Andover

The town of Andover is located in Essex County at the intersection of I-93 and 495. It is 20 miles north of Boston and is a member of the Merrimack Valley Regional Planning Agency. Andover fits into the wealthy communities cohort because of its high Equalized Valuation (EQV) of $136,610 for the year 2000 as well as its high per capita income, which was $25,792 for 1999.

 
 
Some quick facts about Andover:
Median Household Income (1990): $40,875
Equalized Valuation (EQV): $136,610
Income per capita: $25,792
Population: 31,247
Land Area: 31.01
Population Density: 940 persons per square mile
Owner Occupied Housing: 79%, State average of 62%
Average Household Size: 2.74
Affordable Housing: 8.5%
Unemployment Rate in 2000: 2%, as compared with 2.6% statewide
Labor Force: 16,973
Average Annual Wage (2000): $65,484
Total Number of Jobs: 34,258
Government: Open Town Meeting
 

Through our research we discovered that Andover is innovative in its approach to land-use; that the town is conservation minded; and also that there is a strong economic base to the town. Although the other towns considered met many of these criteria, Andover was more balanced than the other wealthy communities.

For instance, the town is well known for its excellent school systems, both public and private. In addition, its housing stock is diverse and it has the highest rate of affordable housing in its cohort, reaching 8.5% as of 2002 with a number of 40B proposals currently pending. Also, due in large part to the town's location, it has excellent access to rail and highway. The town has also received a $2.5 million grant from Mass Highway to undertake the visioning process of a downtown revitalization project and design review. Lastly, the workforce in Andover swells from the town's population of just over 31,000 to 61,000 during the day, indicating that Andover provides ample jobs for both its residents and those in surrounding areas.

Finally, Andover is proactive environmentally. The town is actively purchasing conservation land and appropriated $3.6 million for a conservation-related project in 2000. They have also focused a great deal on pedestrian and bicycle trails, representing forward thinking, creative land use and economic development planning, as well as encouraging alternative transportation modes.

The projects and planning initiatives outlined above indicate that Andover is undertaking forward-thinking and creative land-use and economic development planning as well as having a strong commitment to environmental planning. Because of its strong economic base and efforts to accommodate an adequate supply of affordable housing, Andover was chosen as the exemplary wealthy community in Massachusetts.

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Copyright © 2000 University of Massachusetts, Amherst. 
Created in 2002 by Alexandra Proshina. Maintained by the Department of Landscape Architecture and Regional Planning. Last  modified on 28th November, 2002
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