Everett was settled in 1630, established as a town in 1870 and incorporated as a city in 1892. A blue-collar working class community, Everett has served as a gateway city to immigrants for most of its history. The community has a diversified industrial and commercial base with manufacturing accounting for approximately 31% of all jobs and more than 35% of the total annual payroll, followed by services and retail trade. The city's public facilities include seven elementary schools, one junior and one senior high school, which offers a vocational education program.

Water and sewer services are provided by the MWRA. Everett has a convenient and accessible location abutting Boston on the Mystic River. The city is close to Interstate Highways 93 and 95, has 60 miles of public roads and is served by the MBTA. Logan International Airport is approximately 15 minutes away. A small city of 3.5 square miles, Everett's residential area has a population density of approximately 18,000 per square mile, yet is able to provide a high level of educational, public safety, public works and recreational services to its citizens at a modest tax rate.

Everett's assessed value in FY94 is $2.0 billion and the city has maintained an "A" bond rating during the difficult economic times of recent years. Everett industry contributes significantly to the economic well being of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, with many of its companies producing and servicing products in use world-wide.