Built in 1920, this Colonial-style home at 49 Ninth Ave. in Haverhill includes two bedrooms, a newly renovated kitchen and hardwood floors. It is being offered for sale at $269,900.
And the bronze medal goes to Â… Haverhill. If all the settlements in the state of Massachusetts were to compete based on population increase, the North Shore city of Haverhill would come in third place, with the number of year-round residents up 7,551, going from 51,418 in 1990 to 58,969 in 2000, according to U.S. Census figures.
The city’s recent spike in population was due to a number of factors ranging from location to amenities in the community, all wrapped up in what remains a well-priced home market package.
Between 1990 and 2000, “Interest rates were at an all-time low, which made properties much more affordable for buyers to buy,” said Patricia Wyman of Re/Max Main Street Assoc. in Haverhill. “Developers built and people ran out and bought.”
The city also had geography to thank for drawing people in. Located about 32 miles north of Boston on the New Hampshire border and about 16 miles from the Atlantic Ocean, Haverhill is centrally placed
“We have easy access to major highways – there are five on and off ramps, we’re an hour from the mountains, there are two train stops within the city making for an easy commute and we’re near the beach,” said Wyman.
The location comes with a comparatively low price tag when looking at the median price of a single-family home in Haverhill and neighboring communities. In Haverhill a prospective buyer can expect to pay $291,500, compared with $405,000 in nearby Newburport or $470,000 in Andover, according to statistics compiled by The Warren Group, parent company of Banker & Tradesman.
“Our prices are more affordable,” said Wyman. “We’re a city, so we’ll be a little bit more reasonable than the suburbs.”
Although the pastoral appeal of other nearby North Shore communities may be alluring to some, Haverhill offers a variety of active and passive recreational opportunities. It boasts four 18-hole golf courses, a downhill ski area, two riding academies, a public skating rink and sailing program. The Merrimack River cuts through the center of the city, allowing residents ample chance to fish, swim, canoe or sail.
With such a multiplicity of things to do, Haverhill’s population is as varied as the amenities the city offers.
“We have a very wide spectrum of people,” said Wyman. The diversity of Haverhill’s residents seems to be a sort of tradition in the city that has been home to modern day moguls such as Louis B. Mayer (1885-1957) of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) film studios, poet Winfield Townley Scott (1910-1968), and Archie comic strip creator Bob Montanta (1920-1975).
Further back, George Washington was a guest of Haverhill on Nov. 4, 1789, for which the town square was commemoratively named Washington Square. Rowland Hussey Macy (1822-1919) of the New York City department store fame opened his first store in downtown Haverhill in 1851.
The city not only has a history of housing influential people, but recently no one seems to want to leave.
“The people that come here generally stay,” said Wyman.
Many people who initially buy in the city will decide to upgrade to a larger and more permanent property.
“There’s been a lot of moving up,” said Wyman. “People in condos are getting into single-families due to equity they were able to get in a short amount of time. There’s a lot of turnover in that respect.”
While residents may move from one property to another, many residents seem content to put down roots in the city.
“People don’t want to leave Â… because of the affordability,” said Wyman, noting that as residents grow they take Haverhill along with them. “When they move up, they move up with and within the city.”
Just the Facts:
Year incorporated:
As a city: 1870
Total area:
35.64
Population:
58,969 (2000)
Density:
1,769 per square mile
Tax rates
Residential: $12.98
Commercial: $21.32
Total number of housing units:
23,737
Public school enrollment:
8,172
