The Auburn area was first settled in 1714 as of today outer parts of Worcester, Sutton, Leicester and Oxford, Massachusetts, and the town was officially incorporated on April 10, 1778, as the town of Ward, in honor of American Revolution General Artemas Ward. The town changed its name to Auburn in 1837, after the Post Office complained that the name was too similar to the nearby town of Ware.

Before incorporation, most of Auburn was known as the South Parish of Worcester; other portions fell within the town limits of Leicester and Millbury.

Today, Auburn is bordered by Worcester to the north, Leicester to the west, Millbury to the east, and Oxford to the south.

Robert H. Goddard launched the first liquid-fueled rocket from Pakachoag Hill, on his aunt Effe Ward’s farm, in Auburn on March 16, 1926. Goddard is commemorated in Goddard Memorial Park, located downtown next to the Auburn Fire Department Headquarters. The park features a model of Goddard’s prototype liquid-fueled rocket and a Polaris missile (Type A-1). A second replica of Goddard’s prototype stands at Auburn High School.

Goddard’s launch is also commemorated with a small monument, the Goddard Rocket Launching Site, between the first and ninth holes of Pakachoag Golf Course.

The 2010 Auburn, MA, population is 16,188. There are 1,053 people per square mile.

The estimated population as of 2016 is 16,499.

The median age is 40.8. The US median is 37.6. 61.86% of people in Auburn, MA, are married. 8.00% are divorced. The average household size is 2.41 people. 22.71% of people are married, with children. 5.08% have children, but are single.

According to the 2000 census, 97.21% of people are white, 0.81% are black or African American, 1.19% are Asian, 0.10% are Native American, and 1.00% are “other”. 1.24% of the people in Auburn, MA, are of Hispanic ethnicity.

The form of government is representative town meeting. There are 24 town-meeting members from each of the five precincts of the town, for a total of 120 who represent the people at the annual town meeting each May. The town also has a Board of Selectmen which consists of 5 elected members each serving for a term of 3 years. As of 2009 the town adopted a new charter which allowed for the creation of a Town Manager.