Dracut

At the 2020 census, the town's population was 32,617, making it the second most populous town in Massachusetts with an open town meeting system of governance. The town covers a total area of 21.36 square miles, 0.5 square miles of which is water. Before Europeans arrived in the mid-17th century, Dracut and the surrounding area were known as Augumtoocooke. Important Pennacook Indian settlements were served by fishing at Pawtucket Falls on the Merrimack River and abundant game in the surrounding marsh areas. In October 1665, Bess, wife of Nobb How and daughter of Passaconaway, sold land to Captain John Evered, also known as Webb of Draucutt of Norfolk County for four yards of duffill and one pound of tobacco. On March 18, 1676, the Wamesit Indians burned down four of Edward Colburne's buildings, then attacked Samuel Varnum and family as they crossed the river to milk the cows grazing in the Dracut pastures. The Indians fired upon their boat, killing Samuel's two sons, and one died in his daughter's arms as she sat behind him. The accompanying soldiers and Samuel fired back, but the Indians fled. By the late 17th century the Varnums, Coburns, Richardson, and other families of Dracut section of Chelmsford, dissatisfied with the protection provided, began to petition to the General Court to lay out their own township.

History

Before Europeans arrived in the mid-17th century, Dracut and the surrounding area were known as Augumtoocooke. Important Pennacook Indian settlements were served by fishing at Pawtucket Falls on the Merrimack River and abundant game in the surrounding marsh areas. The powerful sachem Passaconaway and his family spent much of their lives on this land.Europeans began to settle in the area around 1653, and established the town of Chelmsford, incorporated in 1655. By the late 17th century the Varnum, Coburn, Richardson, and other families of the Dracut section ofChelmsford began to petition to the General Court to lay out their own township. By summer 1669, however, protection became too costly and difficult, so the Mayor Henchman declared: "I judge it highly needful and necessary that we have relief, and that speedily of about twenty men or more for the repulsing of the enemy and guarding some outplaces" The Wamesit Indians fired upon their boat, killing Samuel's two sons, and one died in his daughter's arms as she sat behind him. The Indians fled, but the Indians were killed by the accompanying soldiers and Samuel fired back, and the Indians fled. The town of Dracut was established in 1701, and is now known as Dracut (Draucutt) and is located on the opposite side of the Merriack River from the town center.

Geography

Dracut is located in the Merrimack Valley of Massachusetts, zip code 01826, 30 miles (48 km) northwest of the state capital, Boston. The town is bordered by Tyngsboro to the west and the city of Lowell to the south and west in Middlesex County, Methuen to the east in Essex County, and Pelham, New Hampshire, to the north in Hillsborough County. Tewksbury (Middlesex County) and Andover (Essex County) border the town to theSouth. There are no bridges connecting Dracut to Teweksbury or Andover directly, forcing travel through Lowell via several crossings or I-93 in MethUen. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 21.4 square miles (55 km²), of which 20.9 sq miles (54 km²) is land and 0.5sq miles (1.3km²) (2.15%) is water. It is made up of a number of neighborhoods. They are locally known as Collinsville, East Dracut, Kenwood, and Dracut Center. The Navy Yard occupies the Southern portion of town bordering Lowell theMerrimack, and the town is bisected by Beaver Brook. The southern end of Dracut is on the merrimack River. It has a population of 2,816. It was founded in 1836. It became the first town in the state to have a post office in 1838.

Demographics

The earliest census data shows the town of Dracut having a population of 1,173 residents in 1765. As of the census of 2010, there were 29,457 people, 10,451 households, and 7,733 families residing in the town. There were 10,643 housing units at an average density of 509.3 per square mile (196.6/km²) The racial makeup of the town was:88.1% White (U.S. Average: 75.1%)4.0% Asian (U.S., Average: 3.6%)2.3% African American (U,S., average: 12.3%)0.09% Native American (U,S. average: 0.1%), 0.03% Pacific Islander (U.,S., averages 0.5%), and 0.43% from other races.Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.55% of the population. The town's median income was $57,676 (U, S.,average: $41,994), and the median income for a family was $65,633 (U;S., averaged: $50,046). About 2.7% of families were below the poverty line, including 3.2% of those under age 18 and 8.3%, of those age 65 or over. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.17. The population had a median age of 41.1 years, with 25.5% under the age of 18.

Government

Dracut is one of the largest towns in Massachusetts to still be governed by an open town meeting. There is an elected board of selectmen and school committee with five members each elected for three-year staggered terms. The voters also elect a town moderator, library trustees, and some members of the housing authority. Those who live in the Dracut Water Supply District also Elect a district moderator and water commissioners. The town manager, superintendent of schools, and library director respectively to execute their various duties. The town has a population of 2,000 people. It is located on the Massachusetts Turnpike, which runs through the town of Dracut, Massachusetts. It has an average population of 3,000. It also has a maximum population of 4,000, which is the highest in the state, and a maximum of 5,000 in the city. The city has a water supply district, which has a board of water commissioners and a water district moderator. There are also water commissioners for the town's two water supply districts, which have a total of seven members. The mayor of the town has the power to appoint a town manager and a library director. The council has the authority to appoint the town moderator and a school committee member, as well as the school committee and the town manager. The school committee also has the ability to hire a school director and library trustee for a three year staggered term. The Town has a town hall with a capacity of 1,200 people, and an open meeting for the entire town.

Public safety

The Town of Dracut has its own full-time police department, the Dracut Police Department, which employs 39 police officers. As of January 2014, the Department has a K-9 unit. The town is also secondarily protected by the Massachusetts State Police and is periodically patrolled by troopers from the A-1 barracks in Andover. The Dracut Fire Department is a 24/7 career fire department of approximately 40 firefighters. The Department's headquarters is located at 110 Loon Hill Road in the Parker Village section of the town. It responds from three fire stations located throughout the town, including Station 1, Station 2, and Station 3. The Police Department uses 15 different types of police vehicles to perform their duties, including a police car, ambulance, truck, ladder, and rescue vehicle. It also has a fire department that responds to calls for service in the town's downtown area. It has a 24-hour fire department with a fire station located at 488 Pleasant Street. The Fire Department has three other fire stations: Station 3, Station 1 and Station 2. It uses a fire truck to respond to fire calls in the downtown area, as well as a rescue truck to help with rescue efforts in the city. The department has a police department that employs 39 officers who utilize 15 various types ofPolice vehicles. It is also secondary protected by the Massachusetts State State Police, who patrol the town periodically. The Town has a Fire Department of about 40 firefighters, which responds to fires in and around the town from three stations.

Education

The Dracut School Department consists of six public schools: one high school, one middle school (grades 68), and four elementary schools (grades K5) The school department also uses the former Parker Elementary School for a small portion of its special education activities. In addition, about 440 Dracut students attend the Greater Lowell Technical High School. There are about 45 public school students attending out of district SPED programs and approximately 120 public schoolStudents attending out-of-town charter schools, as of FY14.

Transportation

Dracut is in proximity to many major area highways. Interstate 93, Interstate 495, and U.S. Route 3 are among the largest. Massachusetts Route 38, Route 110, and Route 113 run directly through the town. The LRTA 10 bus connects to the Lowell train station on the MBTA Commuter Rail Lowell Line. The Maritimes & Northeast Pipeline terminates in Dracut, connecting to the North American natural gas pipeline grid. The Portland Natural Gas Transmission System (PNGTS) and Tennessee Gas and the TransQuebec interconnect here. The Massachusetts Turnpike (Interstate 90) is only 30 to 35 miles (48 to 56 km) to the south in Boston. The town is located on the Massachusetts Bay Coast. It has a population of about 2,000 people (2,000 in 2010) and is located in the Berkshires region of Massachusetts. It is located near the town of Lowell, which is in the western part of the state and is home to the Boston and Cambridge rail stations. It also lies on the New England Coast and is on the Atlantic seaboard of the United States and the Canadian Coastline, which connects to New England and the rest of the North Atlantic region of the U.N. and Canada. It was once known as the "Town of the Stars" because of its large number of landmarks, such as the Cape and Islands, which are now known as "Towns of the Peaks" and "Townships of the Bay".

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Dracut, Middlesex County, Massachusetts = 43.5. 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 43. 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 Dracut = 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 3,548 individuals with a median age of 38.8 age the population grows by 3.96% in Dracut, Middlesex County, Massachusetts population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 1,560.6 residents per square mile of area (602.6/km²). There are average 2.69 people per household in the 11,032 households with an average household income of $68,490 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 8.90% of the available work force and has dropped -4.41% 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 22.28%. The number of physicians in Dracut per 100,000 population = 389.3.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Dracut = 42.2 inches and the annual snowfall = 50 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 114. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 201. 85 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 16.9 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 49, 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 Dracut, Middlesex County, Massachusetts which are owned by the occupant = 76.54%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 34 years with median home cost = $206,120 and home appreciation of -4.08%. 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 $11.70 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 $5,766 per student. There are 17.3 students for each teacher in the school, 2117 students for each Librarian and 706 students for each Counselor. 9.46% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 13.78% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 6.57% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).