Franklin County, Massachusetts

Not to be confused with Franklin, Massachusetts.

Franklin County
County
Franklin County Courthouse in Greenfield
Seal
Location within the U.S. state of Massachusetts
Massachusetts's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 42°35′13″N72°34′26″W / 42.58707°N 72.573944°W / 42.58707; -72.573944
Country	United States
State	Massachusetts
Founded	1811
Named for	Benjamin Franklin
Seat	Greenfield
Largest city	Greenfield
Area
• Total	725 sq mi (1,880 km2)
• Land	699 sq mi (1,810 km2)
• Water	25 sq mi (60 km2)  3.5%
Population  (2020)
• Total	71,029
• Estimate  (2023)	70,836
• Density	98/sq mi (38/km2)
Time zone	UTC−5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional districts	1st, 2nd

Franklin County is a nongovernmental county in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Massachusetts. At the 2020 census, the population was 71,029, ^[1] which made it the least populous county on the Massachusetts mainland, and the third least populous county in the state. Its traditional county seat and most populous city is Greenfield. Its largest town by area is New Salem. ^[2] Franklin County comprises the Greenfield Town, MA Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Springfield-Greenfield Town, MA Combined Statistical Area.

History

Franklin County was created on June 24, 1811, from the northern third of Hampshire County. It was named for Benjamin Franklin. ^[3] Franklin County's government was abolished by the state government in 1997, at the county's request. ^[4]

Law and government

Like several other Massachusetts counties, Franklin County exists today only as a geographic region and has no county government. The Franklin County Commission voted itself out of existence, and all former state-mandated county functions were assumed by state agencies in 1997. The sheriff and some other regional officials with specific duties are still elected locally to perform duties within the county region. Counties in Massachusetts and New England generally are historically weak governmental structures. ^[5] The primary subdivision of the Commonwealth is the municipal town. Communities are permitted to form regional compacts for sharing services. The municipalities of Franklin County have formed the Franklin Regional Council of Governments. ^[6] The regional council provides various services on a regional basis, and a majority of the county's towns are members of the Franklin County Solid Waste Management District, which provides municipal waste disposal and recycling services to its members. Public transportation throughout the county and in the North Quabbin area of northwestern Worcester County is provided by the Franklin Regional Transit Authority.

See also: New England town

Politics

United States presidential election results for Franklin County, Massachusetts ^[7]

Year	Republican  /  Whig		Democratic		Third party(ies)
	No.	%	No.	%	No.	%
2024	12,428	29.42%	28,305	67.00%	1,515	3.59%
2020	11,201	26.38%	30,030	70.73%	1,227	2.89%
2016	10,364	26.70%	24,478	63.05%	3,979	10.25%
2012	9,344	24.75%	27,072	71.70%	1,342	3.55%
2008	9,545	24.77%	27,919	72.46%	1,065	2.76%
2004	11,058	29.58%	25,550	68.35%	773	2.07%
2000	10,176	30.50%	17,945	53.78%	5,245	15.72%
1996	8,055	24.60%	19,728	60.25%	4,959	15.15%
1992	8,691	24.26%	17,246	48.14%	9,890	27.60%
1988	13,475	40.68%	19,310	58.30%	338	1.02%
1984	15,883	50.37%	15,502	49.16%	148	0.47%
1980	12,528	41.59%	11,830	39.27%	5,764	19.14%
1976	14,837	47.58%	14,985	48.06%	1,359	4.36%
1972	16,088	56.93%	11,968	42.35%	202	0.71%
1968	12,345	48.63%	12,072	47.55%	969	3.82%
1964	8,344	32.56%	17,106	66.76%	174	0.68%
1960	15,682	55.99%	12,282	43.85%	47	0.17%
1956	19,779	72.09%	7,574	27.61%	83	0.30%
1952	19,489	68.94%	8,729	30.88%	50	0.18%
1948	14,919	61.21%	9,231	37.87%	223	0.91%
1944	13,252	58.37%	9,400	41.40%	51	0.22%
1940	14,137	59.58%	9,472	39.92%	119	0.50%
1936	13,756	57.99%	9,324	39.31%	641	2.70%
1932	13,040	66.03%	6,248	31.64%	460	2.33%
1928	14,333	70.52%	5,842	28.74%	149	0.73%
1924	11,350	77.12%	2,089	14.19%	1,278	8.68%
1920	9,931	77.85%	2,542	19.93%	284	2.23%
1916	4,353	56.93%	3,054	39.94%	239	3.13%
1912	2,636	36.08%	2,046	28.00%	2,624	35.92%
1908	4,824	67.87%	1,637	23.03%	647	9.10%
1904	5,034	71.40%	1,672	23.72%	344	4.88%
1900	4,937	70.47%	1,874	26.75%	195	2.78%
1896	5,671	80.17%	1,110	15.69%	293	4.14%
1892	4,510	58.50%	2,886	37.44%	313	4.06%
1888	4,100	55.90%	2,852	38.88%	383	5.22%
1884	3,676	53.34%	2,577	37.39%	639	9.27%
1880	4,023	64.39%	2,097	33.56%	128	2.05%
1876	4,072	64.34%	2,257	35.66%	0	0.00%
1872	4,335	80.80%	1,030	19.20%	0	0.00%
1868	4,580	83.33%	916	16.67%	0	0.00%
1864	4,376	77.25%	1,289	22.75%	0	0.00%
1860	3,994	74.28%	917	17.05%	466	8.67%
1856	4,445	74.44%	1,266	21.20%	260	4.35%
1852	2,552	46.42%	1,727	31.41%	1,219	22.17%
1848	2,133	40.09%	1,542	28.98%	1,645	30.92%
1844	2,725	52.45%	2,047	39.40%	423	8.14%
1840	3,461	61.20%	2,137	37.79%	57	1.01%
1836	2,405	69.59%	1,051	30.41%	0	0.00%

Voter registration

Voter registration and party enrollment as of February 2024 [8]
	Unenrolled	37,116	66.01%
	Democratic	14,576	25.92%
	Republican	3,871	6.88%
	Libertarian	192	0.34%
	Other parties	473	0.84%
Total		56,228	100%

Geography and climate

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 724.57 square miles (1,876.6 km²), of which 699 square miles (1,810 km²) is land, 25 square miles (65 km²) and (3.5%) is water. ^[9] Central and southern Franklin County is dominated by the northern end of the Pioneer Valley, with steep hills rising on either side of the Connecticut River.

The high point of Franklin County is Crum Hill, 2,841 feet (866 m), located in the town of Monroe.

Climate

The climate in Franklin County is typically cool temperate. The area is also somewhat maritime, with relatively high year-round precipitation. Summers are warm and humid with frequent evening storms, and winters are cool to cold with frequent snow and subfreezing (below 31 °F) temperatures.

Protected areas

• Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge (part)
• Paul C. Jones Working Forest (privately owned with conservation easement) around Brushy Mountain, Shutesbury ^[10]

Various Department of Conservation & Recreation properties.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1820	29,268		—
1830	29,501		0.8%
1840	28,812		−2.3%
1850	30,870		7.1%
1860	31,434		1.8%
1870	32,635		3.8%
1880	36,001		10.3%
1890	38,610		7.2%
1900	41,209		6.7%
1910	43,600		5.8%
1920	49,361		13.2%
1930	49,612		0.5%
1940	49,453		−0.3%
1950	52,747		6.7%
1960	54,864		4.0%
1970	59,210		7.9%
1980	64,317		8.6%
1990	70,092		9.0%
2000	71,535		2.1%
2010	71,372		−0.2%
2020	71,029		−0.5%
2023 (est.)	70,836	[11]	−0.3%
U.S. Decennial Census [12] 1790–1960 [13] 1900–1990 [14] 1990–2000 [15] 2010–2018 [16]

2000 census

At the 2000 census there were 71,535 people, 29,466 households, and 18,416 families in the county. The population density was 102 inhabitants per square mile (39/km²). There were 31,939 housing units at an average density of 46 per square mile (18/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 95.40% White, 0.89% Black or African American, 0.29% Native American, 1.04% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.75% from other races, and 1.61% from two or more races. 1.99%. ^[17] were Hispanic or Latino of any race. 16.2% were of English, 12.2% Irish, 12.0% Polish, 10.2% French, 7.0% French Canadian, 6.7% German, 6.1% Italian and 6.0% American ancestry according to Census 2000. Most of those claiming to be of "American" ancestry are actually of English descent, but have family that has been in the country for so long, in many cases since the early seventeenth century that they choose to identify simply as "American". ^{[18] [19] [20] [21] [22]} 94.5% spoke English and 1.8% Spanish as their first language.

Of the 29,466 households 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.9% were married couples living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.5% were non-families. 29.0% of households were one person and 10.9% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 2.95.

The age distribution was 23.5% under the age of 18, 7.8% from 18 to 24, 28.5% from 25 to 44, 25.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.2% 65 or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.5 males.

The median household income was $40,768 and the median family income was $50,915. Males had a median income of $36,350 versus $27,228 for females. The per capita income for the county was $20,672. About 6.5% of families and 9.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.5% of those under age 18 and 8.8% of those age 65 or over.

2010 census

At the 2010 census, there were 71,372 people, 30,462 households, and 18,317 families in the county. ^[23] The population density was 102.1 inhabitants per square mile (39.4/km²). There were 33,758 housing units at an average density of 48.3 per square mile (18.6/km²). ^[24] The racial makeup of the county was 94.2% white, 1.3% Asian, 1.1% black, 0.3% American Indian, 1.0% from other races, and 2.1% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 3.2% of the population. ^[23] The largest ancestry groups were: ^[25]

• 20.0% English
• 19.8% Irish
• 15.9% French
• 12.6% Polish
• 12.0% German
• 9.1% Italian
• 7.2% French Canadian
• 4.5% Scottish
• 3.9% American
• 2.1% Swedish
• 2.0% Scotch-Irish
• 1.8% Puerto Rican
• 1.5% Russian
• 1.3% Dutch
• 1.3% Portuguese
• 1.3% Lithuanian
• 1.0% Welsh

Of the 30,462 households, 26.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.8% were married couples living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, 39.9% were non-families, and 30.5% of households were made up of individuals. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.85. The median age was 44.2 years. ^[23]

The median household income was $52,002 and the median family income was $65,760. Males had a median income of $45,480 versus $37,309 for females. The per capita income for the county was $27,544. About 7.7% of families and 11.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.8% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over. ^[26]

Demographic breakdown by town

Income

See also: List of Massachusetts locations by per capita income

The ranking of unincorporated communities that are included on the list are reflective if the census designated locations and villages were included as cities or towns. Data is from the 2007-2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. ^{[27] [28] [29]}

Rank	Town		Per capita income	Median household income	Median family income	Population	Number of households
	Deerfield	CDP	$39,291	$90,625	$91,786	252	83
1	Hawley	Town	$37,094	$63,750	$79,167	378	154
2	Leverett	Town	$36,750	$74,500	$87,188	1,756	702
3	Shutesbury	Town	$36,472	$67,708	$85,972	1,834	745
	Massachusetts	State	$35,051	$65,981	$83,371	6,512,227	2,522,409
4	Whately	Town	$34,183	$78,750	$89,500	1,529	629
	Northfield	CDP	$33,956	$67,900	$88,068	1,004	440
5	New Salem	Town	$33,776	$64,833	$72,083	953	402
6	Ashfield	Town	$33,569	$66,429	$69,375	1,771	742
7	Conway	Town	$33,385	$80,313	$85,000	1,793	705
8	Deerfield	Town	$33,111	$69,744	$85,231	5,096	2,145
9	Leyden	Town	$32,348	$72,500	$78,167	633	272
	South Deerfield	CDP	$31,773	$51,107	$80,147	1,926	931
10	Gill	Town	$31,288	$59,800	$70,833	1,428	566
11	Sunderland	Town	$31,090	$54,208	$73,403	3,696	1,525
12	Northfield	Town	$31,001	$61,667	$73,697	3,034	1,276
13	Shelburne	Town	$30,751	$59,145	$77,063	1,957	811
14	Heath	Town	$30,557	$63,333	$72,981	483	214
15	Warwick	Town	$29,135	$59,531	$67,500	601	269
16	Colrain	Town	$29,035	$53,813	$64,375	1,729	703
17	Charlemont	Town	$28,555	$53,281	$64,000	1,160	505
18	Wendell	Town	$28,480	$56,750	$62,143	1,076	452
19	Rowe	Town	$28,354	$50,938	$56,667	386	183
	Franklin County	County	$28,313	$52,246	$65,713	71,495	30,362
20	Bernardston	Town	$28,117	$50,556	$66,000	2,193	948
	United States	Country	$27,915	$52,762	$64,293	306,603,772	114,761,359
21	Buckland	Town	$27,308	$61,750	$73,125	2,297	869
	Shelburne Falls	CDP	$27,155	$49,635	$62,500	1,886	815
22	Greenfield	City	$26,229	$46,018	$56,063	17,565	7,717
23	Montague	Town	$24,823	$41,980	$57,234	8,455	3,733
24	Erving	Town	$23,775	$53,661	$57,692	1,755	689
	Orange	CDP	$22,652	$50,407	$51,979	3,926	1,534
25	Monroe	Town	$22,647	$30,714	$56,875	122	72
	Turners Falls	CDP	$22,590	$36,623	$48,796	4,620	2,039
26	Orange	Town	$22,434	$44,282	$50,536	7,815	3,334
	Millers Falls	CDP	$21,386	$50,550	$58,516	1,129	443

Transportation

Franklin County is served by buses run by the Franklin Regional Transit Authority. Southeastern Franklin County is also served by the Pioneer Valley Transit Authority, with transportation to destinations in neighboring Hampshire County.

Major highways

• I-91
• US 5
• US 202
• Route 2
• Route 2A
• Route 8A
• Route 10
• Route 47
• Route 63
• Route 78
• Route 112
• Route 116
• Route 122

Notable person

• David Dunnels White, Medal of Honor nominee for capturing Major General Custis Lee, son of Robert E. Lee, at the Battle of Sailors Creek, Virginia, April 6, 1865. He was born in Cheshire, Massachusetts, in 1844, and was buried in the Bozrah Cemetery in East Hawley, Massachusetts, in 1924.

Communities

City

• Greenfield (traditional county seat)

Towns

• Ashfield
• Bernardston
• Buckland
• Charlemont
• Colrain
• Conway
• Deerfield
• Erving
• Gill
• Hawley
• Heath
• Leverett
• Leyden
• Monroe
• Montague
• New Salem
• Northfield
• Orange
• Rowe
• Shelburne
• Shutesbury
• Sunderland
• Warwick
• Wendell
• Whately

Census-designated places

• Deerfield
• Millers Falls
• Northfield
• Orange
• Shelburne Falls
• South Deerfield
• Turners Falls

Other unincorporated communities

• Lake Pleasant
• Satans Kingdom
• Zoar

See also

• List of Massachusetts locations by per capita income
• Registry of Deeds (Massachusetts)
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Franklin County, Massachusetts

References

1. "Census - Geography Profile: Franklin County, Massachusetts". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved November 14, 2021.
2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Archived from the original on May 31, 2011. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
3. Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp.  131.
4. "Massachusetts Acts of 1996, Ch. 151, §567" (PDF). State Library of Massachusetts. William Francis Galvin, Secretary of the Commonwealth. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
5. United States Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations (1981). State and Local Roles in the Federal System: A Commission Report. US Government Printing Office. p. 19. In New England the state and municipalities/townships were most prominent; counties drew almost a complete blank, reflecting their historically weak or non-existent position in that region.
6. Massachusetts Government: County Government Archived April 21, 2004, at the Wayback Machine Massachusetts League of Women Voters. Retrieved October 10, 2007.
7. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved August 27, 2018.
8. "The Commonwealth of Massachusetts" (PDF). Secretary of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. February 24, 2024. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
9. "2010 U.S. Census". United States Census Bureau. May 16, 2019. Archived from the original on May 16, 2019. Retrieved May 16, 2019.
10. "Deal keeps parcel of forest protected". The Boston Globe . December 24, 2011. Retrieved January 2, 2012.
11. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2023". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
12. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 16, 2014.
13. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved September 16, 2014.
14. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 16, 2014.
15. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 16, 2014.
16. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 24, 2016. Retrieved August 26, 2013.
17. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
18. Sharing the Dream: White Males in a Multicultural America By Dominic J. Pulera.
19. Reynolds Farley, 'The New Census Question about Ancestry: What Did It Tell Us?', Demography, Vol. 28, No. 3 (August 1991), pp. 414, 421.
20. Stanley Lieberson and Lawrence Santi, 'The Use of Nativity Data to Estimate Ethnic Characteristics and Patterns', Social Science Research, Vol. 14, No. 1 (1985), pp. 44-6.
21. Stanley Lieberson and Mary C. Waters, 'Ethnic Groups in Flux: The Changing Ethnic Responses of American Whites', Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Vol. 487, No. 79 (September 1986), pp. 82-86.
22. Mary C. Waters, Ethnic Options: Choosing Identities in America (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1990), p. 36.
23. "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
24. "Population, Housing Units, Area, and Density: 2010 - County". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
25. "DP02 SELECTED SOCIAL CHARACTERISTICS IN THE UNITED STATES – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
26. "DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2006-2010 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
27. "SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS 2007-2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved January 26, 2013.
28. "ACS DEMOGRAPHIC AND HOUSING ESTIMATES 2007-2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved January 26, 2013.
29. "HOUSEHOLDS AND FAMILIES 2007-2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". U.S. Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved January 26, 2013.

External links

• National Register of Historic Places listing for Franklin Co., Massachusetts
• Map of cities and towns of Massachusetts Archived September 27, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
• Franklin Regional Council of Governments website
• Franklin County Solid Waste Management District website Archived February 9, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
• Franklin Regional Transit Authority website
• Franklin County Chamber of Commerce website
• Wall & Gray. 1871. Franklin County map
• Beers, D.G. 1872. Atlas of Essex County Map of Massachusetts Plate 5. Click on the map for a very large image.
• US Census Bureau map of cities, towns, Native American reservations, and census-designated places

42°35′N72°35′W / 42.58°N 72.59°W / 42.58; -72.59