Town guide

Townsend, Massachusetts

Townsend is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, home to about 9,100 people across 33 square miles. Its ZIP codes are 01469 and 01474.

Homes sold for a median of $273 per square foot across 2 ZIP codes in the three months ending August 2026, and 1 of 2 were seller’s markets.

Population9,100278 per sq mi
Median home value$433,200Census, as estimated by owners
Price per sq ft$273Sold homes, 3 months to August 2026
Sold over asking46%Median of 2 ZIP codes

ZIP codes in Townsend

2 ZIP codes

Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Townsend. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology

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We’re writing up Townsend’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.

  • History
  • What it’s like to live there
  • Getting around
  • Things to do

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Around Townsend

Distances

Nearest major airportBoston Logan International Airport (BOS)41 miles away
Closer regional airportManchester-Boston Regional Airport (MHT)24 miles away
Nearest city of 250,000+Boston, MA42 miles away
Nearest city of 1 million+New York, NY179 miles away

Straight-line distances from the center of Townsend; driving is longer.

Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Who represents Townsend

Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.

Population over time

Townsend had 9,127 residents in the 2020 census, down 1% since 2000.

It’s the 194th largest of 351 towns in Massachusetts by population.

Middlesex County grew from 565,696 residents in 1900 to 1,632,002 in 2020.

Townsend population by census2000: 9,198, 2010: 8,926, 2020: 9,1279,19820008,92620109,1272020

Middlesex County, 1900–2020

Middlesex County population, 1900 to 20201900: 565,696, 1910: 669,915, 1920: 778,352, 1930: 934,924, 1940: 971,390, 1950: 1,064,569, 1960: 1,238,742, 1970: 1,397,268, 1980: 1,367,034, 1990: 1,398,468, 2000: 1,465,396, 2010: 1,503,085, 2020: 1,632,002566K’00’10778K’20’30971K’40’501.2M’60’701.4M’80’901.5M’00’101.6M’20

Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).

Weather by month

Average highs peak around 81°F in summer, and winter lows average 14°F. About 49.8 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.

Average high and low temperature and precipitation by month near TownsendJan: high 34°F, low 15°F, 3.5 in; Feb: high 35°F, low 14°F, 3.3 in; Mar: high 44°F, low 23°F, 4.4 in; Apr: high 57°F, low 35°F, 4.2 in; May: high 67°F, low 46°F, 3.7 in; Jun: high 76°F, low 55°F, 4.3 in; Jul: high 81°F, low 61°F, 3.7 in; Aug: high 79°F, low 59°F, 4.3 in; Sep: high 73°F, low 51°F, 4.3 in; Oct: high 60°F, low 39°F, 5.3 in; Nov: high 48°F, low 31°F, 3.9 in; Dec: high 37°F, low 22°F, 4.9 in34°15°Jan3.535°14°Feb3.344°23°Mar4.457°35°Apr4.267°46°May3.776°55°Jun4.381°61°Jul3.779°59°Aug4.373°51°Sep4.360°39°Oct5.348°31°Nov3.937°22°Dec4.9Rain and melted snow, inches

Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Fitchburg Coop, MA weather station (5 miles away).

Jobs in Middlesex County

963,417 jobs at 44,624 businesses in Middlesex County. The biggest industries by employees:

Largest industries in Middlesex CountyProfessional services: 159,471 jobs; Health care and social assistance: 126,002 jobs; Educational services: 92,086 jobs; Retail trade: 79,115 jobs; Hotels and restaurants: 68,258 jobs; Manufacturing: 67,626 jobs; Information: 67,368 jobs; Wholesale trade: 51,000 jobsProfessional services 17% Health care and social assistance 13% Educational services 10% Retail trade 8% Hotels and restaurants 7% Manufacturing 7% Information 7% Wholesale trade 5%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).

Health care

28 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Townsend’s ZIP codes.

Nearest hospitals

  • Umass Memorial Healthalliance HospitalsGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 3 of 5 · Leominster8.4 miles
  • Nashoba Valley Medical CenterGeneral hospital · emergency room · Ayer9.6 miles
  • St. Joseph HospitalGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 4 of 5 · Nashua13.3 miles

Providers with an office here

Primary care doctors5
Dentists4
Nurse practitioners and physician assistants2
Mental health providers14
Optometrists1
Chiropractors2
Pharmacies3

Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.

Places in and around Townsend

Parks (5 nearby)

  • TAYBS Spaulding Fields · 4 acres0.9 mi
  • TAYBS Craven Field · 3 acres2.1 mi
  • Town Common · 2 acres0.7 mi
  • Upper Common · 2 acres0.8 mi
  • Townsend State Forest Parking Area1.6 mi

Grocery stores (1 nearby)

  • Hannaford2.7 mi

Pharmacies (1 nearby)

  • McNabb Pharmacy0.7 mi

Libraries (1 nearby)

  • Townsend Public Library1.4 mi

Museums

  • Lunenburg Historical Society4.5 mi
  • Ashby Historical Society5.7 mi
  • Ron Bouchard Racing Museum5.9 mi
  • Fitchburg Art Museum6.8 mi
  • Fitchburg Historical Society6.9 mi

Theaters and performance venues

  • The Alumni Center for the Performing Arts6.7 mi
  • New Players Theatre Guild Center for the Performing Arts6.9 mi
  • Kalliroscope Gallery7.6 mi

Counts are within about 4 miles of the center of town.

Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.

Colleges, teams and notable people

Established in 1676.

Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.

Schools in Townsend

Public schools here are run by North Middlesex. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.

Public schools (4)
SchoolGradesStudentsTypeDistance
Squannacook Early Childhood CenterTownsendPre-K–489Public1.2 mi
Spaulding MemorialTownsendK–4413Public0.9 mi
Hawthorne BrookTownsend5–8449Public1.2 mi
North Middlesex RegionalTownsend9–12711Public2.5 mi

Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.

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Towns near Townsend

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Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.