ZIP Code 02766

Norton is a town in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States, and contains the villages of Norton Center and Chartley. Home of Wheaton College, Norton hosts the Dell Technologies Championship, a tournament of the PGA Tour held annually on the Labor Day holiday weekend at the TPC Boston golf club. Winnecunnet Lake was an ancient fishing, hunting, and camping site known for thousands of years by Indigenous Pokanoket and Mattakeeset families. The forests and swampland of Norton were first legally settled by European colonists after the Taunton North Purchase in 1668. The town was named after Norton, Oxfordshire, England, where many early settlers had originated when it was officially established on March 17, 1710. It was the first town in the U.S. to install a light-rail system in December 1997, when a traffic light was installed at the intersection of routes 123 and 140 in Norton. Norton is also a location in the paranormal Bridgewater Triangle, which is claimed to be a place where the dead have been seen and the living have lived for at least 2,000 years. The last time a time capsule, the last of which was buried in 2026, will be opened next year in a ceremony to mark the start of the town's centenary. The population was 19,202 at the 2020 census, and is expected to rise to 19,000 by the end of the decade. It has a total area of 29.8 square miles (77.7 square kilometers) and a population of 19,200.

History

Norton, Massachusetts was established on March 17, 1710. Parts of Norton were set out as Easton on December 21, 1725, and as Mansfield on April 26, 1770. The town was named after Norton, Oxfordshire, England, where many early settlers had originated. In 1997, the first traffic light was installed at the intersection of routes 123 and 140 in Norton. Every 26 years, the school unburies a time capsule, the last of which was buried in 1999. The time capsule will be opened next in 2026. Norton is also a location in the Bridgewater Triangle, a location that has claimed paranormal activity in the past and is believed to be the birthplace of the Loch Ness Monster and the Bermuda Triangle. The area around Lake Winnecunnet was an ancient fishing, hunting, and camping site known for thousands of years by Indigenous Pokanoket and Mattakeeset families. In the old days before dams and other obstructions, rivers running gently into the lake and swamplands around it provided canoe routes north to Lake Massapoag and south to the Taunton River. The deep inland swamps of Norton remained unsettled by English colonists for many years after their initial arrival on the Massachusetts coast. But by the late 1640s, the townships of Rehoboth and Taunon were looking to expand their bounds to the north, south, and west. The settlement of ReHoboth bought the lands north of itwhat would become Attleborofrom Wamsutta in the 1666 North Purchase.

Geography and transit

Norton is located 27 miles south-southwest of Boston, and 15 miles northeast of Providence, Rhode Island. It is bordered by Easton to the northeast, Taunton to the southeast, Rehoboth to the south, Attleboro to the southwest, and Mansfield to the northwest. The town is served by Interstate 495 and Massachusetts Routes 123 and 140, which meet at the center of town. The nearest municipal airport is in neighboring Mansfield, with the nearest national and international flights being either from Boston's Logan International Airport or T.F. Green Airport in Warwick. The Providence/Stoughton Line of the MBTA Commuter Rail system has stops in both Attleborough and MansFIELD nearby, providing rail access to Providence and Boston. The Middleboro Subdivision passes through the town, with 4.5 miles (7.35 km) of railroad track crossing the southern quarter of town, linking lines in Attleboro and Taunon. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates the town has a total area of 29.8 square miles (77 km²), of which 28.7 sq miles (74 km²) is land and 1.1sq miles (2.8km²), or 3.72% is water. Lake Winnecunnet is Nortons only natural body of water. It formed over 13,000 years ago when a large chunk of glacial ice rested there and gradually melted, creating the lake as the climate slowly warmed.

Transportation

The town is bisected southeast to northwest by Interstate 495, as well as Massachusetts Route 140 from north to south and Massachusetts Route 123 from southwest to northeast. Route 140 and Route 123 intersect at the center of town, by the town green. Many fans attending concerts and events at the Xfinity Center (formerly the Tweeter Center, and originally the Great Woods Center for the Performing Arts) reach the venue by driving along Route 123 to Route 140. The town is also a part of the Greater Attleboro Taunton Regional Transit Authority (or GATRA) bus line. The nearest MBTA station is in Mansfield. Exit 9 and Exit 11 (Route 140, Mansfield) are just over the town lines. Exit 10 off of I-495 links the highway with Route 123. exit 9 (Bay Street,Taunton) and Exit 10 (Route 123, Tauntons) are over the city lines.  Route 123 is not officially signed as such, but is used by many fans of the XFinity Center. Route 140 is signed as the "Town Green" and is used as a tourist attraction. The town green is located at the intersection of Route 123 and Route 140, near the town's main square. It is also known as "The Town Green" because it is the only place where the town has a large amount of green space. It is located on the Massachusetts Turnpike, which runs through the town.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 18,036 people, 5,872 households, and 4,474 families residing in the town. The racial makeup of the town was 92.15% White, 1.16% African American, 0.13% Native American, 1.00% Asian, 0,01% Pacific Islander, 4.47% from other races, and 1.08% from two or more races. The population was spread out, with 27.0% under the age of 18, 12.6% from 18 to 24, 32.2% from 25 to 44, 20.5% from 45 to 64, and 7.8% who were 65 years of age or older. According to a 2016 estimate, the median income for a household in theTown was $80,806, and the median incomes for a family in 2016 was estimated at $104,176. The per capita income for the town is $23,876. About 2.2%. of families and 4.0%. of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.9% of those under age 18 and 12.9%. of those age 65 or over. The town is home to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which is based in the nearby town of Norton, New Hampshire. It is also home to a number of military bases, including Fort Nourish, which was founded in the 17th century.

Government

The town is a part of three separate state representative districts. It is also part of the state senate district of the Bristol and Norfolk district. The town has an open town meeting form of government, with a town manager and a board of selectmen governing the town. On the national level, the town is part of Massachusetts Congressional District 4, which is represented by Joseph P. Kennedy III. The town's public library is located next to the town hall, although the original still stands on Route 140 at the town green. There is also a senior center located along Route 123 near the high school. Norton is patrolled by Troop H (Metro Boston District), Third (Foxborough) Barracks of the Massachusetts State Police and Troop 3 (Foxboro District) of the U.S. Army. The Town is served by a central police station, three fire stations, two post offices and two fire stations. It also has a fire station in Barrowsville (currently closed), and Station 5 (Fire Alarm) in Barrow'sville. It has a town hall and senior center, located near the town center and Wheaton College; and Chartley, near the Attleboro line on Route 123. It was the site of the World War II Battle of the Bulge, which took place in World War I and involved the Battle of Gettysburg. The Battle was fought between the United States and the Soviet Union, and the town has a history of involvement in the war.

Education

Norton has its own public school system, Norton Public Schools. There are three elementary schools: L.G. Nourse Elementary School on the east side, J.C. Solomonese Elementary School (Pre-K3) in Chartley, and H.A. Yelle Elementary School near the center of town. High school students may also attend Southeast Regional Vocational-Technical High School in Easton or Bristol County Agricultural High School, otherwise known as "Bristol Aggie", in Dighton free of charge. Many students also attend private or parochial schools in the surrounding communities. Norton is also home to Wheaton College, which is a private liberal arts college. The school colors are purple and white and their mascot is a lancer. It is located on the west side of the town, next to the Yelle School. It also has a private school, Life Church, a Baptist school which serves grades K12, and the Pinecroft School on 33 Pine Street. The Norton Middle School (68) and Norton High School (912) are both located in the town's center. The town is home to the National Guard and the U.S. Army National Guard, which has a base in Norton. It has a post-secondary school, the University of Norton, which was founded in 1875. It was the first college in the state of Pennsylvania. The university was established in 1876. It now has a campus in the city of Dighton.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Norton, Bristol County, Massachusetts = 52. 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 47. 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 Norton = 3.5 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 498,715 individuals with a median age of 34.9 age the population grows by 7.23% in Norton, Bristol County, Massachusetts population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 640 residents per square mile of area (250/km²). There are average 2.76 people per household in the 6,440 households with an average household income of $87,203 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 8.90% of the available work force and has dropped -4.86% 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 21.38%. The number of physicians in Norton per 100,000 population = 141.2.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Norton = 47.4 inches and the annual snowfall = 7.3 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 124. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 201. 83 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 17.9 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 Norton, Bristol County, Massachusetts which are owned by the occupant = 80.68%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 30 years with median home cost = $246,410 and home appreciation of 0.30%. 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 $11.66 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 $7,132 per student. There are 15.5 students for each teacher in the school, 3046 students for each Librarian and 381 students for each Counselor. 9.41% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 21.32% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 9.36% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).