Brockton is a city inPlymouth County, Massachusetts, United States; the population was 105,643 at the 2020 United States census. Along withPlymouth, it is one of the twocounty seats ofPlymouth County.[2] It is the sixth-largest city in Massachusetts and is sometimes referred to as the "City of Champions", due to the success of native boxersRocky Marciano andMarvin Hagler, as well as its successfulBrockton High School sports programs. Two villages within it areMontello andCampello, both of which haveMBTA Commuter Rail Stations and post offices. Campello is the smallest neighborhood, but also the most populous. Brockton hosts a baseball team, theBrockton Rox of theFrontier League. It is the second-windiest city in the United States, with an average wind speed of 14.3 mph (23.0 km/h).[3]
In 1649, Ousamequin (Massasoit) sold the surroundingWampanoag land—then known as Saughtucket—toMyles Standish as an addition toDuxbury.[4] Brockton was part of this area, whichthe English renamedBridgewater. On June 15, 1821, a portion of the then Bridgewater Township was established as North Bridgewater.[5] Brockton is named afterIsaac Brock. He was the British commanding general atQueenston Heights—the first major battle of theWar of 1812—where invading American troops retreated in defeat. Because Brock was aloyalist, naming the town after him was a subject of contention among its colonial residents. Ultimately, it was given the name Brockton in 1874, and officially became acity on April 9, 1881.
Brockton was a stop on theUnderground Railroad, a network of secret routes and safe houses that helped enslaved people escape to freedom in the North and Canada.[6] FamousabolitionistFrederick Douglass, spoke to a crowd at the Liberty Tree in Brockton during the pre-Civil War period.[7] During theAmerican Civil War, Brockton was America's largest producer of shoes, and until the latter parts of the 20th century, Brockton had a large shoe and leather products industry.[8]
Since the company's 1898 founding, Brockton has been the headquarters city ofoffice supplies retailerW.B. Mason, itself founded to provide those supplies to the city's shoe industry. The city's economy was once based on the shoe industry, but it has since diversified to include other industries such as healthcare, education, and manufacturing. Brockton has faced a number of challenges, including poverty, crime, and regional and local racial segregation.[9] Despite these challenges, the city has made progress in recent years,[9] particularly in the development of its downtown area, by highlighting its diversity and rich history, and working toward a more welcoming atmosphere for businesses and residents.[10]
On October 1, 1883, Brockton became the first place in the world to have athree-wire underground electrical system whenThomas Edison threw a switch to activate it.[11]
The City Theater opened on October 24, 1894, the first theater in the world to be tied into the three-wire electrical system.
On December 30, 1884, the first electrically operated fire station in the United States opened in Brockton.
The department storeSanta Claus appeared in Brockton in December 1890, whenJames Edgar, of Edgar's Department Store, suited up for the first time.[12]
Brockton became the first city in the country to abolishgrade crossings in 1896.
In 2020, Brockton became the first city inNew England with a majority-Black population. Brockton's new majority-Black population is expected to have a positive impact on the city's culture, economy, and politics.[13]
On November 23, 2010, Brockton set the world record for the most Santa Hat wearers in one place at one time, with 872 people participating in the event.[14]
On November 20, 2011, Brockton doubled the city's Santa Claus hat-wearing record with 1792 people in downtown Brockton wearing Santa hats.[15]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 21.6 square miles (56 km2), of which 21.5 square miles (56 km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) (0.56%) is water. Brockton is the 162nd largest city by land area in the Commonwealth, and the twelfth largest of the twenty-seven towns in Plymouth County. Bordered byAvon to the north,Holbrook to the northeast,Abington to the northeast,Whitman andEast Bridgewater to the southeast,West Bridgewater to the south,Easton to the west, andStoughton to the northwest. Brockton is located 22 miles (35 km) south ofBoston, and 30 miles (48 km) northeast ofProvidence, Rhode Island.
Brockton is mostly an urban setting, lying along theSalisbury Plain River, which once powered the many shoe factories of the city. To the northeast lies the Beaver Brook Conservation Land, attached to the southern end of theAmes Nowell State Park inAbington. There are several parks throughout the city, but the largest isD.W. Field Park, anOlmsted-inspired park which includes ponds, Waldo Lake and Brockton Reservoir in Avon, as well as a golf course.
Brockton, Massachusetts – Racial and ethnic composition Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
As of thecensus[34] of 2020, there were 105,643 people, 31,440 households, and about 3.04 people living in each household, and about an average family size of 3.59. Thepopulation density was 4,486.3 people per square mile. The racial makeup of the city treating Hispanics as if a separate race was 27.8%White, 33.8%African American, 0.2%Native American, 2.1%Asian, 0.03%Pacific Islander, 6.9% other race; 17.1% Mixed race or Multiracial, and 12.1%Hispanic orLatino of any race. The African-American population in Brockton has grown significantly since the beginning of the early 2000s. The most reported ancestries in2020 were:[35]
Statistically, Brockton is the most populous and most densely populated community in Plymouth County. It is the sixth largest community in the commonwealth. However, it is only the twenty-seventh most densely populated community in the Commonwealth.[citation needed]
As of 2010, there were 33,675 households, out of which 35.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.0% weremarried couples living together, 19.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.4% were non-families. 26.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. In the city, the population was spread out, with 27.8% under the age of 18, 9.1% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 20.8% from 45 to 64, and 11.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.4 males.
As of 2018, the median income for a household in Brockton is $55,140. Males have an average income of $41,093 versus $35,145 for females. Theper capita income for the city was $17,163. The poverty rate in Brockton is 15.61% of the population. Notably by race, 23.55% of Hispanics were in poverty, while the Black population of Brockton had about 18.61% of its population living in poverty.
Brockton is home to theBrockton Symphony Orchestra, a community orchestra founded in 1948.[41][42] The orchestra performs five or six concerts per season at local venues such as Brockton's West Middle School Auditorium and theOliver Ames Auditorium in the neighboring town ofEaston. The orchestra comprises 65 musicians from the greater Brockton area and its musical director since 2007 is James Orent, a guest conductor of theBoston Symphony Orchestra andBoston Pops.[43][44]
Headlines posted in street-corner window of newspaper office (Brockton Enterprise), 60 Main Street, Brockton, Massachusetts, December 1940. Additionally upstairs, the first main offices ofW.B. Mason.
Based atCampanelli Stadium, theBrockton Rox are a professional baseball team competing in theFrontier League. The team began play in 2024 as the New England Knockouts,[51] and changed their name in January 2025.[52]
An earlierBrockton Rox team played in theFutures Collegiate Baseball League (FCBL). From 2003 through 2011, the team was a member of the independent professionalCan-Am League, then in 2012 joined the amateur FCBL.[53] Collegiate players on FCBL teams, who are looking for more experience and scouting exposure, are offered non-paid playing opportunities.
On the state level, Brockton is represented in three districts in theMassachusetts House of Representatives: the Ninth Plymouth, Tenth Plymouth (which includes West Bridgewater and Precinct 1 of East Bridgewater), and the Eleventh Plymouth (which includes most of Easton). The city is represented in theMassachusetts Senate as a part of the Second Plymouth and Bristol district, which includes Halifax, Hanover, Hanson, Whitman and portions of East Bridgewater and Easton[54]
Brockton has a city government led by amayor andcity council. Thecity elects a mayor for two-year terms. Previous mayors include Winthrop H. Farwell Jr., John T. Yunits Jr., David Crosby, Carl Pitaro, Richard L. Wainwright, John E. Sullivan, Alvin Jack Sims, Joseph H. Downey and Paul Studenski. James Harrington was elected mayor in 2005 and began his term in January 2006. He was re-elected on November 6, 2007, for another two-year term. He had previously served 16 years as a City Councilor. In the fall of 2009, City Councilor Linda Balzotti defeated Harrington to become the city's first female mayor. Balzotti was defeated in 2013 by Bill Carpenter, who won the election by only 44 votes. After the unexpected death of Bill Carpenter on July 3, 2019, City Councillor President Moises Rodrigues become the acting Mayor. On July 15, 2019 Rodrigues was unanimously elected by the 11-person City Council to become the Mayor of Brockton.[55] Rodrigues became the first person of color to become Mayor of Brockton after serving six years on the Brockton city council. In 2009, community activist Jass Stewart was elected to councilor-at-large becoming the first African American to serve in Brockton's city council.[56] The city council consists of four Councilors-at-Large and seven ward Councilors, one for every ward in the city. As of January 2020, the mayor of Brockton is Robert F. Sullivan.
Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of November 24, 2024[57]
Brockton operates its own school system for the city's approximately 17,000 students. There is an early education school (Barrett Russell), ten elementary schools (Angelo, Arnone, Baker, Brookfield, Downey, George, Gilmore, Hancock, John F. Kennedy and Raymond), the Davis K–8 school, six middle/junior high schools (North, East, West, South, Ashfield and the Plouffe Academy),Brockton High School and four alternative schools (Huntington, Edison, Champion and B.B. Russell). Brockton High School's athletics teams are called the Boxers (after the city's undefeated heavyweight boxing champion,Rocky Marciano[58]). In February 2024, Brockton High School entered the national spotlight following four district committee members requesting National Guard assistance via letter to the state’s Governor to deal with increasing levels of violence between students and security staffing shortages at the school, a request opposed by the Mayor of Brockton at the time.[1]
Brockton was home to three parochial schools (Sacred Heart, Saint Casimir and Saint Edward) which merged in 2007 to form two schools. Trinity Lower Campus at the former Saint Edwards school site, and Trinity Upper Campus located on the former site of the Saint Colman's school, one Christian school (South Shore Christian and the Brockton Christian School closed in 2010), andCardinal Spellman High School, a Catholic high school named forFrancis Cardinal Spellman, Brockton area native and former Archbishop of New York. Students may also choose to attend tuition-free Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical High School (in South Easton).[citation needed]
Massachusetts Route 24, a six-lane divided motorway, passes through the west side of the city, with exits atRoute 27 to the north andRoute 123 to the south. The two routes pass through the center of the city, crossing at that point.Massachusetts Route 28 passes from north to south through the center of the city, The western end ofRoute 14 (at its intersection with Route 27) and the southern end ofRoute 37 (at its intersection with Route 28) both are in the city.
Brockton has its own bus services, operated by theBrockton Area Transit Authority (BAT). Each bus has a designated route running through a section of Brockton, i.e. Montello, Campello, Cary Hill, etc. There are also buses that have routes outside the city, i.e., Bridgewater Industrial Park, Ashmont Station (MBTA subway end-of-line), Stoughton and a connectingbus stop in Montello to the Braintree Station (MBTA subway end-of-line).
Brockton has a community health center that serves individuals with low income and poor access to health care at Brockton Neighborhood Health Center.[60]
The city of Brockton is protected around the clock by 174 paid, professional firefighters of the city of Brockton Fire Department. The Brockton Fire Department currently operates out of six fire stations, located throughout the city, and maintains a fire apparatus fleet of five engines, three ladders, one squad, one tactical rescue unit and several other special, support, and reserve units. The fire department does not provideEMS services; ambulance coverage is currently contracted to Brewster Ambulance Service.[61]
The City of Brockton Police Department has roughly 181 sworn members and 31 non-sworn employees. The officers are assigned to the Patrol Division, and Operations Division which includes; Detectives, Narcotics, Gang Unit, Special Weapons And Tactics, K-9, Quality of Life, GREAT Program, Elderly Affairs, and Community Education Units.[64] In addition, the city is patrolled by the Fourth (Middleborough) Barracks of Troop D of theMassachusetts State Police.[65] Brockton also has several citizen anti-crime groups, including the Guardian Angels and Operation Archangel.
Brockton was named one of the 100 Best Communities for Young People in the United States in 2005, 2008, 2010, and 2011 by theAmerica's Promise Alliance.[70]
^"1950 Census of Population"(PDF). Bureau of the Census. 1952. Section 6, Pages 21-10 and 21-11, Massachusetts Table 6. Population of Counties by Minor Civil Divisions: 1930 to 1950. RetrievedJuly 12, 2011.
^"1920 Census of Population"(PDF). Bureau of the Census. Number of Inhabitants, by Counties and Minor Civil Divisions. Pages 21-5 through 21-7. Massachusetts Table 2. Population of Counties by Minor Civil Divisions: 1920, 1910, and 1920. RetrievedJuly 12, 2011.
^"1890 Census of the Population"(PDF). Department of the Interior, Census Office. Pages 179 through 182. Massachusetts Table 5. Population of States and Territories by Minor Civil Divisions: 1880 and 1890. RetrievedJuly 12, 2011.
^"1870 Census of the Population"(PDF). Department of the Interior, Census Office. 1872. Pages 217 through 220. Table IX. Population of Minor Civil Divisions, &c. Massachusetts. RetrievedJuly 12, 2011.
^"1860 Census"(PDF). Department of the Interior, Census Office. 1864. Pages 220 through 226. State of Massachusetts Table No. 3. Populations of Cities, Towns, &c. RetrievedJuly 12, 2011.
^"1850 Census"(PDF). Department of the Interior, Census Office. 1854. Pages 338 through 393. Populations of Cities, Towns, &c. RetrievedJuly 12, 2011.
^"1950 Census of Population"(PDF). 1: Number of Inhabitants. Bureau of the Census. 1952. Section 6, pp. 21-7 through 21-09, Massachusetts Table 4. Population of Urban Places of 10,000 or more from Earliest Census to 1920.Archived(PDF) from the original on June 9, 2011. RetrievedJuly 12, 2011.{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal= (help)
^Canavan, Derek A."Remembering Brockton's Greatest Tragedy".The men of the Campello firehouse were heroes that day. As hundreds of workers and residents of the Campello neighborhood ran from the fire, the Campello firefighters charged into the inferno looking for workers whose cries for help were barely audible over the roar of the flames.
^Valencia, Milton J. (May 4, 2008)."A memory painful and indelible".The Boston Globe. Archived fromthe original on October 21, 2012.Outside, the flames roaring through the walls and ceiling were clearly visible. But to the firefighters inside, on the balcony, the flames were hidden.
Core cities are metropolitan core cities of at least a million people. The other areas are urban areas of cities that have an urban area of 150,000+ or of a metropolitan area of at least 250,000+. Satellite cities are in italics.
