Uxbridge #37: Central MA’s Best Communities

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Tuesday, June 26, 2012

GoLocalWorcester Best Communities Team

With more than 375 national or state historical markers and four villages, 37th ranked Uxbridge is a town rich in history. Located in the center of the Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor, the town was an early manufacturer of textiles, woolens, and military uniforms, including the first Air Force Dress Uniform.

The town has experienced a significant increase in its population over the last thirty years, growing from 8374 in 1980 to 13,457 in 2010. The town’s population growth from 2000 to 2010 was 20.6 percent.

Uxbridge ranks above the median in all categories, except for affordability, where it comes in at #60, and for educational achievement, where its 44th place ranking is just below the median.  The town's highest score is for arts and culture (#17), followed closely by economic condition, where it ranks 24th.  
 

Established: 1727
Population: 13,457
Median household income: $81,127
Median housing price: $297,000

2012 Best Communities rankings


Overall ranking: 37

Affordability ranking: 60

Education ranking: 44

Economic condition ranking: 24

Safety ranking: 28

Arts & Culture ranking: 17
Restaurant ranking: 23

History in a nutshell:

Uxbridge was a leader in the earliest industrialization of both the region and the nation. It was home of the first woolen mill in the Blackstone Valley, built in 1809, fueling the production of textiles, power looms for woolens and cashmere woolens. Uxbridge also was the manufacturer of the first Air Force Dress Uniform, "Uxbridge Blue," continuing to produce military uniforms for more than 140 years. The patriarch of the political Taft family, Robert Taft I, settled in Uxbridge in 1680. 

Famous residents:  

Alice Bridges, Olympic swimmer
Brian Skerry, National Geographic photographer
Jacqueline Liebergott, President of Emerson College
Arthur Weelock Jr, Curator of the National Gallery in Washington DC

Notable residents source: Wikipedia 
Additional reporting by Grace Fenton

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