Upton, Massachusetts

Upton is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. It was first settled in 1728. The population was given as exactly 8,000 at the 2020 census.

History
Upton was originally the home of the Nipmuc, who inhabited most of central Massachusetts. The town was first settled in 1728. Residents in outlying areas of surrounding towns were finding it difficult to fulfil the obligation to attend church every Sunday, so they petitioned the state for creation of a new town central to their homes, and in 1735 Upton was incorporated, taking land from Hopkinton, Mendon, Uxbridge, and Sutton.

Upton was home to a number of members of the Taft family, including an American Revolutionary War soldier named Samuel Taft, who was born there. Samuel Taft had 22 children and hosted President George Washington on his inaugural tour of New England in 1789. Three-term mayor of Worcester, historian Judge Henry Chapin was born here on May 13, 1811.

Between 1730 and 1850, Upton had many small shoe shops, called ten–footers. These operations were gradually merged into large assembly-line manufacturing companies. By 1837, Upton produced 21.7% of the boots made in Worcester County.

William Knowlton founded what was to become the world's largest women's hat factory: Knowlton Hat Factory was built in 1872 and added to the National Historic Register in 1982.

The Upton Fire Department was incorporated at Town Meeting on April 9, 1839, and has served Upton and its residents faithfully for 175 years

In 2018, the town, led by the Economic Development Committee, began the process of redeveloping its downtown area. This is expected to be a decade-long project involving a public-private partnership and anchored by a new community center.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 21.7 sqmi, of which 21.5 sqmi are land and 0.2 sqmi (0.97%) is water.

The northwestern section of Upton, including the area surrounding Warren Brook, has become known as Forest Green by locals due to the lush rolling hills that can be seen from Fowler Street and Mechanic Street.

Demographics
At the 2020 census, the population had reached 8,000. The racial makeup of the town was 87.5% White, 0.8% Black, 0% (1 individual) American Indian/Alaska Native, 4.2% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander, 1.4% from other races, and 6.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.5% of the population.

There were 2,910 households in the town. The population density was 370.4 PD/sqmi, and there were 2,995 housing units at an average density of 138.7 /sqmi. Of the households, 35.5% had children under the age of 18, 64.7% were married couples living together, 16.4% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present, and 13.1% had a sole male householder. 19.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

The age ranges included 5.4% under the age of 5, 22.4% under the age of 18, 4.3% from 18 to 21, and 15.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43.5 years. 49.6% identified as male and 50.4% as female.

According to the Census Bureau's American Community Survey, the median income for a household in the town between 2017 and 2021 was $140,192 (2021 dollars), and the per capita income for the town was $57,613. About 2.0% of the population were below the poverty line.

Community Center
The Upton Town Library was founded in March 1871, and was until 2023 housed at a converted church downtown. After a 20-year effort, built using a $12 million bond approved at the 2021 Town Meeting and subsequent election, the new Upton Community Center was opened on May 1, 2023. It combines a new library building, a new senior center, a refurbished children's playground, and a number of meeting rooms and study areas.

Public schools
Memorial Elementary School and Nipmuc Regional High School are part of the public school system of the Mendon-Upton Regional School District.

Blackstone Valley Regional Vocational Technical High School is a trade school also open to the nearby towns of Northbridge, Grafton, Bellingham, Uxbridge, Millville, Sutton, Milford, Hopedale, Blackstone, Douglas and Mendon.

Government
Government is by open Town Meeting. There are three selectmen elected to three-year terms, and an appointed town manager.

Notable person

 * Samuel Taft, an American Revolutionary War soldier, was born in Upton; hosted President George Washington on his inaugural tour of New England in 1789.