| Official Name: | Princeton, Massachusetts |
| Mapsize: | 260px |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | Massachusetts |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Worcester |
| Established Title: | Settled |
| Established Date: | 1743 |
| Established Title2: | Incorporated |
| Established Date2: | 1771 |
| Government Type: | Open town meeting |
| Leader Title: | Town Administrator |
| Leader Name: | Sherry Patch |
| Leader Title1: | Board of Selectmen |
| Leader Name1: | Karen Cruise, Chair Richard Bisk, Vice Chair Robert Cumming, Member |
| Area Total Km2: | 92.8 |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 35.8 |
| Area Land Km2: | 91.8 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 35.4 |
| Area Water Km2: | 1.0 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 0.4 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Settlement Type: | Town |
| Population Total: | 3495 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Elevation M: | 358 |
| Elevation Ft: | 1175 |
| Timezone: | Eastern |
| Utc Offset: | −5 |
| Timezone Dst: | Eastern |
| Utc Offset Dst: | −4 |
| Coordinates: | 42.4486°N -71.8778°W |
| Website: | town.princeton.ma.us |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP Code |
| Postal Code: | 01541 |
| Area Code: | 351/978 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | 25-55395 |
| Blank1 Name: | GNIS feature ID |
| Blank1 Info: | 0618380 |
Princeton is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. It is bordered on the east by Sterling and Leominster, on the north by Westminster, on the northwest by Hubbardston, on the southwest by Rutland, and on the southeast by Holden. The preeminent landmark within Princeton is Mount Wachusett, which straddles the line between Princeton and Westminster but the entrance to which is within Princeton. According to tradition, in 1675, Mary Rowlandson was ransomed upon Redemption Rock, now within the town of Princeton, by King Philip. The population was 3,495 at the 2020 census.[1] Princeton is a rural exurb, serving as a bedroom commuter town for nearby cities such as Worcester, Gardner, and Boston.
During King Philip's War in 1676, Native Americans brought their captive Mary Rowlandson to Princeton to release her to the colonists at Redemption Rock. The town of Princeton was incorporated in 1759, out of land that was previously part of Rutland. It was named after the Rev. Thomas Prince.[2] In 1810, it annexed a piece of Hubbardston, and in 1870, it annexed a piece of Westminster.
Princeton has five entries on the National Register of Historic Places:
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 35.8sqmi, of which, 35.4sqmi of it is land and 0.4sqmi of it (1.12%) is water.
As of the census[3] of 2000, there were 3,353 people, 1,166 households, and 959 families residing in the town. The population density was 94.6PD/sqmi. There were 1,196 housing units at an average density of 33.7/sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 96.75% White, 0.30% African American, 0.33% Native American, 0.95% Asian, 0.63% from other races, and 1.04% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.46% of the population.
There were 1,166 households, out of which 41.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 74.7% were married couples living together, 5.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 17.7% were non-families. Of all households, 13.5% were made up of individuals, and 5.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.87 and the average family size was 3.18.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 28.9% under the age of 18, 4.8% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 29.9% from 45 to 64, and 8.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 102.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $120,559, and the median income for a family was $152,884. The per capita income for the town was $54,940. About 2.7% of families and 4.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.3% of those under age 18 and 9.3% of those age 65 or over.
Princeton is part of the Wachusett Regional School District.
The Thomas Prince School serves as the town's kindergarten, elementary and middle school (K–8).[4]
Wachusett Regional High School (traditional public high school) in Holden, MA and Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School (vocational/technical high school) in Fitchburg, MA are the two public high schools serving the town of Princeton.
Princeton is served by Mount Wachusett Community College, whose main campus is located in Gardner, Massachusetts.[5]
The Princeton Public Library was established in 1884.[6] [7] In fiscal year 2008, the town of Princeton spent 1.6% ($129,243) of its budget on its public library; approximately $37 per resident, per year ($45.31 adjusted for inflation to 2021).[8]