Andover ghettoes?

Prep School Admissions
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<p>so i’m doing research on privilege in America and I look up the poorest zip codes in America. First one on the list is Andover, Massachusetts (05501), with an average salary of $2,000. Along with Fairfield and Ames, Iowa, was the only town to have 2 zip codes on the list of 100 (05501 at number 1, and 01899 at number 11, with an average salary of $3516). Can someone explain?</p>

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<p>weird… i heard andover was not the best town.</p>

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<p>The problem is that you have the wrong zip code for Andover. The correct zip code is 01810. Here is 2000 census info on that zip: <a href=“http://■■■■■■■.com/38b5dk[/url]”>http://■■■■■■■.com/38b5dk&lt;/a&gt;
05501 is classified as Andover, but a special zip for an IRS Service Center. I guess you can send your money there and get impoverished!
Ames, Iowa is a nice college town – home of Iowa State. Check both Iowa zips again. Perhaps they are also IRS processing centers.</p>

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<p>Andover is a very wealthy town - one of the wealthiest in Mass outside of the Boston suburbs. PA is surrounded by some huge estates and the downtown is filled with boutique stores like the trad Andover Shop ( <a href=“http://www.theandovershop.com%5B/url%5D”>http://www.theandovershop.com</a> ) and Royal Jewelers ( <a href=“http://www.royaljewelers.com/[/url]”>http://www.royaljewelers.com/&lt;/a&gt; )</p>

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<p>ZipCodes are broken into 3 digit areas – the first three digits get you to the main post office mail processing center. So 055 and 018 don’t serve the same area. It makes sense that that would be a government facility…and that official government business mail wouldn’t be sent with the mail from the riff-raff.</p>

<p>Based on the other posts above, I think the ZipCode methodology has to be backed up with some skepticism and research. Special zips that are strictly for administrative or governmental functions won’t have residents. And that means that the average salaries for those Zips will be pretty low.</p>

<p>It seems like that data points you in the right direction, but you’re going to have to look behind the data to see what it is the data is steering you towards.</p>

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<p>yeah, andover is a very wealthy town with a relatively strong public school program for massachusetts.</p>

<p>there are many kids from andover that also go to the very expensive feeder school for phillips. it’s called the pike.</p>

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<p><a href=“http://www.pikeschool.org/home[/url]”>http://www.pikeschool.org/home&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

<p>Yeah, Pike usually sends about 20 out of their 60 graduating students to PA. A bunch of my friends went to Pike for 6-8 grade.</p>

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<p>yup, many go to andover after there.</p>

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<p>Oh! Now I remember! Fairfield Iowa is the home of Maharishi University. It’s a community of Maharishi followers. Older parents will remember the Maharishi whom the Beatles used to follow. It’s probably communal living – not impoverished. <a href=“http://www.mum.edu/campus/welcome.html[/url]”>http://www.mum.edu/campus/welcome.html&lt;/a&gt; Could this be its first mention on cc? Anyway, I think you need to look into the really low income zip codes a little further.</p>

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<p>What in the world is your source for the poorest zip codes? That info seems ridiculously off to me…</p>

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<p><a href=“http://wealth.mongabay.com/tables/100_lowest_income.html[/url]”>http://wealth.mongabay.com/tables/100_lowest_income.html&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>This is a good resource: <a href=“http://www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/c2kbr-19.pdf[/url]”>http://www.census.gov/prod/2003pubs/c2kbr-19.pdf&lt;/a&gt;
Look at Table 5.</p>

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<p>Andover is a nice little town, its the area around it (Lowell etc.) that ain’t so hot.</p>

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<p>There are some pretty crappy parts of Andover as well. Right after you through town as you are heading up the hill towards the school…that area isn’t too pretty (or safe looking).</p>

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<p>Aren’t there areas in the Appalachians that make far below that figure? Some towns out there just recently got electricity and running water. And that’s just one example.</p>

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<p>ummm excuse me if you will.</p>

<p>i’ve grown up in the lowell area & i took offense to the post by fun is fun.</p>

<p>the city of lowell is right next to andover.</p>

<p>it is a nice little city & does have the ghetto area but there are neighborhoods of beautiful mansions and many modest sections. most of the city is of adoration by many. they get a lot of money from the gov’t since they are a city and therefore have a very strong public school system. they have great sports, and a great college: University of Massachusetts Lowell. Many attractions, many things to do. great sense of community (everyone knows everyone kind of deal) </p>

<p>i love lowell & it is a hot place to be.</p>

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<p>Re Lowell:</p>

<p>dancer – I’m glad you’re proud of your hometown.</p>

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<p>Respect to Lowell…It’s a nice historical city on an upswing as many old, deteriorating buildings have been tastefully converted into residences and offices. In addition, as one of the huge immigrant towns during the rise of mills/factories, Lowell possesses a blend of cultures and ethnicities. </p>

<p>Tsongas Arena and LaLacheur Park are great sporting venues for the city.</p>

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<p>No, Andover, MA is extremely affluent. Lawrence (the town next door) though…not so much.</p>

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<p>haha anyone wanna speak up for Lawrence now?</p>