Town shows hefty gain in census
Danvers added 1,058 new residents last year, a 4.1 percent increase over 2006 and the largest population gain of any Massachusetts community, according to new federal census estimates.
The town's population grew to 26,736 by July 1, 2007, compared with 25,678 the year before. Data show that 500 new housing units were built in town in 2006, apparently boosting the overall population the next year.
Population in most local communities posted either modest gains or slight declines, the data show. Middleton, which in recent years has had a construction boom, added 77 residents last year. The town's population was estimated at 9,347 residents, com pared with 9,270 people in 2006, the data shows. Chelsea, like most other cities, lost population last year, losing 507 residents, for a population estimate of 38,203 in 2007, compared with 38,710 the prior year.
The increase in Danvers is attributed to the hundreds of new apartments and condos built at a former driving range and at the old Danvers State Hospital, on the west side of Route 1.
The new development, particularly at the former state hospital, added 29 students at Highlands School, the neighborhood elementary school for that part of town. Highlands is located about a mile from the development on Hathorne Hill.
An extra fifth-grade classroom was added at Highlands last year to help keep class sizes at 19 or 20 students. Although the fifth-graders have since moved on to middle school, officials are monitoring enrollment at the school, Superintendent Lisa Dana said.
"We really want to make sure our class sizes are manageable," Dana said in a recent interview. ". . . It did have significant impact last year."
A new school assignment plan has also been developed for students who may live at Avalon Danvers, the 497-unit apartment and condominium complex at the former state hospital. Students in seven of the 12 buildings at Avalon will be assigned to the Highlands School, the town's largest elementary school with about 400 students. The other five buildings will be assigned to Great Oak School, located off Route 62.
"That will give us some leeway," Dana said. "We don't want to continue adding students to Highlands."
Avalon Danvers, which held its grand opening last month, includes a mix of apartments and townhouse-style condos. The complex has designated 25 percent of its units as affordable housing. The development, which includes 433 apartments and 64 condos, is now about 90 percent occupied, said Margaret Murphy, a spokeswoman for Avalon Bay Communities Inc., the property owner.
The development does not keep track of the number of school-age children living at its property, she said. Children living there usually are listed on a lease, but they may not attend the local school district. "It could be a situation where a parent is divorced, and they visit only for a weekend," Murphy said.
Avalon Danvers, the largest residential development in Danvers, is not identified by name in the census data. The population estimates, announced July 10, are based on building permits, births, deaths, and other measures.
"The data is collected through administrative sources," said Tom Edwards, a spokesman for the US Census Bureau.
The population estimates are separate from the 10-year annual population survey conducted by the Census Bureau. The decennial census collects detailed information about a population, such as age and race.
But the population estimates, made each year, are used to help determine how much federal money a community should receive.
Kathy McCabe can be reached at kmccabe@globe.com.
