HISTORY:
West Bridgewater was first settled in 1651 as a part of Olde Bridgewater. The town separated from Bridgewater, Massachusetts and was officially incorporated in 1822, the second of the three communities to separate from Bridgewater (after North Bridgewater, now Brockton, Massachusetts and before East Bridgewater, Massachusetts) over the span of three years. The town, like many in the area, had both agrarian and industrial roots; the Town River provided water power for milling, and irrigation for farming. The town is home to the oldest standing parsonage in the US (the Keith House, 1662). The town is also believed to be the site of the first industrial park in the US, now the site of the Town Park. The original Ames shovel works was located in the park.

DEMOGRAPHICS:
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 15.8 square miles (41.0 km²), of which, 15.7 square miles (40.8 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.2 km²) of it (0.57%) is water. The town ranks 238th of 351 communities in the Commonwealth in terms of land area, and ranks nineteenth out of the twenty-seven towns in Plymouth County. West Bridgewater is bordered by Brockton to the north, East Bridgewater to the east, Bridgewater to the south, and Easton to the west, as well as a small section (less than a quarter of a mile long) of the southwestern corner that borders the town of Raynham. West Bridgewater's town center is approximately four miles south of the center of Brockton, and is twenty-five miles south of Boston.

As of the census of 2000, there were 6,634 people, 2,444 households, and 1,796 families residing in the town. The population density was 421.5 people per square mile (162.7/km²). There were 2,510 housing units at an average density of 159.5/sq mi (61.6/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.40% White, 0.95% African American, 0.26% Native American, 0.68% Asian, 0.45% from other races, and 1.27% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.01% of the population.
There were 2,444 households out of which 31.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.9% were married couples living together, 9.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.5% were non-families. 21.7% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.66 and the average family size was 3.11. In the town the population was spread out with 22.7% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 28.0% from 25 to 44, 24.7% from 45 to 64, and 17.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 95.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.9 males. The median income for a household in the town was $55,958, and the median income for a family was $64,815. Males had a median income of $41,863 versus $31,835 for females. The per capita income for the town was $23,701. About 2.0% of families and 3.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 0.5% of those under age 18 and 6.3% of those age 65 or over. Statistically, West Bridgewater ranks 216th in terms of population and 191st in terms of population density; both statistics are below the median and mean averages. 

TRANSPORTATION:
Massachusetts Route 24 passes through the western half of town, with an exit at Route 106. Route 106 passes from east to west in the town, and meets at the center of town with Route 28. The Middleborough-Lakeville line of the MBTA's commuter rail service passes through town, between the towns of Middleborough and Lakeville and South Station in Boston. There are no stops in town, but there are stops in Bridgewater and the Campello section of Brockton. There are no airports in the town; there are small strips in nearby Taunton and Mansfield, but the nearest national air service is at Logan International Airport in Boston.

EDUCATION:
West Bridgewater operates its own school system for its approximately 1,220 students. The Spring Street School, not far from the town center, serves pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students. The Rose L. MacDonald School, located closer to the geographic center of the town, serves first, second and third grade students. The Howard School, between the post office and the library, serves fourth, fifth and sixth grade students. The West Bridgewater Middle-Senior High School, located along Route 106, serves students from grades 7-12. West Bridgewater's athletics teams are known as the Wildcats, and their colors are maroon and white. The football team plays South Shore Voke for its Thanksgiving Day football game, having recently ended its tradition of playing East Bridgewater, who has opted to play Pembroke High instead. Now the Wildcats are palying Avon-Holbrook for their Thanksgiving Day game.  In addition to the high school, students may choose to attend Southeastern Regional Vocational Technical High School in South Easton free of charge. The town is also home to the New England Baptist Academy, a private Christian school serving all grades. There are also other private schools in neighboring Bridgewater and Brockton. The nearest colleges are Massasoit Community College in Brockton, Stonehill College in Easton, and Bridgewater State College.