Easton

Miles from Boston 24

Population 22,299

Median house price $415,125 (Jan. 2005)

Tax rate $10.68

Transportation Routes 106, 123, 138. Commuter bus service by Bloom Bus and Interstate Coach.

MCAS Easton's public school system ranked 89th out of 373 systems statewide, just behind Plympton, according to a Boston Globe analysis of 2004 MCAS results. Member, Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical High School district.

Census facts Median family income is $82,190 compared to $50,046 nationally; 40 percent held a bachelor's degree or higher compared to US rate of 24 percent.

Website www.easton.ma.us

EASTON -- The Ames family left their mark -- and their land and their buildings -- on this town.

Relying on bog iron discovered here, the family opened a shovel factory in 1803 that fueled the town's economy and the family's charity for decades.

The shovel industry is gone, leaving the town depending on residential property taxes for 90 percent of its revenue, a situation unlikely to change soon due to the absence of a sewer system. Residential building has dominated development since World War II.

In fiscal 2005, the average residential taxpayer's bill was $4,039 and the town is now searching for a way to close a $1.7 million budget gap for fiscal 2007, according to a recent town study. The same study found that of the 334 public school systems in the state, only 12 spend less than Easton's $6,686 per student.

Easton is also home to Stonehill College, a coeducational, four-year, Catholic college.

Recreational opportunities include the Hockomock Swamp Wildlife Management Area and Borderland State Park, a 1,570-acre park that was once the home of Oake and Blanche Ames. .

On a recent week, Realtor.com listed 141 single-family homes, ranging from $295,000 for a three-bed, one-bath, 1,146-square-foot home to $2.1 million for a seven-bed, 4.5-bath 7,680-square-foot home. Median price of a single-family home in 2005 was $415,125, according to the Warren Group, which publishes real estate information.

JOHN RICHARDSON ELLEMENT