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 17,416 people, 8,264 households, and 4,428 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 90.2% White, 3.6% African American, 0.1% Native American,0.61% Asian, 0,01% Pacific Islander, and 0.16% from other races. Hispanic or Latino people of any race were 2.7% of the population. The top five ethnic groups are: (United States 2010 Census quickfacts) English, Irish, Italian, French (except Basque) and German. The city's median income was $78,557, and the median income for a family was $103,306. The per capita income for the city is $34,187. About 4.5% of those under age 18 and 6.9% ofThose age 65 or over are living below the poverty line. The average household size was 2.24 and the average family size was2.90. The median age was 41.7 years. For every 100 females, there are 86.7 males. For each 100 females age 18 or over, there is 82.9 males. There are 7,897 housing units at an average density of 942.0 per square mile (363.8/km²) The city has a population of 17, 416, with 7,519 households, out of which 25.9 percent have children under the age of 18.

Government

Newburyport is part of the Massachusetts Senate's 1st Essex district. The current mayor is Sean Reardon, and the next election year for mayor is 2025. During the mid-twentieth century, Newburyport enjoyed a typical "small community" approach, conducted, most notably, by city mayor and activist Ed Molin, who died in 2005. The city has been run by a mayor with a four-year term and an eleven-member City Council (prior to that, the mayor's term lasted for two years) Since 2011, the city has had an elected City Council, with a mayor for a four year term and a City Council for a two year term. The mayor is elected for a term of four years, with the mayor serving a maximum of two years. The City Council is made up of 11 members, with an average of seven members per seat. The town has a population of 2,000. It is located on the Massachusetts Turnpike, which runs through the town's downtown area. It also has access to the Massachusetts Bay Aquarium, which is on the city's eastern edge. It has a harbor, which was built in the 19th century, and a reservoir, which dates back to the early 20th century. It was also the site of the World War II-era Battle of the Bulge, when the U.S. Navy was based in the area. Newbury Port is home to the Newbury Harbor, which has been a focal point for the city since the 1950s.

Transportation

Interstate 95 passes through the western side of town, with one exit at Route 113. Route 113 itself has its eastern terminus at U.S. Route 1 and Massachusetts Route 1A. The Merrimack Valley Regional Transit Authority provides regular bus service between the city and Haverhill. Plum Island Airport is a privately owned general aviation airport located within the city limits. The nearest scheduled commercial air service can be found at Boston's Logan International Airport, Worcester's Worcester Regional Airport, Portsmouth's Pease International Tradeport or Manchester's Manchester-Boston Regional Airport. The Newburyport/Rockport Line of the MBTA Commuter Rail system provides access through several North Shore cities to Boston's North Station. C&J and Coach Company, privately operated coach carriers, operate commuter bus services between Newbury port and Boston. The city is home to a small number of non-profit organizations, such as Plum Island Aerodrome, Inc., a not-for-profit organization that operates a private general aviation airfield in the city. It is open to the public and managed by Plum Island Aero Club, which also owns the city's only private airfield, Plum Island Airfield, which is located in the town's outskirts. The town has a population of about 2,000, making it one of the smallest cities in the state to have its own airport. It also has a large number of small businesses, including a number of wineries and restaurants. It has a small percentage of the state's population of 1,000.

Education

Newburyport High School is one of the oldest public high schools in the United States. The athletics program offers a variety of sports for girls and boys during the fall, winter, and spring seasons. The school colors are Crimson and Old Gold and the mascot is a Clipper Ship. The Newburyport Public Library is part of the Merrimack Valley Library Consortium. The town is served by several public schools, belonging to the Newbury Port School District, and several private schools. The current site of NewburyPort High School was purchased from Harvard University early in the 20th century. On Monday, November 4, 2019, the School Committee unanimously voted to implement a Start School Later policy, the first of the Cape Ann League to do so. The times will be: 7:452:15, 8:202:50, and 8:152:45 for the middle school and high school. The high school competes in the Cape Ann League, an athletic conference in District A of the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association. In the fall and winter seasons, the school offers sports for boys and girls in the Crimson and Gold color scheme. The mascot for the school is a clipper ship, and the colors are crimson and old gold. It is also known as the "Clipper Ship" because of its mascot, which is a ship that was once used by the local ferry company, the Newburbury Clipper Company. It was built in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Activities

Newburyport has a year-round ice skating rink and a beautiful boardwalk. The city sponsors several youth sports leagues, including baseball, football, soccer, lacrosse, basketball, and hockey. There are classes, campouts, and activities in robotics, music, chess, fencing, sewing, dance, judo, academics, yoga, cheerleading, art, fashion design, photography, and frisbee.

Annual events

Yankee Homecoming is the annual festival celebrating the natives coming home to Newburyport. The event was initiated in 1957 by native Newburyporter George Cashman, who sought to stimulate the economy and lift the spirit of the citizens. The festival includes eight days and over 200 events. There are concerts every night at Market Landing Park. Other popular events include the Newburyports Lions' 10-mile (16 km) and 5-kilometer road races, which run through the city's downtown streets and neighborhoods. There is also a 45-minute fireworks show on Saturday night, which is followed the concluding Sunday by the famous Yankee Homecoming parade. The NewburyPort Literary Festival was started in 2006 as a new effort by the city to increase interest in reading and literary arts. Many local authors are invited to sign and chat about their books, and schoolchildren create projects to show to an author who visits their school. Among the authors who regularly visit are Andre Dubus III, Tess Gerritsen and Rhina Espaillat. The Waterfront Concert Series was held Friday evenings in Waterfront Park in downtown Newbury port. The concerts were presented by the Newburburyport Chamber of Commerce and the Waterfront Trust and were sponsored by a local insurance agency, Arthur S Page Insurance. It is the second-oldest homecoming festival in the United States. It lasts one week. Many charities raise their funds during this time. It was held in 1958, and is now run by a non-profit organization.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Newburyport, Essex County, Massachusetts = 36.8. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 13. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 10. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Newburyport = 3.2 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 2,404 individuals with a median age of 44.9 age the population dropped by -0.61% in Newburyport, Essex County, Massachusetts population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 2,190.30 residents per square mile of area (845.66/km²). There are average 2.23 people per household in the 7,493 households with an average household income of $73,409 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 7.40% of the available work force and has dropped -4.08% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 24.44%. The number of physicians in Newburyport per 100,000 population = 202.3.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Newburyport = 45.6 inches and the annual snowfall = 53.3 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 127. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 204. 84 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 16.3 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 50, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Newburyport, Essex County, Massachusetts which are owned by the occupant = 62.85%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 66 years with median home cost = $349,370 and home appreciation of -1.67%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $11.64 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $8,766 per student. There are 12.7 students for each teacher in the school, 794 students for each Librarian and 496 students for each Counselor. 8.65% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 25.11% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 17.24% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).