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Southwick is a town in Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 8,835 at the 2000 census.
History
Southwick was first settled in the 1730s by farmers from Westfield, Massachusetts, to the north. Southwick broke off from Westfield in 1770 and was officially incorporated in 1775. The 1775 boundaries of the town were somewhat smaller than the original settlement, since the southernmost third of Southwick ended up in Simsbury, Connecticut as the result of a cecession of its citizens. The town remained divided until 1793, when Massachusetts claimed the area (known as the "jog"). A border dispute continued until 1804, when the current boundary was established through a compromise between the two states.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 82.1 km² (31.7 mi²). 80.2 km² (31.0 mi²) of it is land and 1.9 km² (0.8 mi²) of it (2.37%) is water.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 8,835 people, 3,318 households, and 2,418 families residing in the town. The population density was 110.2/km² (285.4/mi²). There were 3,533 housing units at an average density of 44.1/km² (114.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.41% White, 0.51% African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.37% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.34% from other races, and 1.15% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.72% of the population.
There were 3,318 households out of which 36.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.0% were married couples living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.1% were non-families. 21.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.13.
In the town the population was spread out with 26.5% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 32.2% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 100.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.2 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $52,296, and the median income for a family was $64,456. Males had a median income of $41,863 versus $30,889 for females. The per capita income for the town was $21,756. About 3.8% of families and 6.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 6.3% of those under age 18 and 9.8% of those age 65 or over.
External links
- Official town website.
- "The Southwick Jog" by Rev. Edward R. Dodge.
- Map of Southwick, Massachusetts from Google Maps.
"Southwick, Massachusetts"