Athol is located between the Tully Mountains to the north and the Quabbin Reservoir to the south. The Town of Athol is part of Worcester County, and is located in the North Quabbin region of north central Massachusetts. It is bordered on the southwest by New Salem, on the west by Orange, on the north by Royalston, on the east by Phillipston, and on the southeast by Petersham. Athol lies 38 miles (61 km) north of Worcester and 71 miles (114 km) west of Boston.
The soil of Athol is rough and stony, and the terrain is wooded and hilly, with elevations ranging from 500 at the edge of Millers River to 1,282 feet (391 m) at the top of Pratt Hill near the Bearsden Forest. The Millers River is Athol’s most significant waterway and flows through the downtown area from northeast to west, towards the Connecticut River.
As of the census of 2000, there were 11,299 people, 4,487 households, and 2,970 families residing in the town. The population density was 346.9 people per square mile (133.9/km²). There were 4,824 housing units at an average density of 148.1/sq mi (57.2/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.33% White, 0.65% Black or African American, 0.35% Native American, 0.42% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.73% from other races, and 1.48% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.96% of the population. 17.7% were of French, 14.1% French Canadian, 13.3% English, 10.9% Irish, 10.4% Italian and 5.3% American ancestry according to Census 2000.
There were 4,487 households out of which 31.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.1% were married couples living together, 12.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.8% were non-families. 28.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.46 and the average family size was 3.00.
In the town the population was spread out with 25.4% under the age of 18, 7.9% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 21.6% from 45 to 64, and 17.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females there were 93.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.5 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $33,475, and the median income for a family was $41,061. Males had a median income of $34,414 versus $23,156 for females. The per capita income for the town was $16,845. About 8.3% of families and 9.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.8% of those under age 18 and 8.4% of those age 65 or over.
Though residents can often walk to businesses in the downtown and uptown districts, Athol is primarily dependent on the automobile for out-of-town transportation. Route 2A runs through Athol’s business districts and provides access to Orange to the west and Gardner to the east. Route 2 provides access to Greenfield (30 miles to the west), Gardner (15 miles east), Fitchburg (25 miles east), and Boston (71 miles east). Worcester is 34 miles (55 km) from Athol via Routes 32 and 122 in Petersham. Keene, New Hampshire, is 25 miles (40 km) north via Route 32.
Athol is served by several bus lines. The Franklin Regional Transit Authority (FRTA), based in Greenfield, has daily runs from Athol to points west. The Montachusett Area Regional Transit (MART), based in Fitchburg, can take residents to points east of town. Community Transit Service buses provide dial-a-ride service for those people in Athol, Orange, and Winchendon, who are in need of transportation to work, medical appointments, shopping, or other errands. Greyhound bus terminals are located in Amherst, Greenfield, Leominster, Northampton, Springfield, Worcester, and Keene, N.H.
An active freight rail line runs through Athol. To connect with a passenger rail system, Athol residents can go travel to Fitchburg to catch the trains of the MBTA, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, which serves the Boston metropolitan area. Amtrak stations are located in Amherst, Springfield, Worcester, and Brattleboro, Vermont.
Pilots and passengers of private planes can access the nearby Orange Municipal Airport. Athol residents who intend to fly long distances generally commute to Logan International Airport in Boston, Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut, which is south of Springfield, T.F.Green Airport in Providence, R.I. or Manchester-Boston Regional Airport in Manchester, N.H.