Home > Bernardston, Massachusetts

The town was named for colonial governor Francis Bernard.

1 History

Bernardston was first settled in 1738 and was officially incorporated in 1762.

2 Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 60.6 km² (23.4 mi²). 60.6 km² (23.4 mi²) of it is land and none of it is covered by water.

3 Demographics

As of the census ² of 2000, there are 2,155 people, 848 households, and 603 families residing in the town. The population density is 35.5/km² (92.0/mi²). There are 879 housing units at an average density of 14.5/km² (37.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the town is 99.03% White, 0.09% African American, 0.00% Native American, 0.00% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.19% from other racesThe United States Census Bureau uses the federal government's definitions of race when performing a census. These definitions have and may change between each census. The racial categories are officially described as follows:¹ The categories represent a s, and 0.65% from two or more races. 0.46% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There are 848 households out of which 31.5% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.4% are married couplesMarriage is a relationship that plays a key role in the definition of many families. Precise definitions vary historically and between and within cultures, but it has been an important concept as a socially sanctioned bond between people who (usually) are living together, 9.6% have a female householder with no husband present, and 28.8% are non-families. 22.1% of all households are made up of individuals and 10.4% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.52 and the average family size is 2.95.

In the town the population is spread out with 22.9% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 26.9% from 25 to 44, 28.1% from 45 to 64, and 16.2% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 42 years. For every 100 females there are 95.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 92.1 males.

The median income for a household in the town is $45,259, and the median income for a family is $53,125. Males have a median income of $35,071 versus $22,377 for females. The per capita incomeThe per capita income for an area may be defined as the total personal income in an area, divided by the number of people in that area. A ranking of the top 10 countries, according to the 2004 CIA World Factbook (in US dollar) # Luxembourg $55,100 # Norwa for the town is $20,959. 4.4% of the population and 2.8% of families are below the poverty lineThe poverty line is the level of income below which one cannot afford to purchase all the resources one requires to live. People who have an income below the poverty line have no discretionary disposable income, by definition. The actual monetary value of. Out of the total population, 3.0% of those under the age of 18 and 6.6% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.