Bridgewater, Massachusetts is a Boston-area town where young commuters are choosing to live to raise their families, says a local Realtor. Centrally located at Routes 24 and 495, Bridgewater provides easy access to Boston, Cape Cod, and Providence R.I., and average housing is about $188,700.

Realtor David P. Young says, "Bridgewater is a very appealing town with its affordable housing and a good school system with its location close enough to Boston for a reasonable commute via highways and a commuter rail system."

He explains, "The medium age in Bridgewater is 33.6 years which indicates where young families sought to have a wholesome, stimulating environment to raise children. Retirees looking for suitable town services and scaled-down living to suit their empty nest lifestyle also relocate to Bridgewater. There are many recreation activities available for all ages, such as local baseball and soccer fields, a skate park, a teen's center, free Sunday night concerts in the summer, basketball courts, a senior center, and many holiday festivities and parades for families to enjoy."

"The back-to-basics approach to life, walking or bicycling to work, is visible in Bridgewater," says Young. "In regards to local store loyalty, many residents do most of their shopping in Bridgewater.

"The town has Bridgewater State College which is one of the oldest institutions of higher education dedicated to teacher preparation in the United States," boasts Young. "Bridgewater State is a comprehensive public college offering majors in arts and sciences, management, aviation science and educational disciplines.The college employs 262 full time faculty members of which 81 percent have doctorates.

There are also the towns of East Bridgewater and West Bridgewater to consider.

"The town of West Bridgewater was incorporated in 1822," explains Young. "Its rural character retains many working farms although the town has experienced an increase in commercial growth.The town's growth has remained virtually the same since 1990. The age population above 65 has increased 4.0 percent the last decade while the school age children shows a steady decline. West Bridgewater is still a small town, a big extended family. The town attracts seniors because it has easy access to everything and is a quiet community.

"The town of East Bridgewater was incorporated in 1823. It started as an agriculture community. During the 20th century residential development along railroad lines stimulated industrial growth and the town became the site of shoe manufacturing and textile mills. The town is experiencing growth in population with a growth of over 23 percent since 1990. Many families are moving in because it is considered by many residents as a lovely place to live and raise a family. The key reason is the stable school system with a lower housing cost compared to other neighboring towns.

The town is experiencing significant increases in sub-division housing construction. With its increase in population, the School department has to juggle larger classes with a smaller budget. Deciding on how to spend the money for students always is a difficult task, but the population boom has made it harder. The town is blessed to have many civic employees, and professional business people who volunteer their time to serve the community. Many residents moved to East Bridgewater because it's a better safer place with quiet country surroundings."