Norwood, town, Norfolk County, eastern Massachusetts, on the Neponset River, near Boston; incorporated 1872. It is a residential, commercial, and manufacturing center. Major products include electronic and photographic equipment, metal goods, scientific instruments, and printed materials. The community, settled in 1678, was known by the 1730s as the South Parish of Dedham. In 1872 Norwood was established as an independent town. Population 29,711 (1980); 28,700 (1990); 28,700 (1996 estimate).
