Greater Lowell

Greater Lowell
Region ofMassachusetts
Red represents the City of Lowell, Dark Blue represents the Greater Lowell area, Light Blue represent the New England city and town area Division Lowell-Billerica-Chelmsford, Purple represents both.
Coordinates:42°40′00″N71°20′00″W
Country	United States
State	Massachusetts
Towns and cities	Billerica,Chelmsford,Dracut,Dunstable,Groton,Lowell,Pepperell,Tewksbury,Tyngsborough,Westford
Largest city	Lowell, Massachusetts(108,522) (2010 census)
Population (2010 census)
• Total	299,550

Greater Lowellis the region comprising the city ofLowell,Massachusetts,and itssuburbs.These lie in northernMiddlesex County,Massachusetts;in theMerrimack Valley;and in southernNew Hampshire.

Towns

The Greater Lowell area as defined as the LowellMetropolitan areaconsists of the towns ofBillerica,Chelmsford,Dracut,Dunstable,Groton,Lowell,Pepperell,Tewksbury,Tyngsborough,andWestford.The town ofPelham,New Hampshire,may also be included in Greater Lowell.

TheNew England city and town areaDivision Lowell–Billerica–Chelmsford contains some towns that can be considered part of Greater Lowell: inMassachusetts,these areAshby,Ayer,Billerica,Chelmsford,Dracut,Groton,Harvard,Littleton,Lowell,Shirley,Tewksbury,Townsend,Tyngsborough,andWestford;inNew Hampshire,the town ofPelham.

Demographics

The towns of Greater Lowell in Massachusetts have a combined population of 299,550 based on the 2010 census.Including the town of Pelham, Greater Lowell has 312,447 inhabitants.

Culture and Education

The city of Lowell is a cultural and institutional center for the region. It is home to theTsongas Center at UMass Lowelland theLowell National Historical Park,which preserves the region's legacy as an early textile manufacturing center during theIndustrial Revolution.TheUniversity of Massachusetts Lowelland a campus ofMiddlesex Community Collegeare located in the city as well, as areLowell General HospitalandSaints Medical Center,the regional hospitals.Greater Lowell Technical High Schoolserves many of the towns in the region.

Lowell is home to the Superior and District Court for Northern Middlesex County and is technically acounty seat,although Massachusetts counties are largely historical in function. Culturally, many residents of Greater Lowell have deep roots in the city itself, tend to be moreblue collar,and speak with an urbanBoston accent.Greater Lowell is split politically while the region as a whole is more likely to vote for a conservative candidate than other parts of the state whereas the city of Lowell is more likely to vote liberally.

Economy

Unemployment rateof Greater Lowell (blue) compared to that of Massachusetts (red) from 1990 through 2011. Note that the data for Massachusetts isseasonally adjusted,while that for Greater Lowell is not; that is why the former line is smoother than the latter.

Employment by sector in Greater Lowell in 2010

The economy of Greater Lowell is closely tied to that ofGreater Boston.Outside of the services, health, and retail sectors, major employers are in high technology and defense, with a still-shrinking manufacturing sector.

Suburban sprawland serious economic hardships have reduced the role Lowell plays in its suburbs over the decades. The entire region is often considered a component of the much largerGreater Bostonarea, as Lowell is only 25 miles from downtownBoston.Suburban office parks, shopping malls, and the severe decline ofheavy industryinNew Englandhave pulled the economic focus away from the once great industrial and commercial base in Lowell itself. Additionally, the population of Lowell is at 1900 levels despite large growth among the suburban population.

External links

• Lowell Sunnewspaper
• Chamber of Commerce
• Northern Middlesex Council of Governments
• The Greater Merrimack Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau
• Lowell at city-data