Conveniently located, the Merrimack Valley region is known as the Crossroads of New England due to its proximity to the major New England cities of Manchester, New Hampshire; Portsmouth, New Hampshire; and Portland, Maine to the north and Providence, Rhode Island and Boston, Massachusetts to the south—the latter only 20 to 25 miles southeast. All of these cities are easily accessible through Interstates 93, 95, and 495. In addition, the Merrimack Valley communities of Andover, Lawrence, Methuen, and North Andover are tied to this greater New England region through three commuter rail stations, a regional bus service, and the major international airports in Boston, Manchester, and Providence.
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Quick
Facts
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Population
Trend:
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Land
Area: Square Miles
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1980
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1990
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2000
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2004
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| Andover |
26,370
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29,151
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31,247
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32,141
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31.0
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| Lawrence |
63,175
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70,207
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72,043
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71,858
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7.0
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| Methuen |
36,701
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39,990
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43,789
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44,845
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22.4
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| N. Andover |
20,129
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22,792
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27,202
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27,979
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26.7
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| Total |
146,375
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162,140
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174,281
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176,823
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87.1
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| Source: U.S. Census Bureau | |||||||
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Single
Family Housing, Median Sales Price Trend:
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Tax
Rates: FY2005
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1990
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1995
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2000
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2005
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Residential
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Comm./Ind.
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| Andover |
222,000
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247,000
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395,450
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576,000
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11.51
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18.00
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| Lawrence |
106,200
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66,900
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122,000
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243,950
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9.70
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23.53
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| Methuen |
130,500
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117,900
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180,000
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320,000
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10.04
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18.32
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| N. Andover |
215,000
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245,500
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375,000
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550,000
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11.52
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12.59
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| Source: The Warren Group | |||||||
Business Incentives
· Through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, a substantial part of the City of Lawrence has been designated a Renewal Community Zone—one of only 40 in the nation—which qualifies the area for significant economic aid in the form of wage credits, tax deductions, capital gains exclusions, and bond financing to stimulate economic development and job growth.
· The communities of Lawrence, Methuen, and North Andover are designated Economic Target Areas (ETAs) by the Massachusetts Office of Business Development (MOBD), the state's primary economic development and business assistance agency, which qualifies them for special economic incentive programs. Within MOBD is the Massachusetts Business Resource Team (BRT), a single point of contact for businesses looking for information on available state aid. The best part is that the BRT will do all the work matching your business needs with the available state resources. Simply contact the BRT, answer a few basic questions about your business needs, and a representative will promptly contact you and offer assistance.
· Through the U.S. Small Business Administration, the City of Lawrence has been designated a Historically Underutilized Business Zone (HUBZone), which provides Federal contracting preferences to qualified small businesses. These preferences go to small businesses that obtain HUBZone certification in part by employing staff who live in a HUBZone. The company must also maintain a "principal office" in one of these specially designated areas.
Utility Information
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For more detailed community and regional economic and demographic data: click here.
For more detailed community profiles and regional recreational opportunities: click here.
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For More Information phone: 978-374-0519 e-mail: info@mvpc.org |
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