Island, as well as a smaller area just south of Halibut Point run by the Massachusetts Audubon Society. Rockport's only neighboring town is Gloucester. Rockport is approximately east-northeast of Salem and northeast of Boston. There are no highways within the town but two state routes, Route 127 and Route 127A, pass through. Route 127 passes from north to south, entering inland from Gloucester, passing over Great Hill before following the sea from Back Harbor to Halibut Point and then back. Route 127A follows the southern coast, looping around Land's End, Gap Head and the downtown area before reaching its northern terminus at Route 127. Bus service in Rockport is provided by the Cape Ann Transportation Authority. Rockport is also the last station on its eponymous branch of the Newburyport/Rockport Line of the MBTA Commuter Rail, providing service along the North Shore to Boston's North Station. The nearest airport is the Beverly Regional Airport, with the nearest national and international service at Boston's Logan International Airport. Demographics As of the census of 2000, there were 7,767 people, 3,490 households, and 2,027 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 4,202 housing units at an average density of 229.5 persons/km2 (594.5 persons/sq mi). The racial makeup of the town was 97.73% (7,590) White, 0.27% (20) African American, 0.22% (17) Native American, 0.45% (34) Asian, 0.03% (2) Pacific Islander, 0.51% from other races, and 0.79% (69) from two or more races. 1.07% (83) of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. The ancestral breakdown of the residents is as follows: English (23.0%), Irish (20.4%), Italian (15.8%), German (7.1%), Scots (5.7%). The percentage of residents born outside of the United States is 6.3% (3.7% in Europe, 1.1% elsewhere in North America, 1.0% in Asia). There were 3,490 households, out of which 24.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.0% were married couples living together, 7.6% have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 41.9% were non-families. 36.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 16.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.20 and the average family size was 2.93. In the town, the population was spread out, with 21.3% under the age of 18, 4.4% from 18 to 24, 24.5% from 25 to 44, 29.6% from 45 to