Belmont, a residential suburb is only 7 miles west of Boston and easily accessible by public transportation of bus and subway and trackless trolley lines that crisscross the four and a half square mile town. Other outlying towns are also easy to reach by commuter rail provided by the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA). ...
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Belmont, a residential suburb is only 7 miles west of Boston and easily accessible by public transportation of bus and subway and trackless trolley lines that crisscross the four and a half square mile town. Other outlying towns are also easy to reach by commuter rail provided by the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority (MBTA).
With a population of over 25,000, Belmont, called "The Town of Homes" is an above average community. The median household income is high and the school district can boast that over eighty-percent of its graduates go on to college. The district consists of four public elementary schools, a middle school and a high school. The percent of students who pass standardized state tests in math and English is among the highest in the state.
The town that would become Belmont first formed in 1630 when Sir Richard Saltonstall led forty families inland from the Massachusetts Bay Colony to settle agricultural land. The town was originally named after the local Native American tribe, Pequosette, but later became Watertown. The town paid the natives thirteen pounds, seven shillings and six pence for the land. The building of the railroad in the early 19th century allowed the town to grow in population and economy because of easy trade with Boston where farmers could sell their produce.
Eventually by 1859, one-thousand residents, frustrated by having to travel far distances to vote in this spread-out town, seceded and incorporated into the Town of Belmont. An active town government of elected selectmen and elected meeting members oversees a community that seeks to maintain a small town atmosphere within a larger metropolitan area. Residents place value on maintaining the history, open space and diversity of the community.
Ethnic diversity is evident especially in the population and homeowner statistics. The town also promotes business. Numerous retail, service, insurance and banking businesses can be found throughout Belmont, but most abundantly in Belmont Center.
In August 2008, the average home sales price for a single family home in Belmont, MA was $635,512. While this data is collected from the MLS and deemed reliable, it is not guaranteed.
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