Historical United States Census totals for Franklin County, Massachusetts

This article shows U.S. Census totals for Franklin County, Massachusetts, broken down by municipality, from 1900 to 2000.

Like most areas of New England, Franklin County is (and has been at all times since well before the 20th century) entirely divided into incorporated municipalities. There is no unincorporated territory. For any census, adding up the totals for each municipality should yield the county total.

There are two types of municipalities in Massachusetts, towns and cities. The tables in the New England Historical U.S. Census Totals series differentiate between towns and cities; however, there have never been any cities in Franklin County.

For more information on the New England municipal system, see New England town.

Corporate changes since 1900

There have been no changes in Franklin County's municipality roster since 1900.

1900

County Total: 41,209

1910

County Total: 43,600

1920

County Total: 49,361

1930

County Total: 49,612

1940

County Total: 49,453

1950

County Total: 52,747

1960

County Total: 54,864

1970

County Total: 59,210

1980

County Total: 64,317

1990

County Total: 70,092

2000

County Total: 71,535

Notes

2000 Census

The Census Bureau made a number of revisions to 2000 census totals subsequent to their initial release. The 2000 total for the town of Montague was originally reported as 8,489; for the town of Shutesbury, 1,810; for the town of Leverett 1,633, and for the town of Whately, 1,573. The totals were later revised to those shown in the list above. This may have been done in part to correct assignment errors among these towns, as the totals for two went up and two went down, but the original figures also do not appear to add up to the county total (they are 30 short).

Special note regarding Greenfield

Greenfield is among eleven municipalities in Massachusetts whose status as towns or cities is a matter of some ambiguity. This ambiguity is the result of questions around the legal status of towns which have since the 1970s, through home-rule petition, adopted forms of government that resemble city government and do not include the elements traditionally associated with town government (e.g., a board of selectmen, a town meeting). Of the eleven communities that have done so, all but one have generally continued to use the title "town" and are usually referred to by residents as "towns", but the Massachusetts Secretary of State's Office considers all eleven to be legally cities. Other sources within state government often refer to all eleven municipalities as towns, however. Massachusetts seems to be the only New England state where this type of issue has arisen, even though other New England states also have municipalities which have adopted what amount to city forms of government but continue to call themselves "towns". In the other states, it does not appear that any need to officially label such municipalities as "cities" has been identified.

For purposes of the New England town page and its attendant pages, the ten affected communities which call themselves "towns", including Greenfield, are classified as towns. The reader should be aware, however, that some sources will identify these municipalities as cities. It is unclear when Greenfield adopted its current form of government.

The Census Bureau has been inconsistent in its handling of these municipalities. The Census Bureau listed all as towns through the 1990 Census. For the 2000 Census, some were inexplicably listed as towns and some as cities, a situation which continues in current Census materials. In the 2000 Census, Greenfield was listed as a town. As of 2006, Greenfield is still shown as a town in current Census materials.

See also

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