| Official Name: | Holden, Massachusetts |
| Settlement Type: | Town |
| Mapsize: | 260px |
| Coordinates: | 42.3517°N -71.8639°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | Massachusetts |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Worcester |
| Established Title: | Settled |
| Established Date: | 1723 |
| Established Title2: | Incorporated |
| Established Date2: | 1741 |
| Government Type: | Open town meeting |
| Leader Title: | Town Manager |
| Leader Name: | Peter Lukes[1] |
| Leader Title1: | Board of Selectmen |
| Leader Name1: | Stephanie Mulroy Richard Bates Anthony M. Renzoni Geraldine A. Herlihy Thomas Curran[2] |
| Area Total Km2: | 93.8 |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 36.2 |
| Area Land Km2: | 90.6 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 35.0 |
| Area Water Km2: | 3.2 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 1.2 |
| Elevation M: | 262 |
| Elevation Ft: | 860 |
| Population Total: | 19905 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Timezone: | Eastern |
| Utc Offset: | -5 |
| Timezone Dst: | Eastern |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -4 |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP code |
| Postal Code: | 01520 & 01522 |
| Area Code: | 508 / 774 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | 25-30560 |
| Blank1 Name: | GNIS feature ID |
| Blank1 Info: | 0618365 |
Holden is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The town was founded in 1741, and the Town Square (Center, Common) was donated by John Hancock, former Governor of Massachusetts. The population was 19,905 at the 2020 census.[3]
Holden was named for Samuel Holden, a director of the Bank of England.[4]
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 36.2sqmi, of which 35sqmi is land and 1.2sqmi, or 3.40%, is water. The landscape is compiled of hills and rivers, including the Quinapoxet.
Holden is bounded on the west by Rutland, on the northwest by Princeton, on the east by Sterling and West Boylston, on the southeast by Worcester, and on the southwest by Paxton.
As of the census[5] of 2020, there were 19,905 people, 7,251 households, and 5,457 families residing in the town. The population density was 568.7PD/sqmi. There were 7,439 housing units at an average density of 212.5/sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 87.71% White, 2.09% African American, 0.15% Native American, 3.49% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 1.36% from other races, and 5.19% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.17% of the population.
There were 7,251 households, out of which 35.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.4% were married couples living together, 11.4% had a male householder with no spouse present, 21.1% had a female householder with no spouse present, and 24.7% were non-families. 20.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 10.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.71 and the average family size was 3.18.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.0% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 22.4% from 25 to 44, 28.2% from 45 to 64, and 18.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42.3 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.1 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $111,960, and the median income for a family was $131,744. Males had a median income of $77,926 versus $48,578 for females. The per capita income for the town was $49,245. About 2.9% of families and 4.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.7% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.
Holden is part of the five-town Wachusett Regional School District that includes the neighboring towns of Paxton, Princeton, Rutland, and Sterling. The towns share the newly renovated Wachusett Regional High School. Wachusett was the first regional school district in Massachusetts.
Holden has three elementary schools: Davis Hill Elementary, Dr. Leroy E. Mayo Elementary, and Dawson Elementary. The town is served by Mountview Middle School for grades 6–8 which was newly built in 2016. High school students may choose to attend Wachusett Regional High School in Holden or Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School ("Monty Tech") in Fitchburg.
Holden also serves as the hometown for Holden Christian Academy, a PS–8 private Christian school.
The Holden public library first opened in 1888.[6] [7] In fiscal year 2008, the town of Holden spent 1.99% ($679,756) of its budget on its public library—approximately $40 per person, per year.[8]