Concord
Miles from Boston 18
Population 16,993
Median house price $725,000 (January to August 2005)
Tax rate $9.80
Transportation Routes 2, 2A, 62, and 119; MBTA commuter rail; Yankee Line private commuter bus to Boston
MCAS Concord's elementary and middle schools were ranked 28th out of 373 systems statewide, and the Concord-Carlisle Regional High School ranked 14th out of 373, according to a Boston Globe analysis of 2004 MCAS results.
Census facts Median family income is $115,839, compared to a national rate of $50,046, and 66 percent of residents held a bachelor's degree or higher, compared to a national rate of 24 percent.
Website www.concordnet.org
CONCORD -- Tax relief for seniors and the preservation of both historic homes and open space are on the collective mind of residents here, where the American Revolution began.
This year, two major studies have been completed, one an update of the town's long-range plan for 2020 and the second a search for a way to help fixed-income residents cope with a rising tax rate and escalating prices for necessities such as home heating fuel.
The long-range plan generated a long list of tasks and hundreds of suggestions on how the town should move forward, and Town Manager Christopher Whelan said various boards and committees will report each year on how much progress they have made in meeting the suggestions.
He also said the Council on Aging is working to match legal and financial advisers with budget-conscious seniors to help ease their financial concerns. Whelan said the town is looking to discounts from municipally owned water and electric utilities, although the size of the discount and the eligibility requirement must still be hashed out.
Whelan also said residents will be deciding how to spend $1.2 million collected through the Community Preservation Act. Recommendations will be reviewed by Town Meeting next spring.
Founded in 1635, Concord's storied role in American history draws 1 million tourists yearly to visit the spots where the Minutemen fired the first shots of the American Revolution, and to Walden Pond, the natural muse of writer Henry David Thoreau.
On a recent week, Realtor.com listed 109 single-family homes, ranging from $429,000 for a three-bedroom, one-bath, 880-square-foot home to $5.3 million for an eight-bedroom, 4 1/2-bath, 4,196-square-foot home set on a 53-acre estate. Condo prices were $326,000 to $1 million.
JOHN ELLEMENT
103 Assabet Ave. One-family, built in 1890, 3,147 square feet, 8 rooms, 4 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, on 23,087-square-foot lot. $1,047,500
38 Blueberry Lane One-family Colonial, built in 1971, 3,540 square feet, 10 rooms, 4 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, on 51,401-square-foot lot. $1,295,000
22 Center Village Drive, Unit 22 Condominium, built in 1989, 1,222 square feet, 4 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 2 baths. $539,000
13 Dover St. One-family Colonial, built in 1967, 1,896 square feet, 7 rooms, 4 bedrooms, 2 baths, on 12,632-square-foot lot. $639,000
78 Forest Ridge Road, Unit 104 Condominium, built in 2002, 1,188 square feet, 5 rooms, 2 bedrooms, 2 baths. $445,000
