Overview

Introduction to Wellesley, Massachusetts

Wellesley is located in eastern Massachusetts in Norfolk County. It's recognized as part of the Greater Boston area. Wellesley is home to the prestigious Wellesley College.

History

During the 1630's a small group of settlers purchased land from two Indian Chiefs named Nehoiden and Maugus. The settlement became known as Dedham. Approximately 75 years later a portion of Dedham was established as a town named Needham. The western portion took the name West Needham and was a farming community during the majority of the 18th and 19th centuries. The railroad was brought to the area in the 1830's and its arrival dramatically changed the town.

Businessmen from Boston frequented the town and brought their modern type of life to the area. In 1881 the residents of West Needham were successful in convincing the Massachusetts legislature to change the name of their town to Wellesley. In 1914 Wellesley became the first town in the country to create zoning laws. In the 1920's Wellesley was considered to be one of the primary suburbs of the city of Boston and became a major shopping area. The town prospered during the 20th century.

Transportation

The MBTA provides rail service for Wellesley, including transportation to Boston. Wellesley is served by the Logan International Airport.

Attractions

The Wellesley College Botanic Gardens is comprised of the Margaret C. Ferguson Greenhouses, The Alexandra Botanic Gardens and the Walter Hunnewell Arboretum. The arboretum features more than 500 species of plants, a topiary garden and a collection of greenhouses which feature over 1000 plant species.

The Elm Bank Reservation was formerly the estate of Benjamin Pierce Cheney who founded American Express. The Massachusetts Historical Society is located at the reservation. Other noteworthy attractions in the area include:

  • Historic district in the vicinity of Cottage Street
  • Wesley Town Hall

Higher Education

Wellesley is home to Wellesley College, Babson College and Massachusetts Bay Community College. Wellesley College is a liberal arts college for women and was established in 1875. Wellesley College is considered to be one of the prominent liberal arts colleges in the country. The beautiful campus of Wellesley college is situated on 500 acres of land. The campus features Lake Waban, woodlands and meadows. The college is well known for the numerous former students who have obtained high positions in prominent corporations.

Demographics

People

Total Population29,201
Male Share of the Population43.8%
Female Share of the Population56.2%
Senior Citizens14.7%
Employed Population 16+12,467
Age of the Population36

Families

% of people married54.9%
Average household size3

Education and Earnings

Population % with Bachelor Degree or Higher40.2%
Median Earnings25+$107,639
Median Earnings Without High School Qualification$10,000
Median Earnings With High School Degree$46,250

Wealth

Median Family Income$236,167
% Above Poverty Level95.9%
% Below Poverty Level4.1%

Commute & Sprawl

Average Commute Time30 minutes
% Working from Home11.5%
% Walking and Biking to Work11.8%
% Using Public Transportation10.6%

Housing

People Living Alone18.9%
Median Gross Rent$1,796
Median House Value$1,090,400

Ancestry

Other(often includes Hispanic and African American)24.4%
Irish20.7%
Italian12.6%
English11.7%
German10%
Polish4.2%
Scottish3%
French Except Basque2.7%
Russian2.4%
Greek1.9%
Swedish1.7%
Canadian1.5%
Arab1.2%
Norwegian1.1%
Dutch1.1%
African1%
US/American1%
Hungarian0.8%
Austrian0.7%
Welsh0.7%
Portuguese0.6%
West Indian0.6%
Ukrainian0.5%
Lebanese0.5%
Lithuanian0.4%
Swiss0.4%
Haitian0.3%
Ethiopian0.3%
Syrian0.3%
Iranian0.3%
Turkish0.3%
Danishn0.3%
Croatian0.3%
Slovene0.2%
Ghanaian0.2%
Jamaican0.2%
Latvian0.2%
Brazilian0.2%
Czech0.2%
Finnish0.2%
Romanian0.2%
Serbian0.2%
Palestinian0.1%
Albanian0.1%
Trinidad Tobago0.1%
Australian0.1%
Belgian0.1%
Slovak0.1%
South African0.1%
Somali0.1%
Israeli0.1%
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Wellesley Almanac

CategoryValue
CountyNorfolk County
Standard Zip Codes02482, 02481
Phone Area Codes3,39,78,15,08,774, 43, 781
Time ZoneAmerica/New_York
Approximate Latitude42.29
Approximate Longitude-71.3

Wellesley Climate

Nearest Weather Stations

Notes:

  • Temp ranges are avg daily min and max for the month
  • Precipitation is rainfall (and rainfall equiv of snowfall)

StationFRAMINGHAM
Distance6.4 miles
Jan Temp16 to 36 F
Apr Temp38 to 58 F
Jul Temp63 to 84 F
Oct Temp40 to 63 F
Annual Precip45.8 inches
StationWALPOLE 2
Distance9.2 miles
Jan Temp18 to 36 F
Apr Temp37 to 58 F
Jul Temp62 to 83 F
Oct Temp41 to 62 F
Annual Precip46.5 inches
StationBEDFORD
Distance12.9 miles
Jan Temp16 to 35 F
Apr Temp36 to 58 F
Jul Temp60 to 83 F
Oct Temp39 to 62 F
Annual Precip46.9 inches

Nearby Cities and Towns

LocationPopulationMedian Family Income
Dover2,533$242,917
Needham30,735$182,198
Newton88,660$182,139

Wellesley Public Libraries

Wellesley Free Library
530 WASHINGTON ST.
Wellesley, Massachusetts
(781) 235-1610

library logo

More Information for Librarians

Wellesley Public Schools

Ernest F Upham
35 Wynnewood Rd
ZIP: 2481
(781) 446-6285
Primary
Total Enrollment 233
Joseph E Fiske
45 Hastings Street
ZIP: 2481
(781) 446-6265
Primary
Total Enrollment 451
Katharine Lee Bates
116 Elmwood Rd
ZIP: 2481
(781) 446-6260
Primary
Total Enrollment 384
Schofield
27 Cedar Street
ZIP: 2481
(781) 446-6280
Primary
Total Enrollment 348
Wellesley Middle
50 Kingsbury Street
ZIP: 2481
(781) 446-6235
Middle
Total Enrollment 1178
Wellesley Sr High
50 Rice Street
ZIP: 2481
(781) 446-6290
High
Total Enrollment 1480
Hunnewell
28 Cameron Street
ZIP: 2482
(781) 446-6275
Primary
Total Enrollment 290
John D Hardy
293 Weston Rd
ZIP: 2482
(781) 446-6270
Primary
Total Enrollment 305
Sprague Elementary School
401 School Street
ZIP: 2482
(781) 263-1965
Primary
Total Enrollment 398

Wellesley Private Schools

Great Knowledge
204 Worcester St
ZIP: 2481
Elementary
Total Enrollment 4
St John The Evangelist School
9 Ledyard St
ZIP: 2481
Elementary
Total Enrollment 105
Dana Hall School
45 Dana Rd
ZIP: 2482
Combined Elementary And Secondary
Total Enrollment 475
St Paul School
10 Atwood St
ZIP: 2482
Elementary
Total Enrollment 167
Tenacre Country Day School
78 Benvenue St
ZIP: 2482
Elementary
Total Enrollment 173
Sources :
Additional Details
Wellesley Colleges
Wellesley colleges and trade schools.
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Historic Wellesley

photo

President's House Oakwoods between 1902 and 1920

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President's House Oakwoods between 1902 and 1920

Shakespeare House between 1900 and 1920

Lake Waban (Wellesley College) c1908 (est.)

Additional Resources
Info for Wellesley Government Officials


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