Milford #38: Central MA’s Best Communities

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

GoLocalWorcester Best Communities Team

Milford

Located on the eastern edge of Worcester County, #38 ranking Milford is a town with many services and options, including an education system with modern facilities and excellent curriculum offerings; newly constructed and upgraded municipal buildings; playing fields and parks for active and passive recreation; a multi-use trail (Milford Upper Charles Trail); major shopping plazas; a revitalized downtown; an active Cultural Center; a first class regional hospital; and a wide variety of restaurants and hotels.

Coming in at #5 for restaurants, Milford's rankings are all over the chart. Its economic condition ranking is #68, and it ranks 55th for affordability. Its arts and culture (#36), safety (#41) and education (#42) rankings are near the median.

Milford by the numbers

Established: 1780
Population: 27,999
Median household income: $66,636
Median housing price: $199,000

2012 Best Communities rankings

Overall ranking: 38
Affordability ranking: 55
Education ranking: 42
Economic condition ranking: 68
Safety ranking: 41
Arts & Culture ranking: 36
Restaurant ranking: 5

History in a nutshell:

Originally called "Mill River," Milford benefited from the Industrial Revolution because of its famous pink granite--discovered in Milford in 1870. The granite has been used worldwide in buildings and monuments alike such as the Battle Monument at the United States Military Academy at West Point.

Famous residents:

Nathan Barnatt, Actor and comedian
Albert Fitch Bellows, Artist
Al Cass, Musician and inventor
Vincent Connare, Designer of the Comic Sans and Trebuchet fonts
Paul Coyne, Emmy-nominated producer
William F. Draper, US Representative
Rich Gotham, President of the Boston Celtics
Howie Long, NFL Hall of Fame

Notable residents source: Wikipedia
Additional reporting by Grace Fenton