Shrewsbury (/ˈʃruzberi/ SHROOZ-bury) is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 38,325 according to the 2020 United States Census, in nearly 15,000 households.

Incorporated in 1727, Shrewsbury prospered in the 19th-century due to its proximity to Worcester, and from visitors to Lake Quinsigamond. The town is governed under the New England representative town meeting system, headed by the Town Manager and five-member elected Select Board.

History

The Town of Shrewsbury, named for Shrewsbury, England, is a community with an uneven and hilly terrain cut by a number of minor streams providing several small water power sites. Grants of land were made in what would eventually be the town beginning in 1664, with the 3,200-acre (13 km) grant called Haynes Farm as the largest. In 1664 Native American leader, Peter Jethro, and other Nipmuc Indians deeded land around Lake Quinsigamond to settlers in the area. Settlers came primarily from Sudbury and Marlborough, and the first permanent settler was Gersham Wheelock in 1720. As a town, Shrewsbury was first settled in 1722 and officially incorporated in 1727.

Townspeople created an agricultural economy with apple orchards, and by 1750, there were two stores and four taverns as well as several small industries in operation. The rapid fall of prices for agricultural goods, the shortage of hard currency, and the general economic depression following the Revolutionary War produced disastrous conditions for colonists. Shays’ Rebellion in 1786 sought to close the courts to prevent debt collections and the foreclosure of mortgages. Shrewsbury became a staging area for the rebellion and the encampment of the more than 400 insurgents, before the march on the Worcester Court House.

A leather industry began in 1786 in Shrewsbury, and town farmers developed large cattle herds to support the manufacture of boots and shoes. This was followed by the establishment of gunsmithing operations in 1797, which produced rifles, shotguns and pistols and eventually cutlery. Luther Goddard began in 1809 by making brass clocks and then established a small watch factory employing a few skilled Swiss and English watchmakers. Lumbering created sawmills, and they in turn drew chair and cabinet makers, plow and wagon builders.

The development of streetcar routes in the 19th century propelled the growth of single-family housing in town. A summer resort population on Lake Quinsigamond became consumers of the market garden produce grown by town farmers. As Shrewsbury’s industry was killed by the lack of large waterpower sites and the tardy arrival of the railroad, its role as a suburb of Worcester grew more important. The town’s population doubled from 1915 to 1940 as continued streetcar suburb growth brought more modern settlers into the community. Other modern developments included an increased number of lakeside cottages, ethnic clubs and recreational areas on the lake.

The 1953 Worcester tornado came through the Shrewsbury area, killing twelve people and causing extensive damage.

Since the late 20th century, Shrewsbury and neighboring Westborough have seen a large influx of immigration from South Asia, particularly India.

Education

Public schools

Shrewsbury Public Schools is the public school district in the town. Schools in the district include Shrewsbury High School, two middle schools, five elementary schools, and one preschool. These schools are Major Howard W. Beal School (grades 1–4), Floral Street School (grades 1–4), Spring Street School (grades 1–4), Walter J. Paton Elementary School (grades 2–4), Calvin Coolidge Elementary School (grades 1–4), Sherwood Middle School (grades 5–6), Oak Middle School (grades 7–8), and the Shrewsbury High School.

Private schools

Non-public schools in town include Shrewsbury Montessori, a private school offering programs for Pre-K through grade 6; St. Mary’s School, a Catholic parochial school for Pre-K through grade 8; and Saint John’s High School, a private Xaverian Brothers–sponsored high school.

Demographics

By the 2020 census, the population had reached 38,325.

As of the 2020 Census, there were 38,325 people, the racial makeup of the town was 64.1% White, 2.5% African American, 0.1% Native American, 24.6% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.2% from other races, and 6.5% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.2% of the population.

As of the 2020 Census there were 14,966 households, out of which 34.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.1% were married couples living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.7% were non-families. Of all households 25.3% were made up of individuals, and 10.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54, and the average family size was 3.09.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.6% under the age of 18, 5.0% from 18 to 24, 33.4% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 13.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 91.4 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $109,000 and the median income for a family was $124,000 (as of the 2010 census). Males had a median income of $56,259 versus $37,129 for females. The per capita income for the town was $45,570. About 3.3% of families and 4.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 4.6% of those under age 18 and 7.6% of those age 65 or over.