Historical U.S. 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

*Greenfield 7,927
*Montague 6,150
*Orange 5,520
*Deerfield 1,969
*Northfield 1,966
*Colrain 1,749
*Shelburne 1,508
*Conway 1,458
*Buckland 1,446
*Charlemont 1,094
*Gill 1,015
*Erving 973
*Ashfield 955
*New Salem 807
*Bernardston 792
*Sunderland 771
*Whately 769
*Leverett 744
*Warwick 619
*Rowe 549
*Wendell 492
*Heath 441
*Hawley 429
*Shutesbury 382
*Leyden 379
*Monroe 305

1910

County Total: 43,600

*Greenfield 10,427
*Montague 6,866
*Orange 5,282
*Deerfield 2,209
*Colrain 1,741
*Northfield 1,642
*Buckland 1,573
*Shelburne 1,498
*Conway 1,230
*Erving 1,148
*Sunderland 1,047
*Charlemont 1,001
*Ashfield 959
*Gill 942
*Whately 846
*Bernardston 741
*Leverett 728
*New Salem 639
*Wendell 502
*Warwick 477
*Rowe 456
*Hawley 424
*Leyden 363
*Heath 346
*Shutesbury 267
*Monroe 246

1920

County Total: 49,361

*Greenfield 15,462
*Montague 7,675
*Orange 5,393
*Deerfield 2,803
*Northfield 1,775
*Colrain 1,607
*Shelburne 1,436
*Buckland 1,433
*Erving 1,295
*Sunderland 1,289
*Whately 1,234
*Conway 961
*Gill 879
*Ashfield 869
*Charlemont 808
*Bernardston 769
*Leverett 695
*New Salem 512
*Hawley 390
*Wendell 346
*Rowe 333
*Leyden 330
*Warwick 327
*Heath 325
*Shutesbury 242
*Monroe 173

1930

County Total: 49,612

*Greenfield 15,500
*Montague 8,081
*Orange 5,365
*Deerfield 2,882
*Northfield 1,888
*Shelburne 1,544
*Buckland 1,497
*Colrain 1,391
*Erving 1,263
*Sunderland 1,159
*Whately 1,136
*Gill 983
*Conway 900
*Bernardston 893
*Ashfield 860
*Charlemont 816
*Leverett 677
*New Salem 414
*Warwick 367
*Wendell 353
*Heath 331
*Hawley 313
*Rowe 298
*Leyden 261
*Shutesbury 222
*Monroe 218

1940

County Total: 49,453

*Greenfield 15,672
*Montague 7,582
*Orange 5,611
*Deerfield 2,684
*Northfield 1,975
*Shelburne 1,636
*Buckland 1,527
*Colrain 1,497
*Erving 1,328
*Sunderland 1,085
*Whately 979
*Bernardston 954
*Conway 944
*Gill 931
*Ashfield 872
*Charlemont 789
*Leverett 688
*Warwick 444
*Wendell 391
*Heath 359
*New Salem 357
*Leyden 260
*Hawley 257
*Rowe 233
*Monroe 207
*Shutesbury 191

1950

County Total: 52,747

*Greenfield 17,349
*Montague 7,812
*Orange 5,894
*Deerfield 3,086
*Northfield 2,246
*Shelburne 1,756
*Buckland 1,605
*Colrain 1,546
*Erving 1,322
*Bernardston 1,117
*Gill 1,070
*Ashfield 977
*Whately 939
*Sunderland 905
*Conway 873
*Charlemont 855
*Leverett 791
*Warwick 429
*New Salem 392
*Wendell 342
*Leyden 306
*Heath 305
*Hawley 244
*Shutesbury 213
*Rowe 199
*Monroe 174

1960

County Total: 54,864

*Greenfield 17,690
*Montague 7,836
*Orange 6,154
*Deerfield 3,338
*Northfield 2,320
*Shelburne 1,739
*Buckland 1,664
*Colrain 1,426
*Bernardston 1,370
*Sunderland 1,279
*Erving 1,272
*Gill 1,203
*Ashfield 1,131
*Whately 1,037
*Leverett 914
*Charlemont 897
*Conway 875
*Warwick 426
*New Salem 397
*Leyden 343
*Heath 304
*Wendell 292
*Shutesbury 265
*Hawley 251
*Rowe 231
*Monroe 210

1970

County Total: 59,210

*Greenfield 18,116
*Montague 8,451
*Orange 6,104
*Deerfield 3,850
*Northfield 2,631
*Sunderland 2,236
*Buckland 1,892
*Shelburne 1,836
*Bernardston 1,659
*Colrain 1,420
*Ashfield 1,274
*Erving 1,260
*Whately 1,145
*Gill 1,100
*Leverett 1,005
*Conway 998
*Charlemont 897
*Warwick 492
*Shutesbury 489
*New Salem 474
*Wendell 405
*Heath 383
*Leyden 376
*Rowe 277
*Hawley 224
*Monroe 216

1980

County Total: 64,317

*Greenfield 18,436
*Montague 8,011
*Orange 6,844
*Deerfield 4,517
*Sunderland 2,929
*Northfield 2,386
*Shelburne 2,002
*Buckland 1,864
*Bernardston 1,750
*Colrain 1,552
*Leverett 1,471
*Ashfield 1,458
*Whately 1,341
*Erving 1,326
*Gill 1,259
*Conway 1,213
*Charlemont 1,149
*Shutesbury 1,049
*Wendell 694
*New Salem 688
*Warwick 603
*Leyden 498
*Heath 482
*Rowe 336
*Hawley 280
*Monroe 179

1990

County Total: 70,092

*Greenfield 18,666
*Montague 8,316
*Orange 7,312
*Deerfield 5,018
*Sunderland 3,399
*Northfield 2,838
*Bernardston 2,048
*Shelburne 2,012
*Buckland 1,928
*Leverett 1,785
*Colrain 1,757
*Ashfield 1,715
*Gill 1,583
*Shutesbury 1,561
*Conway 1,529
*Whately 1,375
*Erving 1,372
*Charlemont 1,249
*Wendell 899
*New Salem 802
*Warwick 740
*Heath 716
*Leyden 662
*Rowe 378
*Hawley 317
*Monroe 115

2000

County Total: 71,535

*Greenfield 18,168
*Montague 8,468
*Orange 7,518
*Deerfield 4,750
*Sunderland 3,777
*Northfield 2,951
*Shelburne 2,155
*Bernardston 2,058
*Buckland 1,991
*Colrain 1,813
*Conway 1,809
*Shutesbury 1,806
*Ashfield 1,800
*Leverett 1,698
*Whately 1,563
*Erving 1,467
*Gill 1,363
*Charlemont 1,358
*Wendell 986
*New Salem 929
*Heath 805
*Leyden 772
*Warwick 750
*Rowe 351
*Hawley 336
*Monroe 93

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).

pecial 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.

ee also

*United States Census
*Franklin County, Massachusetts