Community Profile

The City of Attleboro was incorporated in 1914, and it quickly grew to become the jewelry capital of the United States. It was home to Balfour, which produced class rings for generations of students across the country, including making many “Super Bowl” champion rings. The city had a very popular downtown, which was home to many stores. People have fond memories of shopping in downtown Attleboro.  As the world began to change, and competition from abroad became a big factor for manufacturing jobs, some of our large jewelry manufacturers have relocated, and when the malls became popular, our downtown shops came under great pressure, and many had to close.

Our downtown is becoming home to more service businesses, and we are currently in the middle of a large downtown renewal project that will include a parking garage, bus terminal, and more green space that will open up the beauty of the Ten Mile River. The project will also include affordable condominiums to help bring more people into the downtown.  We are also home to a new Bristol Community College campus, and host Sturdy Memorial Hospital, which provides service to people in the Attleboro area.  One of our crown jewels in The Capron Park Zoo, that routinely draws visitors from Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

We are also in the middle of building an Industrial Business Park, to attract new clean businesses, focused on research and development, clean manufacturing, and looking to attract the “green technology” businesses of the future.

Attleboro is home to approximately 42,000 citizens, including approximately 6,000 students in our school system. We are optimistic about the future, and we cherish our history. We have a Mayor/City Council form of government, and have a dual tax classification system. Politically, we are very independent, with over 60% of our voters “Un-enrolled” in a party. We have elected very conservative and very progressive people to office, many times in the same year.