Leicester

Leicester is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts. The population was 11,087 at the 2020 United States Census. The town was named after Leicester, England. Leicester citizens played a large role in the start of the American Revolution. In 1774, Leicester's Colonel William Henshaw declared that "we must have companies of men ready to march upon a minute's notice" He coined the term "minutemen", a nickname for the militia members who fought in the revolution's first battles. A slave named Peter Salem fought at the Battle of Bunker Hill, where he killed British Major John Pitcairn. Both men are memorialized in Leicester street names (Peter Salem Road, Peter Salem Avenue, and Dorchester Heights), as well as a monument to General Knox at the Leicester Library. The name Leicester was suggested by first selectman Samuel Green as it was where his father had originated. The Green family was involved in the creation of both Worcester's Green Hill Park and New York City's Central Park. First (Congregational) Church was organized in 1718 and a Baptist church in Greenville was organizedIn 1737, the western part of the town, which had been a district distinct from the eastern half from the beginning, was established as the western parish. That part of Leicester was then incorporated as the separate district of Spencer in 1753. Three years after that, the southeastern part of town was taken to form a quarter of the newly incorporated town of Ward, later renamed Auburn. This information can be found in books held on the Leicester Public Library.

History

Leicester was incorporated by a vote of the Massachusetts General Court on February 15, 1713, on the condition that the land be settled by 50 families within seven years. One of the early settlers in town was Dr. Samuel Green, who lived in a house at 2 Charlton St. in Greenville (which is now part of Rochdale, a village in Leicester) Dr. Green trained many other doctors in the early 1700s. The Green family was involved in the creation of both Worcester's Green Hill Park and New York City's Central Park. Leicester citizens played a large role in the conflict's start. At a Committee of Safety meeting in 1774, Leicester's Colonel William Henshaw declared that "we must have companies of men ready to march upon a minute's notice" He would later become an adjutant general to Artemas Ward, who was second in command to George Washington in the Continental Army. A few months later on June 1775, a freed slave named Peter Salem fought at the Battle of Bunker Hill, where he killed British Major John Pitcairn. Both men are memorialized in Leicester street (Peter Salem Road) and in Leicester Avenue (General Knox Street) General Knox brought cannons from New York through the town of Leicester, delivering them to General Washington at Dorchester Heights. There is a monument to mark the route that led from Boston to Dorchester. The town was named after Leicester, England, as it was where his father had originated.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 24.7 square miles (64 km²), of which 23.4square miles (61 km²) is land. Leicester includes four distinct villages: Leicester Center, Cherry Valley, Rochdale, and Greenville. The former villages of Mannville and Lakeside were destroyed to construct the Kettle Brook reservoir system, in northeastern Leicester, to supply water to Worcester. The end of Worcester Regional Airport's longest runway, along with much of the airport's property, is in Leicester. Other municipalities bordering Leicester include Paxton along Route 56 to the north, Worcester and Auburn on the east, and Oxford and Charlton on the south. The town is cut into quarters by two state highways, east-west Route 9 and north-south Route 56.Spencer, now a separate town to the west, was once part of Leicester. Large parts of both Paxton and Auburn were also once parts of Leicester, as were parts of the towns of Auburn and Warwick. The village of Greenville is now considered part of Roch Dale, as it falls within the 01542 ZIP code. Most of Worcester's K kettle Brook water reservoir system is in the town. The city of Leicester is home to the New England Shakespeare Festival, which runs through the end of the year. The festival is held in Leicester every year in the summer. It is the largest Shakespeare festival in the United States, with more than 10,000 people attending.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 10,471 people, 3,683 households, and 2,707 families residing in the town. The population density was 448.3 inhabitants per square mile (173.1/km²) The racial makeup of the town was 96.29% White, 1.28% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.74% Asian,0.06% Pacific Islander, and 1.01% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.75% of the population. The town's population was spread out, with 26.0% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 30.0 percent from 25 to 44, 22.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females, there are 94.7 males. For each 100 females age 18 and over, there is 90.5 males. The average household size was 2.73 and the average family size was 3.21. The per capita income for the town is $20,822. About 4.3% of residents were below the poverty line, including 5.6% of those under 18 and 4.6%. The median income for a family was $64,202. Males had a median income of $40,991 versus $27,913 for females.

Government

The Town of Leicester is governed by a five-member Board of Selectmen. They also appoint a Board of Health, which has separate powers to regulate health matters. There are typically two or more town meetings each year, the annual Spring town meeting, and a special town meeting held in the Fall. All registered voters of the town may participate in approving the annual budget for the following fiscal year of July 1 through June 30. These powers are derived directly from the Massachusetts General Law chapter 111, which outlines the role of the Board of selectmen in running the town. The town has a mayor and a town council, both of whom are elected by the town's residents. The mayor and the town council have the power to veto any legislation that they feel is not in the best interests of the community. The city council has the authority to approve or disapprove of any legislation passed by the city council that is not within the bounds of the city's powers, and the mayor can veto any bill that is passed that does not have the required two-thirds majority of the council's approval. The council can also veto a bill that would require the mayor to submit a bill to the state legislature for approval, which would require a vote of the entire town. There is a town board of health, which is made up of three members, one of whom is the mayor. The school board has a superintendent, who is responsible for running the school system. The superintendent is the head of the school district, which also has the responsibility for the school budget.

Climate

In a typical year, Leicester, Massachusetts temperatures fall below 50F° for 195 days per year. Annual precipitation is typically 47.4 inches per year (the highest in the US) and snow covers the ground 60 days a year. The humidity is below 60% for approximately 25.4 days or 7% of the year. It may be helpful to understand the yearly precipitation by imagining 9 straight days of moderate rain per year, as that would be the equivalent of 47 inches of rain. The city is located on the Massachusetts Turnpike, which runs through the town of Leicester. It is located at the junction of the Massachusetts Bay and the Merrimack River. The town is located near the Massachusetts-Rhode Island border and is located in the Berkshires, which run through the western part of the town. It has a population of around 2,000. The average temperature in the city is around 50F. The area has an average annual rainfall of 47.3 inches. The annual average temperature is about 47.8 inches. It also has a high humidity of approximately 25% for about 25 days ayear, as well as an average yearly temperature of about 25.8 degrees. The temperature is below 50 F° for approximately 7% of the year, which is the average for the state. The yearly average precipitation is 47.2 inches, or approximately 9 inches. In the city, the average yearly precipitation is about 9 inches or more, or about 47 inches.

Library

The Leicester public library began in 1801. In fiscal year 2008, the town of Leicester spent 0.57% ($145,270) of its budget on its public library. The library costs $13 per person, per year ($15.92 adjusted for inflation in 2021). The library is located in the center of the town, near the town hall and the city hall. The town has a population of 2,000. The public library is open seven days a week, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., depending on the time of the day. It is located on the town's main square, in the heart of the city, and is open from 9am to 9pm. It costs about $13 a day, or $15 a year, per person. It has a collection of more than 1,000 books, some of which have been written by famous authors. The city's public library has a budget of about $145,000, or about $1,000 a year. It was built in the early 1800s, and has a library that is open six days a month, seven weeks a week. It also has a children's library, which opened in the mid-19th century, and an adult library that opened in 2000. It cost $13,000 in 2008, or approximately $15,000 per year, according to the city's budget. In 2021, the library will cost about $16,500, or around $13.92 per person, per year.

Education

Public school students in Leicester attend Leicester Elementary School, Leicester Middle School, and Leicester High School. 8th graders at Leicester Middle school have a choice between going to Bay Path Regional Technical High School or Tantasqua Regional technical High School for high school. Becker College has a campus on Washburn Square in the center of Leicester, next to Town Hall. The college's main campus is in Worcester; the Leicester campus was formerly operated independently as Leicester Junior College, which was established in 1946 after the purchase of the former Leicester Academy property. The two institutions merged under the Becker name in 1977. The high school maintains a rivalry with Auburn High School, which is located in Auburn, New Hampshire. The town has a population of 2,000, with the majority of residents living in the central part of the city. The city is home to the U.S. Air Force Academy, which has a base in Leicester. The state's largest employer is the University of Massachusetts-Lowell, with more than 1,000 students in the local area. The local economy is based on the state's manufacturing industry, which employs more than 3,000 people. It is also the largest employer in the state of New Hampshire, with about 1,200 people living in its central area, including the city of Leicester and the towns of Worcester and Auburn. The region's economy is largely based on agriculture, with most of its workers coming from the eastern United States. It has a long history of economic growth, particularly in the late 19th century.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Leicester, Worcester County, Massachusetts = 38. 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 52. 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 31. 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 Leicester = 3.3 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 202,081 individuals with a median age of 38.4 age the population grows by 5.28% in Leicester, Worcester County, Massachusetts population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 450 residents per square mile of area (170/km²). There are average 2.71 people per household in the 3,926 households with an average household income of $69,901 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 9.60% of the available work force and has dropped -2.86% 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 24.68%. The number of physicians in Leicester per 100,000 population = 245.5.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Leicester = 47 inches and the annual snowfall = 64.7 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 133. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 197. 79 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 51, 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 Leicester, Worcester County, Massachusetts which are owned by the occupant = 73.09%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 48 years with median home cost = $195,820 and home appreciation of -7.10%. 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 $13.23 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 $6,621 per student. There are 14.4 students for each teacher in the school, 644 students for each Librarian and 483 students for each Counselor. 7.08% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 14.84% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 5.81% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).