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Natick, MA

Frequently asked questions

Natick, MA

Natick is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is near the center of the MetroWest region of Massachusetts, with a population of 37,006 at the 2020 census. 10 miles (16 km) west of Boston, Natick is part of the Greater Boston area. Massachusetts's center of population was in Natick at the censuses of 2000-2020, most recently in the vicinity of Hunters Lane. 

The name Natick comes from the language of the Massachusett Native American tribe and is commonly thought to mean "Place of Hills." A more accurate translation may be "place of [our] searching," after John Eliot's successful search for a location for his Praying Indian settlement.

Natick was settled in 1651 by John Eliot, a Puritan missionary born in Widford, England, who received a commission and funds from England's Long Parliament to settle the Massachusett Indians called Praying Indians on both sides of the Charles River, on land deeded from the settlement at Dedham. Natick was the first of Eliot's network of praying towns and served as their center for a long time. While the towns were largely self-governing under Indian leaders, such as Waban and Cutshamekin, the praying Indians were subject to rules governing conformity to Puritan culture (in practice Natick, like the other praying towns, combined both indigenous and Puritan culture and practices). Eliot and Praying Indian translators printed America's first Algonquian language Bible. Eventually, the church in Natick was led for several decades by an indigenous pastor, Rev. Daniel Takawambait.

The colonial government placed such settlements in a ring of villages around Boston as a defensive strategy. Natick was the first and best-documented settlement. The land was granted by the General Court as part of the Dedham Grant.

The town was incorporated in 1781. Henry Wilson, a U.S. senator who became the 18th Vice President of the United States (1873–1875), lived most of his life in Natick as a shoemaker and schoolteacher known as the "Natick Cobbler" and is buried there. He is the namesake of one of Natick's middle schools.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has an area of 16.0 square miles (41 km2), of which 15.1 square miles (39 km2) is land and 1.0 square mile (2.6 km2) is water. The total area is 7.04% water, including Lake Cochituate and Dug Pond. Natick borders Wellesley, Wayland, Weston, Framingham, Sherborn and Dover.

The town places a strong emphasis on health and wellness for its residents. MetroWest Medical Center offers comprehensive medical services to ensure your health needs are met. METfit is a one-of-a-kind strength training and conditioning gym that provides comprehensive fitness programs. Start your journey at Central Rock Gym in nearby Framingham, known for its excellent bouldering facilities. For holistic healing, visit We Heal From Within, which offers a variety of integrative therapies. Enhance your relaxation with a session at Ashland REIKI & Wellness Center, which specializes in Reiki and holistic treatments. Engage in community health events such as Flower Full Moon Yoga at Chip-In Farm, which combines yoga with nature. EveryBody in Mind Wellness Center offers a diverse range of services including hypnosis and float therapy. For fitness enthusiasts, Get In Shape For Women provides a supportive environment for personalized fitness training. 
 

Top Sites in Natick, MA: Natick Mall, Cochituate State Park, Level99- Natick, and Mass Audubon's Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary.

ZIP Code: 01760. Area code: 508/774. Elevation: 181 ft (55 m). Area: 16.0 square miles (41 km2). Population: 37,006 (2020).
 

FAQs

Is Natick MA expensive?

The cost of living in Natick, MA, is 49.9% higher than the national average, which makes Natick an expensive place to call home. While Natick has a higher cost of living, it does have a higher median household income–helping to balance everything out. The Economic Policy Institute recommends that a family of four makes $130,740 per year to live comfortably in Natick, MA.

What is Natick, MA famous for?

Natick was the birthplace of modern baseball and the site of the first baseball factory in the United States. In the 1850s, two young ballplayers in Natick, John W. Walcott and William A. Cutler, pioneered important new baseball-making methods. While Walcott designed a more resilient inner core, consisting of hard rubber wrapped in glue-soaked yarn, Cutler designed the well-known “figure eight” stitching pattern that remains the gold standard in baseball about 170 years later. It is no coincidence that both Walcott and Cutler were shoemakers by trade and had considerable experience working leather into rounded shapes.

What is the crime rate in Natick MA?

The crime rate in Natick is considerably higher than the national average across all communities in America from the largest to the smallest, although at 16 crimes per one thousand residents, it is not among the communities with the very highest crime rate. The chance of becoming a victim of either violent or property crime in Natick is 1 in 63. Based on FBI crime data, Natick is not one of the safest communities in America. Relative to Massachusetts, Natick has a crime rate that is higher than 88% of the state's cities and towns of all sizes.

Sources

Wikipedia

Town of Natick

Neighborhoodscout

Natick Historical Society

Mass Bay Movers

Natick Mall

Cochituate State Park

Level99- Natick

Mass Audubon's Broadmoor Wildlife Sanctuary

MetroWest Medical Center

METfit

Central Rock Gym

We Heal From Within

Ashland REIKI & Wellness Center

Chip-In Farm

EveryBody in Mind Wellness Center

Get In Shape For Women

The content herein is provided for general informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Medical information changes constantly, and therefore the content on this website should not be assumed to be current, complete or exhaustive. Always seek the advice of your doctor before starting or changing treatment. If you think you may have a medical emergency, please call your doctor or 9-1-1 (in the United States) immediately.