text:
Claremont, New Hampshire

Claremont is the only city in Sullivan County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 12,949 at the 2020 census. Claremont is a core city of the Lebanon–Claremont micropolitan area, a bi-state, four-county region in the upper Connecticut River valley.

Pre-colonial native populations
The Upper Connecticut River Valley was home to the Pennacook and Western Abenaki (Sokoki) peoples, later merging with members of other Algonquin tribes displaced by the wars and famines that accompanied the European settling of the region. The Hunter Archeological Site, located near the bridge connecting Claremont with Ascutney, Vermont, is a significant prehistoric Native American site that includes seven levels of occupational evidence, including evidence of at least three longhouses. The oldest dates recorded from evidence gathered during excavations in 1967 were to 1300 CE.

Colonial settlement
The city was named after Claremont, the country mansion of Thomas Pelham-Holles, Earl of Clare. On October 26, 1764, colonial governor Benning Wentworth granted the township to Josiah Willard, Samuel Ashley and 67 others. Although first settled in 1762 by Moses Spafford and David Lynde, many of the proprietors arrived in 1767, with a large number from Farmington, Hebron and Colchester, Connecticut. The undulating surface of rich, gravelly loam made agriculture an early occupation. Spafford was deeded land from Col. Samuel Ashley, who was given a charter to establish a ferry across the Connecticut River in 1784, the location of which is still known as Ashley's Ferry landing. Spafford was also the first man to marry in Claremont, and his son, Elijah, was the first white child to be born in the town.

The Union Episcopal Church in West Claremont was built in 1773, and is the oldest surviving Episcopal church building in New Hampshire and the state's oldest surviving building built exclusively for religious purposes. The parish was organized in 1771 and chartered by the New Hampshire legislature in 1794 as Union Church Parish. Located across the street, Old St. Mary's Church, built in 1823 mostly in the Federal style, was the first Roman Catholic church in New Hampshire. It was discontinued in 1870 in favor of the new St. Mary's Church in the Lower Village District.

During the American Revolution, Claremont had a large number of Loyalists, who used a small wooded valley in West Claremont called the "Tory Hole" to hide from the Patriots. In 1777, when the New Hampshire Grants declared their own sovereignty as the Vermont Republic, Claremont was one of sixteen New Hampshire towns inclined to join them, and made multiple attempts to do so.

Industry
Claremont's first millwright was Col. Benjamin Tyler, who arrived in the area from Farmington, Connecticut, in the spring of 1767. Tyler built mills using stone quarried from his land on nearby Mount Ascutney, and built Claremont's first mill on the Sugar River on the site of the Coy Paper Mill. Tyler also invented the wry-fly water wheel, which was the subject of the Supreme Court case Tyler v. Tuel. His grandson John Tyler evolved the technology to create the Tyler Water Wheel and the Tyler Turbine. John Tyler's grandson was Benjamin Tyler Henry, inventor of the Henry Repeating rifle, manufactured in neighboring Windsor, Vermont, and used in the Civil War.

The water power harnessed from the Sugar River brought the town prosperity during the Industrial Revolution. Large brick factories were built along the stream, including the Sunapee Mills, Monadnock Mills, Claremont Machine Works, Home Mills, Sanford & Rossiter, and Claremont Manufacturing Company. Principal products were cotton and woolen textiles, lathes and planers, and paper. Although like other New England mill towns, much industry moved away or closed in the 20th century, the city's former prosperity is evident in some fine Victorian architecture, including the 1897 city hall and opera house.

In 1874, businesses in Claremont included Monadnock Mills, manufacturing cotton cloths from one to three yards wide, Marseilles quilts, union flannels, and lumber, and employing 125 males and 225 females; Home Mill (A. Briggs & Co.) producing cotton cloth and employing 8 males and 20 females; Sullivan Machine Co., manufacturing Steam Dimond Drill Machinery for quarrying rock, turbine water wheels, cloth measuring machines, and doing general machine and mill work, employing 56 males; Sugar River Paper Mill Co., manufacturing printing paper and employing 30 males and 20 females; Claremont Manufacturing Co., manufacturing paper and books, and doing stereotyping and book and job printing, employing 34 males and 34 females; Russell Jarvis, manufacturing hanging paper and employing 7 males and 2 females; John S. Farrington, manufacturing straw wrapping paper and employing 5 males and 1 female; Sullivan Mills (George L. Balcom), manufacturing black doeskins and employing 20 males and 18 females; Charles H. Eastman, in the leather business and employing 4 males; Sugar River Mill Co., manufacturing flour, feed, and doing custom grinding, and employing 8 males; three saw mills employing a part of the year, 10 males; Blood & Woodcock, in the business of monuments and grave stones and employing 8 males; and Houghton, Bucknam & Co., in the business of sashes, doors and blinds, employing 8 males.

The Monadnock Mills Co. and Sullivan Mills Co. were responsible for the two most prominent collections of manufacturing structures in the Lower Village District. Monadnock Mills' textile operations began with its founding in 1842, and lasted through 1932, shuttering operations following the decline of the textile industry in New England during the 1920s. By the 1920s, Sullivan Mills Co. had become New Hampshire's largest machining company, as well as Claremont's largest employer. Sullivan's Machinery division merged with Joy Mining Machinery in 1946, becoming Joy Manufacturing Co. Its founder, inventor Joseph Francis Joy, stayed on as general manager of the facility, which remained the dominant employer in Claremont through the 1970s, when manufacturing technology had advanced sufficiently to hamper sales and productivity. Parts of the campus suffered fires in 1979 and 1981, and the branch was closed in 1983 and sold in 1984.

Educational history
In the 1850s, the city of Claremont approached the state legislature asking permission to build a public high school. At the time, public high schools did not exist in New Hampshire. The state agreed, and decided to offer permission to every town in the state so that every town could establish public high schools. Claremont native and hotelier Paran Stevens then made an offer to fund 50% of the $20,000 cost of development, resulting in Stevens High School.

In March 1989, the Claremont School Board voted to initiate a lawsuit against the State of New Hampshire, claiming that the state's primary reliance upon local property taxes for funding education resulted in inequitable educational opportunities among children around the state and a violation of their constitutional rights. Following a lawsuit and a series of landmark decisions, the New Hampshire Supreme Court agreed. Known as the "Claremont Decision", the suit continues to drive the statewide debate on equitable funding for education, and Claremont continues to play a primary role in this legal challenge.

Namesakes
The cities of Claremont, California, Claremont, Minnesota, and Claremont Township, Minnesota, were named for Claremont, New Hampshire.

Geography
The city is in western Sullivan County and is bordered to the west by the Connecticut River, the boundary between New Hampshire and Vermont. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 114.1 sqkm, of which 111.8 sqkm are land and 2.3 sqkm are water, comprising 2.04% of the town. The Sugar River flows from east to west through the center of Claremont, descending 150 ft in elevation through the downtown, and empties into the Connecticut. The highest point in the city is the summit of Green Mountain, at 2018 ft above sea level in the northeastern part of the city. Claremont lies fully within the Connecticut River watershed.

Adjacent municipalities

 * Cornish (north)
 * Newport (east)
 * Unity (southeast)
 * Charlestown (southwest)
 * Weathersfield, Vermont (west)

Demographics
As of the census of 2010, there were 13,355 people, 5,697 households, and 3,461 families residing in the city. The population density was 309.9 PD/sqmi. There were 6,293 housing units at an average density of 146.0 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 95.9% White, 0.6% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.9% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.4% some other race, and 1.8% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.3% of the population.

There were 5,697 households, out of which 28.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.1% were headed by married couples living together, 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.2% were non-families. 30.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.8% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31, and the average family size was 2.83.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 22.0% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 26.0% from 25 to 44, 28.7% from 45 to 64, and 15.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40.6 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 93.1 males.

For the period 2009–2013, the estimated median annual income for a household in the city was $42,236, and the median income for a family was $51,259. Male full-time workers had a median income of $43,261 versus $35,369 for females. The per capita income for the city was $22,773. About 13.3% of families and 15.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.2% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those aged 65 or over.

Arts and culture
A commercial area centered on Washington Street is Claremont's primary commercial district. An Italian Renaissance-styled City Hall building, which houses the historic Claremont Opera House, was built in 1897 and designed by architect Charles A. Rich. City Hall faces Broad Street Park, a rotary-style town square. This square connects Washington Street, Broad Street, and Main Street, which branch into different portions of the city. Broad Street Park contains war monuments to World War I, World War II, Korea and Vietnam, and Freedom Garden Memorial dedicated to the victims and families of September 11. Included are two Civil War cannon and the centrally-located Soldier's Monument, designed by Martin Milmore and dating to 1890. The park is also home to a historic bandstand, originally built in a Victorian style in 1890 and redesigned in 1922 in a Classical Revival style, which primarily serves as performance space for the Claremont American Band, a community band dating to about 1880. Parallel to Broad Street lies Pleasant Street, home to a downtown business district, which was the city's primary commercial zone until the development of the Washington Street district.

A number of mill buildings dot the Lower Village District in the city's center, along the Sugar River, and several attempts have been made at historic preservation of some of them.

To the north end of the town lies the Valley Regional Hospital, an out-patient resource of the popular Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center of Lebanon. On the southern artery out of Claremont, Route 12, stood Highland View, the summer home of Claremont native William Henry Harrison Moody (1842–1925), who made his fortunes as a businessman and shoe manufacturer in the Boston area, but kept a residence in his hometown until his death. The large William H. H. Moody estate was known for its horses and its five large barns (the last of which burned in 2004 from a lightning strike ), which once hosted several hundred imported horses on over 500 acre. Its Victorian farmhouse stands at the top of Arch Road. In March 1916, a 175 acre portion of the estate was donated by Moody to the city of Claremont for a city park, the entrance of which is on Maple Avenue; facilities include tennis. A lone access road leads through a coniferous forest to the top of a hill, maintained as a large field by the city, with a large, open-air stone structure suitable for picnics. The park has several miles of interconnected walking trailways; several of these trails terminate at the Boston and Maine Railroad.

In 2021, The Ko'asek (Co'wasuck)Traditional Band of the Sovereign Abenaki Nation, a group claiming descent of the original indigenous population in the region, acquired and was gifted several parcels of local land for use in cultural ceremonies, nature preserves and education along with growing herbs and plants. In 2024 the group claims 554 members and now owns 26.37 acres in Claremont.

Notable sites

 * Arrowhead Recreation Area
 * Claremont Historical Society & Museum
 * Claremont Municipal Airport
 * Sugar River Rail Trail
 * Twin State Speedway

Historic sites

 * Claremont Opera House
 * David Dexter House
 * Hunter Archeological Site
 * Lower Village Historic District
 * Monadnock Mills Historic District
 * Union Episcopal Church
 * William Rossiter House

Education
Claremont is part of New Hampshire's School Administrative Unit 6, or SAU 6. Stevens High School is the city's only public high school, and is located on Broad Street, just a few blocks from City Hall. Claremont Middle School, the city's only public middle school, is located just down the street to the south.

Claremont is home to three elementary schools: Maple Avenue School, Bluff Elementary and Disnard Elementary. Also located in town are the New England Classical Academy, a private, Catholic school, and the Claremont Christian Academy, a private, parochial school offering education through 12th grade.

Three elementary schools—North Street School, Way Elementary and the West Claremont Schoolhouse—were shut down, Way becoming home to several luxury apartments and North Street turned into offices.

The city's opportunities for higher education include a branch of Granite State College, River Valley Community College, and the Sugar River Valley Regional Technical Center.

Transportation
The only city within Sullivan County, Claremont is home to Claremont Municipal Airport. By highway, it is located 21 mi south of Interstate 89 in Lebanon, New Hampshire, and 5 mi east of Interstate 91 in Weathersfield, Vermont. It is served by state routes 11, 12, 12A 103, and 120. Routes 11 and 103 travel east as a concurrency to Newport, with Route 11 continuing east to New London and Franklin, while Route 103 turns southeast to Bradford and Warner. Routes 11 and 12 lead south as a concurrency to Charlestown. West from downtown, Route 12 leads into Vermont, then turns north to Windsor. Route 120 leads north from downtown through Cornish and Meriden to Lebanon. Route 12A bypasses downtown Claremont to the west, leading south to Charlestown and north to West Lebanon.

Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides daily service aboard its Vermonter between Washington, D.C., and St. Albans, Vermont. The closest Greyhound bus stops are in Bellows Falls and White River Junction, Vermont. Local weekday peak direction commuter bus service between Springfield, Vermont, and Hanover, New Hampshire, is operated by the Current from the Interstate 91 Exit 8 Park and Ride in Ascutney, Vermont.

Notable people

 * Doug Berry (born 1948), football coach
 * Edmund Burke (1809–1882), U.S. congressman from Vermont
 * Derastus Clapp (1792–1881), detective
 * Barbara Cochran (born 1951), Olympic gold medalist ski racer
 * Franceway Ranna Cossitt (1790–1863), Cumberland Presbyterian minister
 * Caleb Ellis (1767–1816), U.S. congressman
 * Harriet Farley (1812–1907), writer, abolitionist
 * Kirk Hanefeld (born 1956), golfer
 * Jule Murat Hannaford (1850–1934), railway president
 * Benjamin Tyler Henry (1821–1898), gunsmith, manufacturer; inventor of the Henry rifle, the first reliable lever-action repeating rifle
 * Jeffrey R. Howard (born 1955), judge
 * Jonathan Hatch Hubbard (1768–1849), U.S. congressman from Vermont
 * Dorothy Loudon (1925–2003), actress
 * Larry McElreavy (born 1946), college football coach
 * Jennifer Militello, poet
 * Thomas Mitchell (1816–1894), Iowa politician
 * Hosea Washington Parker (1833–1922), U.S. congressman
 * Orrin W. Robinson (1834–1907), politician, businessman
 * Kaleb Tarczewski (born 1993), basketball player
 * George B. Upham (1768–1848), U.S. congressman
 * William J. Wilgus (1865–1949), designer of New York City's Grand Central Terminal
 * Constance Fenimore Woolson (1840–1894), novelist, short story writer

In popular culture
Wrightsville, the fictional small-town setting in New England of many Ellery Queen novels and short stories, was based on Claremont. Ellery Queen was the pen name of cousins Frederic Dannay (1905–1982) and Manfred B. Lee (1905–1971). Betty Miller, a Claremont native, had married Manfred B. Lee in 1927. According to the Queen Spaceports website, the Claremont Eagle newspaper provided front-page coverage (on July 10, 1959) of a talk Manfred Lee gave, in which he revealed that Wrightsville was indeed based on Claremont.

Claremont was the filming location, though not the setting, of the 2006 movie Live Free or Die, co-written and co-directed by Gregg Kavet and Andy Robin and starring Aaron Stanford, Paul Schneider, Michael Rapaport, Judah Friedlander, Kevin Dunn, and Zooey Deschanel. Set in fictional Rutland, New Hampshire, it is a picaresque comedy-drama about a small-town would-be crime legend. The name of the movie derives from the motto of the Granite State.

The Topstone Mill, formerly a shoe factory and now housing a restaurant, was featured in season 8, episode 20 of Ghost Hunters, airing October 24, 2012, titled "Fear Factory".

Claremont was featured in the fourteenth episode of the Small Town News Podcast, an improv comedy podcast that takes listeners on a fun and silly virtual trip to a small town in America each week, in which the hosts improvise scenes inspired by local newspaper stories.

title: Claremont, New Hampshire


text:
Cornish, New Hampshire

Cornish is a town in Sullivan County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,616 at the 2020 census. Cornish has four covered bridges. Each August, it is home to the Cornish Fair.

History
The town was granted in 1763 and contained an area once known as "Mast Camp", because it was the shipping point for the tall masts floated down the river by English settlers. It was incorporated in 1765 by colonial governor Benning Wentworth and named for Sir Samuel Cornish, a distinguished admiral of the Royal Navy. Since the 1827 partition of Cheshire County, the town has been within Sullivan County.

Since the late 19th century, Cornish has been a well-known summer resort for artists and writers. Sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens began coming to Cornish in 1885, seeking a studio away from the summer heat of New York City. Artist friends followed him, including painter and illustrator Maxfield Parrish, who designed and built his estate, the Oaks, in the area. The surrounding area became the center of the popular Cornish Art Colony. Cornish was the residence of the reclusive author J. D. Salinger from the 1950s until his death in 2010.

Until 2008, when the Smolen–Gulf Bridge opened in Ohio, Cornish had been home to the longest covered bridge (still standing) in the United States. Cornish remains home to the longest two-span covered bridge in the world. The Cornish–Windsor Covered Bridge spans the Connecticut River and was built in 1866 at an original cost of $9,000. Cornish also has three other covered bridges: the Blow-Me-Down Covered Bridge, Dingleton Hill Covered Bridge, and Kenyon Bridge.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 110.4 sqkm, of which 108.7 sqkm are land and 1.7 sqkm are water, comprising 1.54% of the town. The Connecticut River forms the western boundary of the town, which is also the New Hampshire–Vermont border. The town is drained by direct tributaries of the Connecticut: Blow-me-down Brook, Mill Brook, and Walker Brook; and by Redwater Brook, which flows south to the Sugar River in Claremont before that river joins the Connecticut. The long ridge of Croydon Mountain follows the eastern boundary of town; the highest point in town is a knob on Croydon Mountain which reaches an elevation of 2323 ft above sea level. The eastern part of the town is a portion of the approximately 25000 acre Blue Mountain Forest Association private game preserve, also known locally as Corbin Park, named after its founder, Austin Corbin.

Cornish is dotted with several small villages, including Cornish Center, Cornish Flat, Cornish City, Cornish Mills, South Cornish, Balloch, and Squag City.

Cornish is served by state routes 12A and 120, both of which connect Claremont to the south with Lebanon to the north.

Adjacent municipalities

 * Plainfield (north)
 * Croydon (east)
 * Claremont (south)
 * Windsor, Vermont (west)

Demographics
As of the 2020 Census, the total population was 1,616, with a total of 761 housing units, 707 of which were occupied. The town's residents consisted of 1 American Indian or Alaska Native, 9 Asian, 7 Black or African American, 12 Some Other Race, 92 Two or More Races, and 1,495 White. 18 residents were Hispanic or Latino, and 1,494 Not Hispanic or Latino. As of the 2015-19 American Community Survey, 41.9% of the population had a bachelor's degree or higher. The median household income was $82,083, and the median age was 54.1, with 28.8% being age 65 or older. 8.6% were veterans. Home ownership rate was 92.6%.

As of the census of 2000, there were 1,661 people, 645 households, and 465 families residing in the town. The population density was 39.4 PD/sqmi. There were 697 housing units at an average density of 16.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 97.71% White, 0.30% African American, 0.30% Native American, 0.12% Asian, 0.12% Pacific Islander, 0.30% from other races, and 1.14% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.48% of the population.

There were 645 households, out of which 32.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 62.9% were married couples living together, 5.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.8% were non-families. Of all households 21.2% were made up of individuals, and 7.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.02.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.9% under the age of 18, 3.8% from 18 to 24, 26.4% from 25 to 44, 31.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 42 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.2 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $53,393, and the median income for a family was $60,313. Males had a median income of $36,115 versus $29,474 for females. The per capita income for the town was $23,165. About 2.8% of families and 4.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.8% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.

Sites of interest

 * Balloch, New Hampshire
 * Cornish Flat, New Hampshire
 * Covered bridges:
 * Blow-Me-Down Covered Bridge
 * Cornish-Windsor Covered Bridge
 * Dingleton Hill Covered Bridge
 * Kenyon Bridge
 * Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park
 * New Hampshire Historical Marker No. 265: Cornish Meetinghouse

Notable people

 * Champion S. Chase (1820–1898), politician
 * Dudley Chase (1771–1846), state's attorney of Orange County, Vermont, Speaker of the Vermont House of Representatives, Chief Justice of the Vermont Supreme Court, U.S. senator from Vermont
 * Jonathan Chase (1732–1800), Revolutionary War officer
 * Philander Chase (1775–1852), founder of Kenyon College, sixth Presiding Bishop of the U.S. Episcopal Church
 * Salmon P. Chase (1808–1873), justice of the US Supreme Court; born in Cornish
 * Winston Churchill (1871–1947), novelist; no relation to the British statesman of the same name
 * Herbert Croly (1869–1930), author; co-founder of the magazine The New Republic
 * Thomas Wilmer Dewing (1851–1938), painter; founding member of the Ten American Painters and taught at the Art Students League of New York
 * Michael Dorris (1945–1997), novelist, scholar
 * Julie Duncan (1919–1986), actress, champion steeplechase rider
 * Louise Erdrich (born 1954), author
 * Hamlin Garland (1860–1940), novelist, poet, essayist, short story writer, Georgist, psychical researcher; best known for his fiction involving hard-working Midwestern farmers
 * Christian Gerhartsreiter (born 1961), impostor, convicted murderer
 * James Hall (1802–1889), founder of Maryland-in-Africa
 * Learned Hand (1872–1961), judge
 * Percy MacKaye (1875–1956), playwright, poet
 * Charles A. Platt (1861–1933), architect
 * Samuel L. Powers (1848–1929), US congressman
 * Augustus Saint-Gaudens (1848–1907), sculptor of the Beaux-Arts generation who embodied the ideals of the American Renaissance
 * Louis St. Gaudens (1854–1913), significant American sculptor of the Beaux-Arts generation; brother of renowned sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens; Louis later changed the spelling of his name to St. Gaudens to differentiate himself from his well-known brother
 * J. D. Salinger (1919–2010), writer, best known for his 1951 novel The Catcher in the Rye
 * Nathan Smith (1762–1829), physician, founder of Dartmouth and Yale medical schools
 * Nathan Ryno Smith (1797–1877), surgeon, professor, son of Nathan Smith
 * Betsey Ann Stearns (1830-1914), inventor
 * Woodrow Wilson (1856–1924), US president; summer resident at author Winston Churchill's Harlakenden House

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Cornish, New Hampshire


text:
Croydon, New Hampshire

Croydon is a town in Sullivan County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 801 at the 2020 census.

History
Incorporated in 1763, the town takes its name from Croydon, a suburb of London, England.

Croydon was home to Ruel Durkee, a powerful 19th century political boss in the state. The town of "Coniston" in the 1906 best-selling novel of the same name, by American author Winston Churchill, is based on Croydon, and Durkee was portrayed as "Jethro Bass". The local Coniston General Store is named after the novel, as are YMCA Camp Coniston and Lake Coniston in the eastern part of the town.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 97.2 sqkm, of which 95.2 sqkm are land and 2.0 sqkm are water, comprising 2.07% of the town. The highest point in town is Croydon Peak, at 2760 ft above sea level near the northwestern corner of the town. The North Branch Sugar River flows southward through the east-central part of the town. Croydon lies fully within the Connecticut River watershed.

Croydon is home to Corbin Park, one of the largest private game reserves in New England. The 24000 acre fenced-in expanse of woodlands and mountainous terrain features bison, European boar and elk and extends into neighboring towns.

Adjacent municipalities

 * Grantham (north)
 * Springfield (northeast)
 * Sunapee (east)
 * Newport (south)
 * Cornish (west)
 * Plainfield (northwest)

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 661 people, 264 households, and 194 families living in the town. The population density was 17.8 PD/sqmi. There were 354 housing units at an average density of 9.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 97.43% White, 0.45% Native American, 0.15% Asian, 0.76% from other races, and 1.21% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.61% of the population.

There were 264 households, out of which 29.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.0% were married couples living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.5% were non-families. 19.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.71.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.7% under the age of 18, 4.7% from 18 to 24, 30.4% from 25 to 44, 30.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 109.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 102.0 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $49,688, and the median income for a family was $50,556. Males had a median income of $31,992 versus $26,544 for females. The per capita income for the town was $21,403. About 2.5% of families and 4.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.0% of those under age 18 and 9.7% of those age 65 or over.

Politics
In recent decades, Croydon has supported Republicans in presidential elections.

In 2022, Croydon made headlines after citizens organized an emergency town meeting against a school board amendment that had cut the public school budget by more than half. Repeal of the amendment passed by 377-2. The story of the repeal was covered on This American Life on July 29, 2022.

Notable people

 * Augusta Cooper Bristol (1835–1910), poet, lecturer
 * Jonas Cutting (1800–1876), Maine Supreme Judicial Court justice
 * Wallace L. Dow (1844–1911), architect
 * Whitman G. Ferrin (1818–1896), attorney and politician
 * Samuel Read Hall (1795–1877), educator
 * Gershom Powers (1789–1831), United States representative
 * Baron Stow (1801–1869), Baptist minister

title: Croydon, New Hampshire


text:
Goshen, New Hampshire

Goshen is a town in Sullivan County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 796 at the 2020 census.

History
Incorporated in 1791, Goshen was first settled in 1768 as a part of Saville (now Sunapee). The name "Goshen" may have been taken from Goshen, Connecticut, where many residents had relatives.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 58.4 sqkm, of which 58.1 sqkm are land and 0.2 sqkm are water, comprising 0.41% of the town. Goshen is drained by the South Branch Sugar River and its tributaries Blood Brook and Gunnison Brook, and hence lies almost fully within the Connecticut River watershed. Most of the southeastern part of town is drained by Cherry Brook, one of the headwaters of the Ashuelot River, a southwestward-flowing tributary of the Connecticut, but a small area at the southeastern corner of town has the headwaters of the eastward-flowing West Branch Warner River, part of the Merrimack River watershed.

The long ridge of Mount Sunapee occupies the eastern edge of town. The highest point in Goshen is an unnamed knob on the ridge (near Goves Mountain) where the elevation reaches 2529 ft above sea level.

New Hampshire Route 10 passes through the western part of the town, including Goshen village, and leads north to Newport and south to Keene. New Hampshire Route 31 has its northern terminus at Route 10 and leads southeast to Hillsborough.

Adjacent municipalities

 * Sunapee (north)
 * Newbury (east)
 * Bradford (southeast at one point)
 * Washington (south)
 * Lempster (southwest)
 * Unity (west)
 * Newport (northwest)

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 741 people, 279 households, and 219 families residing in the town. The population density was 32.9 PD/sqmi. There were 389 housing units at an average density of 17.3 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 97.03% White, 1.62% Native American, 0.13% Asian, 0.13% from other races, and 1.08% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.40% of the population.

There were 279 households, out of which 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.5% were married couples living together, 9.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.5% were non-families. 17.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 2.96.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.2% under the age of 18, 8.0% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 26.7% from 45 to 64, and 13.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $42,625, and the median income for a family was $45,208. Males had a median income of $33,333 versus $22,727 for females. The per capita income for the town was $20,561. About 6.9% of families and 8.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.8% of those under age 18 and 21.5% of those age 65 or over.

Education
Goshen and the neighboring town of Lempster maintained a combined elementary and middle school, called Goshen-Lempster Cooperative School, located in Lempster. The school served kindergarten through eighth grade. The cooperative was dissolved in June 2016. The majority of Goshen elementary and middle-school aged children now attend Newport, NH schools; the Newport school system now acts as the anchor system for Goshen students.

After eighth grade, students are given the choice of attending several neighboring high schools, including Newport High School, Sunapee Middle-High School, and Kearsarge Regional High School.

Notable person

 * John Williams Gunnison (1812–1853), US Army officer, explorer of the American West

title: Goshen, New Hampshire


text:
Grantham, New Hampshire

Grantham is a town in Sullivan County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 3,404 at the 2020 census, an increase over the figure of 2,985 tabulated in 2010. The planned community of Eastman is in the eastern part of the town.

History
Incorporated in 1761, Grantham takes its name from Thomas Robinson, 1st Baron Grantham, Secretary of State for the Southern Department from March 1754 to October 1755. Prior to county division in 1827, Grantham was in Cheshire County.

The families of Howe, Dunbar and Leavitt were all early Grantham settlers. All three families secured lands in Grantham as part of the charter granted to Baron Grantham in 1761, and all three families "have Grantham hills named after them," according to Elmer M. Hunt in New Hampshire Town Names And Whence They Came. "The Leavitts are said to have had at one time fifty children in attendance at the town's school, and over the years no fewer than seventeen teachers."

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 2,167 people, 924 households, and 707 families residing in the town. The population density was 80.9 PD/sqmi. There were 1,513 housing units at an average density of 56.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 98.29% White, 0.28% African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.42% Asian, 0.09% from other races, and 0.83% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.55% of the population.

There were 924 households, out of which 24.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.2% were married couples living together, 4.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.4% were non-families. 19.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.35 and the average family size was 2.67.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 19.9% under the age of 18, 2.9% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 29.7% from 45 to 64, and 21.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 96.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.6 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $63,239, and the median income for a family was $69,271. Males had a median income of $43,250 versus $34,773 for females. The per capita income for the town was $32,174. About 1.4% of families and 2.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 1.8% of those under age 18 and 3.8% of those age 65 or over.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 72.6 sqkm, of which 70.5 sqkm are land and 2.2 sqkm are water, comprising 2.97% of the town. Grantham is drained by the North Branch Sugar River and its tributaries Sawyer Brook, Stocker Brook, and Eastman Brook. Eastman Pond lies at the head of Eastman Brook and serves as the focal point of the Eastman planned community. Other water bodies in the town include Anderson and Butternut Ponds. Grantham lies fully within the Connecticut River watershed. The highest point in town is Grantham Mountain, 2660 ft above sea level, a peak along the ridge of Croydon Mountain, which follows the western edge of the town.

Interstate 89 crosses the town, leading northwest to Lebanon and southeast to Concord. Access is from Exit 13 (New Hampshire Route 10) near the center of town and from Exit 14 at the northern border of town. Route 10 leads south to Newport, the county seat, and north with I-89 to Lebanon.

The town is home to the Grantham Village School (opened 1981) and Dunbar Free Library (opened 1903).

Adjacent municipalities

 * Enfield (north)
 * Springfield (east)
 * Croydon (south)
 * Plainfield (west)

title: Grantham, New Hampshire


text:
Langdon, New Hampshire

Langdon is a town in Sullivan County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 651 at the 2020 census.

History
First settled in 1773 by Seth Walker, Langdon was incorporated on January 11, 1787, when it was named after Governor John Langdon. The town is home to the Prentiss Bridge, the shortest covered bridge in New Hampshire. Built across Great Brook in 1874, the lattice truss span has a length of 34 ft.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 42.3 sqkm, of which 0.2 sqkm are water, comprising 0.45% of the town. Drained by the Cold River and its tributary Great Brook, Langdon lies within the Connecticut River watershed. The highest point in town is the summit of Holden Hill, at 1348 ft above sea level.

Adjacent municipalities

 * Charlestown (north)
 * Acworth (east)
 * Alstead (southeast)
 * Walpole (southwest)

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 586 people, 237 households, and 174 families residing in the town. The population density was 36.0 PD/sqmi. There were 269 housing units at an average density of 16.5 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 99.66% White, 0.17% from other races, and 0.17% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.17% of the population.

There were 237 households, out of which 29.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.4% were married couples living together, 5.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.2% were non-families. 21.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.47 and the average family size was 2.85.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 21.3% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 30.2% from 25 to 44, 31.2% from 45 to 64, and 11.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 113.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $42,083, and the median income for a family was $43,125. Males had a median income of $33,750 versus $24,444 for females. The per capita income for the town was $24,572. About 3.3% of families and 3.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under age 18 and 12.3% of those age 65 or over.

Site of interest

 * Prentiss Bridge – New Hampshire's smallest covered bridge

title: Langdon, New Hampshire


text:
Lempster, New Hampshire

Lempster is a town in Sullivan County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,118 at the 2020 census. Settlements include the town center (Lempster village) and the village of East Lempster.

History
First granted by colonial governor Jonathan Belcher in 1735 as "Number 9" (ninth in a line of forts to guard against Indian attacks), it was regranted in 1753 as "Dupplin", after Scottish lord Thomas Hay, Viscount Dupplin, by Governor Benning Wentworth. The town was re-granted one final time in 1767 as Lempster, after Sir Thomas Fermor, Second Baron Leominster or "Lempster", and incorporated in 1772.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 84.8 sqkm, of which 83.8 sqkm are land and 1.0 sqkm is water, comprising 1.22% of the town. The highest point in Lempster is the summit of Bean Mountain, in the eastern part of town at 2326 ft above sea level. Lempster lies entirely within the Connecticut River watershed. The northern section of town is drained by Giles Brook, which flows north to the South Branch of the Sugar River, reaching the Connecticut River at Claremont. The western side of town is drained by the Cold River and its tributary, Dodge Brook, reaching the Connecticut in Walpole. The southeastern part of town is drained by the Ashuelot River, which flows southwest and reaches the Connecticut River at Hinsdale.

New Hampshire Route 10 traverses the town, connecting it with Goshen and Newport to the north and with Marlow, Gilsum, and Keene to the south. The village of East Lempster is located at the intersection of Route 10 and Second New Hampshire Turnpike. The village of Lempster proper is located along Second New Hampshire Turnpike, 2 mi to the west.

This town is home to large boulders that were likely moved by glaciers, such as those below:

Adjacent municipalities

 * Unity (north)
 * Goshen (northeast)
 * Washington (east)
 * Marlow (south)
 * Acworth (west)

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 971 people, 387 households, and 275 families residing in the town. The 2003 census estimate for the town was 1,044 residents. The population density was 30.0 PD/sqmi. There were 577 housing units at an average density of 17.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 97.22% White, 0.10% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 0.10% Pacific Islander, and 2.47% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.21% of the population.

There were 387 households, out of which 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.9% were married couples living together, 7.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.7% were non-families. 22.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51 and the average family size was 2.90.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.3% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 28.4% from 25 to 44, 27.9% from 45 to 64, and 14.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 103.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $40,458, and the median income for a family was $45,385. Males had a median income of $31,484 versus $22,566 for females. The per capita income for the town was $19,172. About 3.2% of families and 7.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.0% of those under age 18 and 5.3% of those age 65 or over.

Lempster wind farm
Lempster is home to New Hampshire's first wind farm, providing a total of 24 MW from 12 turbines, which started operation in 2008. The turbines are located on Bean Mountain, a knob on the north–south ridge of Lempster Mountain (43.23333°N, -72.15°W).

Notable people

 * Martha Ann Honeywell (1786–1856), artist
 * Martin L. Keyes (1850–?), founder of Keyes Fibre Company (1903)
 * Hosea Washington Parker (1833–1922), lawyer, congressman
 * Mary Elizabeth Perley (1863–?), 19th- and 20th-century educator, author

title: Lempster, New Hampshire


text:
Plainfield, New Hampshire

Plainfield is a town in Sullivan County, New Hampshire, United States. At the time of the 2020 census, the town had a population of 2,459. The town is home to the Helen Woodruff Smith Bird Sanctuary and Annie Duncan State Forest.

The village of Plainfield, where 178 people resided at the 2020 census, is defined as the Plainfield census-designated place (CDP) and is located in the western part of the town along New Hampshire Route 12A. Plainfield also includes the village of Meriden, home to Kimball Union Academy, a private preparatory school.

History
The town was first settled by a group from Plainfield, Connecticut. It was one of the towns incorporated by colonial governor Benning Wentworth in 1761, at the beginning of the reign of King George III. A part of Plainfield known as "Meriden Parish", named for the farm of Massachusetts Governor Jonathan Belcher, became the site of Kimball Union Academy, built in 1813.

Plainfield lies on the northern edge of the enclave known as the Cornish Art Colony, which existed between 1885 and 1930. Maxfield Parrish painted the stage backdrop in the Plainfield Town Hall. Parrish purchased land close to his parents' estate in 1898, at the age of 28, and relocated after leaving Philadelphia. He designed and built his home, The Oaks, over several years, eventually also designing and building an elaborate studio some distance behind the house. Parrish lived in Plainfield for 67 years, with the exception of a several-month period in Arizona, and a nine-month period when he resided and worked in New York City. In 1910, Ernest Harold Baynes founded the Meriden Bird Club, the first institution of its type in the nation.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 137.2 sqkm, of which 135.3 sqkm are land and 1.9 sqkm are water, comprising 1.40% of the town. Bounded on the west by the Connecticut River, Plainfield is drained by Blood's Brook and Blow-me-down Brook. Great Brook, a tributary of the Mascoma River, drains the northeast corner of the town. Croydon Mountain is a high ridge that occupies the eastern edge of the town. Grantham Mountain, a peak along the ridge, is the highest point in Plainfield at 2660 ft above sea level.

The town is crossed by the north-south state routes 12A and 120. Route 12A, serving the western part of the town, passes through the village of Plainfield and leads north to West Lebanon and south to the west part of Claremont. Route 120, passing through Meriden in the eastern part of the town, leads north to downtown Lebanon and south to downtown Claremont.

Adjacent municipalities

 * Lebanon (north)
 * Enfield (northeast)
 * Grantham (east)
 * Croydon (southeast)
 * Cornish (south)
 * Windsor, Vermont (southwest at one point)
 * Hartland, Vermont (west)

Demographics
As of the census of 2010, there were 2,364 people, 923 households, and 684 families residing in the town. There were 984 housing units, of which 61, or 6.2%, were vacant. The racial makeup of the town was 98.0% white, 0.5% African American, 0.1% Native American, 0.5% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 0.04% some other race, and 0.9% from two or more races. 1.1% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 923 households, 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 63.5% were headed by married couples living together, 7.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.9% were non-families. 19.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.4% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.51, and the average family size was 2.88.

In the town, 22.8% of the population were under the age of 18, 4.4% were from 18 to 24, 22.4% from 25 to 44, 37.1% from 45 to 64, and 13.3% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.5 males.

For the period 2011–2015, the estimated median annual income for a household was $82,250, and the median income for a family was $90,729. Male full-time workers had a median income of $56,385 versus $52,813 for females. The per capita income for the town was $38,810. 1.0% of the population and 0.3% of families were below the poverty line. 0.0% of the population under the age of 18 and 2.5% of those 65 or older were living in poverty.

Notable people

 * Ethel Barrymore (1879–1959), actress (summer resident)
 * Edward and Elaine Brown, anti-federal-income-tax activists; arrested at their residence in October 2007, after a months-long armed standoff, for refusing to pay U.S. federal income tax
 * Ben Cherington (born 1974), vice-general manager of the Toronto Blue Jays
 * Kathryn Woodman Leighton (1875–1952), artist
 * Dennis Meadows (born 1942), former director of UNH Institute for Policy and Social Science Research
 * Donella Meadows (1941–2001), farmer, MacArthur Fellow, author of The Limits to Growth
 * Willard Metcalf (1858–1925), impressionist painter, seasonally between 1910 and 1920
 * Maxfield Parrish (1870–1966), artist, illustrator
 * Will Sheff (born 1976), musician
 * Ellen Biddle Shipman (1869–1950), landscape architect
 * Hollis Smith (1800–1863), businessman, Canadian politician
 * Peter C. Whybrow, author, psychiatrist, director of the Semel Institute at UCLA

title: Plainfield, New Hampshire


text:
Springfield, New Hampshire

Springfield is a town in Sullivan County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,259 at the 2020 census. Gile State Forest is located within the town.

History
First settled by Europeans in 1769 and named "Protectworth", the town adopted the name "Springfield" when it was incorporated in 1794. Prior to county division in 1827, Springfield was in Cheshire County.

Geography
Springfield occupies the northeast corner of Sullivan County. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 115.3 sqkm, of which 113.0 sqkm are land and 2.3 sqkm are water, comprising 1.99% of the town. The northwest part of town, including the town center, is drained by Bog Brook and its tributaries, leading west to Stocker Brook in Grantham and part of the Sugar River watershed leading west to the Connecticut River. The southeast part of the town, including Baptist Pond and Star Lake, drains south to Lake Sunapee, the headwaters of the Sugar River. The northeast part of town is drained by Kimpton Brook and tributaries of Walker Brook, part of the Blackwater River watershed leading to the Contoocook River and eventually the Merrimack, while the far northeast corner of town is drained by tributaries of Smith Brook, which leads northeast to the Smith River, then the Pemigewasset River, and finally the Merrimack.

The highest point in Springfield is the summit of Melvin Hill in the northeast part of town, at 2303 ft above sea level.

Adjacent municipalities

 * Grafton (north)
 * Wilmot (east)
 * New London (southeast)
 * Sunapee (south)
 * Croydon (southwest)
 * Grantham (west)
 * Enfield (northwest)

Demographics
At the 2000 census there were 945 people, 386 households, and 286 families in the town. The population density was 21.8 people per square mile (8.4/km$2$). There were 534 housing units at an average density of 12.3 per square mile (4.8/km$2$). The racial makeup of the town was 98.84% White, 0.32% Native American, 0.21% Asian, 0.21% from other races, and 0.42% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.74%.

Of the 386 households 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.3% were married couples living together, 6.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.9% were non-families. 19.9% of households were one person and 6.7% were one person aged 65 or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.80.

The age distribution was 23.5% under the age of 18, 4.2% from 18 to 24, 31.1% from 25 to 44, 28.8% from 45 to 64, and 12.4% 65 or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 97.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.5 males.

The median household income was $44,659 and the median family income was $58,068. Males had a median income of $33,958 versus $25,223 for females. The per capita income for the town was $23,263. About 3.5% of families and 5.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.4% of those under age 18 and 7.9% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

 * Fairfax Downey (1893–1990), author
 * William Allen Knowlton (1920–2008), US Army general, father-in-law of David Petraeus
 * David Petraeus (born 1952), US Army general, former director of the Central Intelligence Agency
 * Jeriah Swetland (1817–1906), Ohio state representative (1867–1869)

Internet connectivity
The town is served by the provider Consolidated Communications. They provide options for both Fiber-optic and DSL, the latter being phased out in preference for the former. The new plans for fiber range in speeds from 50 megabit to 1 gigabit, and while DSL is still available, it is much slower and less reliable (although slightly cheaper) then the fiber options.

In the part of Springfield that is in the community of Eastman, there is also the internet provider Comcast which provides a high of about 300 Mb/s down and 15 Mb/s up.

title: Springfield, New Hampshire


text:
Sunapee, New Hampshire

Sunapee is a town in Sullivan County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 3,342 at the 2020 census. The town is home to part of Lake Sunapee and includes the village of Georges Mills.

History
Like many other towns, Sunapee went through name changes before its incorporation in 1781, including "Saville" in 1768, "Corey's Town", and then "Wendell", after John Wendell, a Masonian Proprietor. A village at the western edge of town and a marsh near Sunapee Middle-High School still bear Wendell's name. The name "Sunapee" was substituted for "Wendell" by the legislature in 1850. The town, Lake Sunapee and Mount Sunapee share the name which comes from the Algonquian words suna meaning "goose", and apee, meaning "water". The Natives called the area "Lake of the Wild Goose" because it is shaped like a goose, with the beak being in Sunapee Harbor.

Before Sunapee was a sizable tourist attraction, it was an industrial area. One factory produced 110 clothespins a minute. After the factories faded away, the major attraction became the pristine lake, once surrounded by a number of grand hotels. People used large ferries to get from hotel to hotel around the lake, but the ferries were mostly gone by 1915, when the automobile was widely introduced to the area. Lake Sunapee is the only lake in New Hampshire with three working lighthouses, which were originally built in the 1890s by the Woodsum brothers and are currently maintained by the Lake Sunapee Protective Association.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 65.2 sqkm, of which 54.5 sqkm are land and 10.6 sqkm are water, comprising 16.31% of the town. Sunapee is drained by the Sugar River, the outlet of Lake Sunapee and a west-flowing tributary of the Connecticut River. The highest point in town is about 1600 ft above sea level, along the town's northern border, just north of Ledge Pond.

Adjacent municipalities

 * Springfield (north)
 * New London (northeast)
 * Newbury (southeast)
 * Goshen (south)
 * Newport (southwest)
 * Croydon (northwest)

Demographics
As of the census of 2010, there were 3,365 people, 1,443 households, and 973 families residing in the town. The population density was 159.5 PD/sqmi. There were 2,431 housing units at an average density of 115.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the town was 97.6% White, 0.2% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.3% some other race, and 1.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.8% of the population.

There were 1,443 households, out of which 27.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.2% were headed by married couples living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.6% were non-families. 25.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.8% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31, and the average family size was 2.74.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 19.6% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 21.7% from 25 to 44, 32.8% from 45 to 64, and 19.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.9 males.

For the period 2007–2011, the estimated median annual income for a household in the town was $66,741, and the median income for a family was $78,973. Male full-time workers had a median income of $52,870 versus $42,784 for females. The per capita income for the town was $38,737. About 0.8% of families and 6.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.7% of those under age 18 and 2.3% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

 * John H. Bartlett (1869–1952), 57th governor of New Hampshire
 * Ken Burns (born 1953), director and producer of documentary films, primarily distributed on PBS
 * Steven Tyler (born 1948), lead singer of American rock band Aerosmith

title: Sunapee, New Hampshire


text:
Unity, New Hampshire

Unity is a town in Sullivan County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,518 at the 2020 census, down from 1,671 at the 2010 census. The town includes the villages of Unity, East Unity, Quaker City, and West Unity.

History
Prior to British colonization, the Connecticut River valley was populated by bands of the Western Abenaki, who lived in sometimes-large villages of longhouses. Depending on the season, they would either remain near their villages to fish, gather plants, engage in sugaring, and trade or fight with their neighbors, or head to nearby fowling and hunting grounds. Later, they also farmed tobacco and the "three sisters": corn, beans, and squash.

Colonization eventually resulted in the establishment of the Province of New Hampshire. Within that province, the area that is now Unity was part of a territory chartered in 1753 and named "Buckingham" after John Hobart, 1st Earl of Buckinghamshire. Grants in the area were given by both the early Massachusetts government and by Governor Benning Wentworth, which led to disputes. The town was incorporated as "Unity" in 1764 after amicable resolutions of the disputes were reached.

In the 1790 census, the town had 538 residents. Unity was on the Second New Hampshire Turnpike, an important trade route chartered in 1799 that connected Amherst, New Hampshire, to Claremont. By 1810, the town had 1,044 inhabitants, with two grain mills, five sawmills, a clothing mill and a distillery. Sheep farming was a principal business.

2008 presidential politics
On June 27, 2008, presidential candidate Barack Obama and former rival Hillary Clinton appeared together in Unity at their first public event since Clinton pulled out of the race to be the Democratic presidential candidate. Unity was reportedly chosen because of the town's name and because, in the 2008 primary, Obama and Clinton each received 107 votes from Unity citizens.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 96.3 sqkm, of which 95.8 sqkm are land and 0.6 sqkm are water, comprising 0.58% of the town. Unity is entirely within the Connecticut River watershed. The western and central part of town is drained by the Little Sugar River, leading to the Connecticut at North Charlestown, while the northwestern corner and eastern end of the town are drained by tributaries of the Sugar River, which flows to the Connecticut in Claremont. Crescent Lake, lying along the town's southern border, is the source of the Cold River, which reaches the Connecticut River at North Walpole.

The highest point in Unity is an unnamed summit along the town's northern boundary, with an elevation of 2011 ft above sea level.

Adjacent municipalities

 * Newport (northeast)
 * Goshen (east)
 * Lempster (southeast)
 * Acworth (southwest)
 * Charlestown (west)
 * Claremont (northwest)

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,530 people, 504 households, and 385 families residing in the town. The population density was 41.4 PD/sqmi. There were 594 housing units at an average density of 16.1 per square mile (6.2/km$2$). The racial makeup of the town was 99.35% White, 0.07% African American, 0.13% Asian, and 0.46% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.72% of the population.

There were 504 households, out of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them. 66.5% were married couples living together, 4.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.6% were non-families. 17.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 4.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59, and the average family size was 2.89.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 20.0% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 26.1% from 45 to 64, and 20.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 101.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $41,594, and the median income for a family was $47,045. Males had a median income of $31,199 versus $24,833 for females. The per capita income for the town was $17,908. About 6.8% of families and 8.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.4% of those under age 18 and 1.4% of those age 65 or over.

title: Unity, New Hampshire


text:
Washington, New Hampshire

Washington is a town in Sullivan County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,192 at the 2020 census. Situated in a hilly, rocky, forested area, and with 26 lakes and ponds, Washington is a picturesque resort area. It is home to Pillsbury State Park.

History
Granted in 1735 by colonial governor Jonathan Belcher of Massachusetts, the town was one of the fort towns designated to protect the colonies from Native attack, named "Monadnock Number 8". In 1751, the town was granted by Governor Benning Wentworth as "New Concord". As the grant was never settled, the charter was revoked. Reuben Kidder of New Ipswich acquired the grant, naming it "Camden". The first settlers arrived in 1768 and built log houses. By 1773, the community had 132 inhabitants. On December 13, 1776, the newly established American revolutionary government incorporated the town as "Washington", after George Washington—one of the first named in his honor.

By 1830, the population had grown to 1,135. Using water power from the streams, mills manufactured lumber, barrel staves, shingles, chair parts, bobbins, whip sockets, hosiery, bricks and washboards. Gristmills ground grain. Sheep farms, producing wool and mutton, were an important business. In 1840, there were 200 farms. Tubbs Union Academy was founded in 1849, and although it did not last long, the school once enrolled over 100 students from New Hampshire and beyond. The first Seventh-day Adventist church was established in Washington in 1862. In 1886, the town produced 53 tons of maple sugar.

The railroad era brought tourists, and hotels were built on the lakes and ponds; however, with 19th-century migration to the Midwest, the town's population dwindled. As of 1960, it contained only 162 inhabitants. Washington has grown since, as its scenic beauty attracts tourists and retirees. The town contains significant examples of early architecture, including the Town Hall, built as a meetinghouse in 1787, the Congregational church built in 1840, and the first Seventh-day Adventist Church built c. 1843.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, Washington has a total area of 123.5 sqkm, of which 118.4 sqkm are land and 5.1 sqkm are water, comprising 4.16% of the town. The town sits in a highland area atop a watershed divide. The Ashuelot River, part of the Connecticut River watershed, drains the western side of the town, including Ashuelot Pond in the southwest. Bog Brook drains the center of the town from north to south, flowing into Highland Lake near the southern border. The lake is part of the Contoocook River watershed, as are Beards Brook and Woodward Brook on the eastern side of town, and by the Contoocook River are therefore part of the Merrimack River watershed.

Lovewell Mountain, located northeast of the town center and with an elevation of 2496 ft, is the highest point in town. As Edwin A. Charlton writes in New Hampshire As It Is (1855), the mountain "received its name from Captain John Lovewell, who was accustomed to ascend it for the purpose of discovering the wigwams of the Indians, and who, on one occasion, killed seven Indians near its summit." The Washington Town Common, elevation 1507 ft, is the highest town center in the state. (The town hall of Clarksville in northern New Hampshire is located at a higher elevation—1980 ft—but there is no other village development there.)

Adjacent municipalities

 * Goshen (north)
 * Bradford (northeast)
 * Hillsborough (east)
 * Windsor (southeast)
 * Stoddard (south)
 * Marlow (southwest)
 * Lempster (northwest)

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 895 people, 370 households, and 277 families residing in the town. The population density was 19.7 people per square mile (7.6/km$2$). There were 925 housing units at an average density of 20.4 per square mile (7.9/km$2$). The racial makeup of the town was 98.21% White, 0.34% Native American, and 1.45% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.45% of the population.

There were 370 households, out of which 24.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.8% were married couples living together, 4.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.9% were non-families. 19.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.73.

In the town, the age distribution of the population shows 21.9% under the age of 18, 3.5% from 18 to 24, 24.6% from 25 to 44, 32.2% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females, there were 104.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.9 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $43,125, and the median income for a family was $50,000. Males had a median income of $34,688 versus $26,333 for females. The per capita income for the town was $20,540. About 3.1% of families and 5.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.1% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

 * John C. Lord (1805–1877), Presbyterian minister
 * Sylvanus Thayer (1785–1872), US Army colonel; known as the "Father of West Point"
 * Carroll D. Wright (1840–1909), first US Commissioner of Labor; fifth president of the American Statistical Association; first president of Clark College

title: Washington, New Hampshire


text:
Absecon, New Jersey

Absecon ({{IPAc-en|{|b|'|s|i:|k|I|n}}, ) is a city in Atlantic County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 9,137, its highest decennial count ever and an increase of 726 (+8.6%) from the 2010 census count of 8,411, which in turn reflected an increase of 773 (+10.1%) from the 7,638 counted in the 2000 census. The city, and all of Atlantic County, is part of the Atlantic City-Hammonton metropolitan statistical area, which in turn is included in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden combined statistical area and the Delaware Valley.

The current City of Absecon was originally incorporated as a town by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on February 29, 1872, from portions of Egg Harbor Township and Galloway Township. Then on March 24, 1902, the City of Absecon replaced the town. The city is named for the Absegami tribe of Native Americans, from the word "Absogami", which means "little stream".

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, Absecon city had a total area of 7.22 square miles (18.69 km2), including 5.47 square miles (14.16 km2) of land and 1.75 square miles (4.53 km2) of water (24.22%).

The city borders the Atlantic County municipalities of Atlantic City, Egg Harbor Township, Galloway Township and Pleasantville.

2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 8,411 people, 3,179 households, and 2,254 families in the city. The population density was 1558.8 /sqmi. There were 3,365 housing units at an average density of 623.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup was 76.45% (6,430) White, 9.89% (832) Black or African American, 0.38% (32) Native American, 7.93% (667) Asian, 0.00% (0) Pacific Islander, 2.94% (247) from other races, and 2.41% (203) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 7.50% (631) of the population.

Of the 3,179 households, 27.2% had children under the age of 18; 53.3% were married couples living together; 13.0% had a female householder with no husband present and 29.1% were non-families. Of all households, 22.8% were made up of individuals and 9.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.07.

20.8% of the population were under the age of 18, 7.2% from 18 to 24, 23.2% from 25 to 44, 31.8% from 45 to 64, and 17.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 44.1 years. For every 100 females, the population had 92.3 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 89.0 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $64,370 (with a margin of error of +/− $5,398) and the median family income was $77,784 (+/− $9,673). Males had a median income of $47,043 (+/− $7,593) versus $43,673 (+/− $3,797) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $31,194 (+/− $4,373). About 5.2% of families and 8.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.4% of those under age 18 and 16.0% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census
As of the 2000 United States census there were 7,638 people, 2,773 households, and 2,085 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,336.0 PD/sqmi. There were 2,902 housing units at an average density of 507.6 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 83.31% White, 6.01% African American, 0.17% Native American, 7.46% Asian, 1.51% from other races, and 1.54% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.77% of the population.

There were 2,773 households, out of which 32.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.6% were married couples living together, 11.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 24.8% were non-families. 19.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.08.

In the city, the population was spread out, with 23.5% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 29.6% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 16.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $55,745, and the median income for a family was $61,563. Males had a median income of $47,984 versus $31,663 for females. The per capita income for the city was $23,615. About 3.2% of families and 4.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.9% of those under age 18 and 4.3% of those age 65 or over.

Local government
Absecon operates under the City form of New Jersey municipal government. The city is one of 15 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this traditional form of government. The governing body is comprised of the Mayor and the seven-member City Council. The mayor is elected to a four-year term of office. The City Council includes six members elected from the city's two wards to three-year terms on a staggered basis, with one seat from each ward up for election each year, along with one member elected at-large to a four-year term in office, all of whom are elected on a partisan basis as part of the November general election.

, the Mayor of Absecon is Democrat Kimberly Horton, the first female mayor in the town's history, serving a term of office ending December 31, 2024. Members of the Absecon City Council are Council President Nicholas L. LaRotonda (R, 2024; Ward 1), Sandy Shenk Cain (D, 2024; Ward 2), Alexander C. Clark IV (R, 2026; Ward 1), Richard DeRose (R, 2025; Ward 2), Stephen S. Light (D, 2025; At Large) and Tommy Marrone (R, 2025; Ward 1) and Christine Parker (R, 2026; Ward 2).

In September 2021, the City Council selected Donna Poley to fill the Ward 1 seat expiring in December 2022 that had been held by Keith C. Bennett until he resigned from office.

In February 2019, the City Council appointed Ward 2 councilmember Kimberley Horton to fill the mayoral seat expiring in December 2020 that had been held by John Armstrong until he resigned from office. Horton served on an interim basis until the November 2019 general election when he was elected to serve the balance of the term of office. Later that month, Caleb Cavileer was chosen to fill Horton's vacant Ward 2 seat expiring in December 2020. In the November 2019 general election, Cavileer ran for and won a full three-year term and Butch Burroughs was elected to serve the balance of Horton's council term of office, while Horton was elected to complete the mayoral term.

Following the death of Ward 1 Councilmember Donald E. Camp in February 2016, Patrick Sheeran was selected from three candidates nominated by the Republican municipal committee and appointed to fill the vacant seat expiring in December 2016.

Federal, state and county representation
Absecon is located in the 2nd Congressional district and is part of New Jersey's 2nd state legislative district.

Politics
As of March 2011, there were a total of 5,629 registered voters in Absecon City, of which 1,353 (24.0% vs. 30.5% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 1,716 (30.5% vs. 25.2%) were registered as Republicans and 2,557 (45.4% vs. 44.3%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 3 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens. Among the city's 2010 Census population, 66.9% (vs. 58.8% in Atlantic County) were registered to vote, including 84.5% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 76.6% countywide).

In the 2012 presidential election, Democrat Barack Obama received 2,172 votes (50.6% vs. 57.9% countywide), ahead of Republican Mitt Romney with 2,063 votes (48.1% vs. 41.1%) and other candidates with 43 votes (1.0% vs. 0.9%), among the 4,289 ballots cast by the city's 5,938 registered voters, for a turnout of 72.2% (vs. 65.8% in Atlantic County). In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 2,262 votes (49.8% vs. 41.6% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 2,203 votes (48.5% vs. 56.5%) and other candidates with 41 votes (0.9% vs. 1.1%), among the 4,539 ballots cast by the city's 5,993 registered voters, for a turnout of 75.7% (vs. 68.1% in Atlantic County). In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 2,177 votes (53.6% vs. 46.2% countywide), ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 1,800 votes (44.4% vs. 52.0%) and other candidates with 42 votes (1.0% vs. 0.8%), among the 4,058 ballots cast by the city's 5,201 registered voters, for a turnout of 78.0% (vs. 69.8% in the whole county).

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 1,874 votes (65.0% vs. 60.0% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 883 votes (30.6% vs. 34.9%) and other candidates with 33 votes (1.1% vs. 1.3%), among the 2,883 ballots cast by the city's 5,991 registered voters, yielding a 48.1% turnout (vs. 41.5% in the county). In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 1,501 votes (52.3% vs. 47.7% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 1,195 votes (41.6% vs. 44.5%), Independent Chris Daggett with 133 votes (4.6% vs. 4.8%) and other candidates with 21 votes (0.7% vs. 1.2%), among the 2,872 ballots cast by the city's 5,770 registered voters, yielding a 49.8% turnout (vs. 44.9% in the county).

Education
The Absecon Public School District serve students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. As of the 2021–22 school year, the district, comprised of two schools, had an enrollment of 906 students and 87.0 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 10.4:1. Schools in the district (with 2021–22 enrollment data from the National Center for Education Statistics. ) are H. Ashton Marsh Elementary School with 513 students in grades PreK-4 and Emma C. Attales Middle School with 387 students in grades 5-8.

For ninth through twelfth grades, public school students from Absecon attend the Pleasantville High School in Pleasantville as part of a sending/receiving relationship with the Pleasantville Public Schools. As of the 2021–22 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 893 students and 72.5 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.3:1. In 2020, the Absecon district submitted a petition to end its agreement with Pleasantville and send its students to Absegami High School under a new sending/receiving relationship with the Greater Egg Harbor Regional High School District that Absecon argues would give its students a better education at a lower cost, without negatively impacting the demographics in Pleasantville High School. About 10% of Absecon's graduating students have been choosing to attend Pleasantville High School, for which the Absecon district has been paying $18,000 per student each year.

City public school students are also eligible to attend the Atlantic County Institute of Technology in the Mays Landing section of Hamilton Township or the Charter-Tech High School for the Performing Arts, located in Somers Point.

Holy Spirit High School is a Roman Catholic high school, that operates under the jurisdiction of the Diocese of Camden. Established in Atlantic City in 1922, the school moved to Absecon in 1964.

Roads and highways
, the city had a total of 49.71 mi of roadways, of which 35.12 mi were maintained by the municipality, 7.54 mi by Atlantic County and 7.05 mi by the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

Highways and roads in Absecon include U.S. Route 9, U.S. Route 30, Route 157 and County Route 585. The now-defunct Route 43 also passed through the city.

The Atlantic City Expressway and the Garden State Parkway are accessible outside the city in bordering Egg Harbor and Galloway Townships.

Public transportation
The Absecon station is served by NJ Transit's Atlantic City Line trains, with east-west service between 30th Street Station in Philadelphia and the Atlantic City Rail Terminal in Atlantic City.

NJ Transit provides bus service to and from Atlantic City on routes 508 (to the Hamilton Mall), 554 (to the Lindenwold PATCO station) and 559 (to Lakewood Township).

Notable people
People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Absecon include:

 * Francis J. Blee (born 1958), member of the General Assembly who represented the 2nd Legislative District and served on the Absecon City Council from 1991 to 1995, serving as Absecon's youngest ever council president from 1992 to 1993
 * Joe Callahan (born 1993), American football quarterback who played in the NFL for the Green Bay Packers
 * Robert Irvine (born 1965), celebrity chef and television personality
 * Brian Joo (born 1981), R&B and K-pop recording artist who was part of the duo Fly to the Sky
 * Amy Kennedy (born 1978), educator, mental health advocate and Democratic nominee for New Jersey's 2nd congressional district in the 2020 elections
 * Michelle Malkin (born 1970), columnist and political commentator
 * Joseph McGahn (1917–1999), member of the New Jersey Senate who was a leading advocate of bringing casino gambling to Atlantic City
 * Carol Plum-Ucci (born 1957), young adult novelist and essayist
 * Cleon Throckmorton (1897–1965), painter and theatrical designer, producer, and architect

title: Absecon, New Jersey


text:
Brigantine, New Jersey

Brigantine (or simply The Island) is a city in Atlantic County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 7,716, a decrease of 1,734 (−18.3%) from the 2010 census count of 9,450, which in turn reflected a decline of 3,144 (−25.0%) from the 12,594 counted in the 2000 census. The city, and all of Atlantic County, is part of the Atlantic City-Hammonton metropolitan statistical area, which in turn is included in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden combined statistical area and the Delaware Valley.

What is now the City of Brigantine has passed through a series of names and re-incorporations since it was first created. The area was originally incorporated as Brigantine Beach Borough by an act of the New Jersey Legislature on June 14, 1890, from portions of Galloway Township, based on the results of a referendum held on June 3, 1890. On April 23, 1897, the area was reincorporated as the City of Brigantine City. This name lasted until April 9, 1914, when it was renamed the City of East Atlantic City. On March 16, 1924, Brigantine was incorporated as a city, replacing East Atlantic City and incorporating further portions of Galloway Township. The borough was named for the many shipwrecks in the area, including those of brigantines.

New Jersey Monthly magazine ranked Brigantine as its 36th best place to live in its 2008 rankings of the "Best Places To Live" in New Jersey. NJ.com designated Brigantine fourth in its rankings of "The 25 best Jersey Shore towns, ranked" in 2021.

Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city had a total area of 10.86 square miles (28.14 km2), including 6.52 square miles (16.89 km2) of land and 4.34 square miles (11.25 km2) of water (39.98%). Brigantine is located on Brigantine Island.

The only road to and from Brigantine is New Jersey Route 87, locally known as Brigantine Boulevard. The Justice Vincent S. Haneman Memorial Bridge is the only way on and off the island. The original bridge to the island that was constructed in 1924 was destroyed in the Great Atlantic Hurricane of 1944. The current bridge was constructed in 1972.

The city borders the Atlantic County municipalities of Atlantic City and Galloway Township.

2010 census
The 2010 United States census counted 9,450 people, 4,294 households, and 2,521 families in the city. The population density was 1479.5 /sqmi. There were 9,222 housing units at an average density of 1443.8 /sqmi. The racial makeup was 87.33% (8,253) White, 2.91% (275) Black or African American, 0.17% (16) Native American, 4.72% (446) Asian, 0.03% (3) Pacific Islander, 2.51% (237) from other races, and 2.33% (220) from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 6.88% (650) of the population.

Of the 4,294 households, 18.5% had children under the age of 18; 43.3% were married couples living together; 11.1% had a female householder with no husband present and 41.3% were non-families. Of all households, 33.0% were made up of individuals and 12.5% 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 2.79.

16.4% of the population were under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 21.0% from 25 to 44, 33.6% from 45 to 64, and 21.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 48.4 years. For every 100 females, the population had 95.4 males. For every 100 females ages 18 and older there were 92.1 males.

The Census Bureau's 2006–2010 American Community Survey showed that (in 2010 inflation-adjusted dollars) median household income was $62,212 (with a margin of error of +/− $7,472) and the median family income was $79,318 (+/− $7,962). Males had a median income of $55,595 (+/− $5,655) versus $42,622 (+/− $5,179) for females. The per capita income for the borough was $36,571 (+/− $3,305). About 5.9% of families and 7.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 8.7% of those under age 18 and 3.9% of those age 65 or over.

2000 census
As of the 2000 United States census there were 12,594 people, 5,473 households, and 3,338 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,959.0 PD/sqmi. There were 9,304 housing units at an average density of 1,447.2 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the city was 83.15% White, 3.94% African American, 0.18% Native American, 5.72% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 4.67% from other races, and 2.29% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.41% of the population.

There were 5,473 households, out of which 24.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.9% were married couples living together, 11.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.0% were non-families. 30.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.30 and the average family size was 2.89.

In the city the population was spread out, with 20.8% under the age of 18, 5.8% from 18 to 24, 30.9% from 25 to 44, 25.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.4 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $44,639, and the median income for a family was $51,679. Males had a median income of $40,523 versus $29,779 for females. The per capita income for the city was $23,950. About 7.6% of families and 9.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.9% of those under age 18 and 7.2% of those age 65 or over.

Points of interest

 * Brigantine Lighthouse – Constructed by the Island Development Real Estate Company in 1926 as part of an effort to attract residents to the island, the structure was too far from shore and too low to be used as a functioning lighthouse and has been used over the years as headquarters for the Brigantine Police Department, as a museum and as a gift shop, in addition to be a central identifying symbol of the city.
 * Marine Mammal Stranding Center – Established in 1978 as the state's only marine stranding center, the center rehabilitates and releases stranded marine mammals and sea turtles, rescuing more than 3,900 whales, dolphins, seals and sea turtles since it was formed.
 * Part of the Edwin B. Forsythe National Wildlife Refuge is located on the northern end of Brigantine Island. The Refuge provides crucial habitat for many different types of endangered or threatened birds, including the American bald eagle, peregrine falcon, American black duck, and the piping plover.
 * The Brigantine Hotel, still standing on the Atlantic coast side of the island, was an early integrated hotel starting in the 1940s, and was owned for a period by Father Divine's International Peace Mission movement.  African American entrepreneur Sarah Spencer Washington acquired the hotel in the 1940s from Father Divine and created the area's first integrated beach area. The facility is now known as Legacy Vacation Resorts Brigantine Beach.

Local government
Since 1989, the City of Brigantine has been governed within the Faulkner Act (formally known as the Optional Municipal Charter Law) under the Council-Manager form (Plan 5), implemented by direct petition effective as of January 1, 1991. The city is one of 42 municipalities (of the 564) statewide that use this form of government. The governing body is comprised of the Mayor (elected at large), two at-large council members and four ward council members, all of whom serve terms of office of four years. The mayor and the two at-large council seats come up for vote as part of the November general election in leap years, with the four ward seats up for vote simultaneously two years later. The Mayor presides over the meetings of the City Council. The Council adopts the municipal budget and enacts ordinances to promote and ensure the security, health, government and protection of the City and its residents.

, the Mayor of Brigantine is Republican Vince Sera, who is serving a term of office ending December 31, 2026; he had been first elected to serve the balance of the term that became vacant following the death of Andy Simpson. Members of the City Council are Deputy Mayor Karen Bew (R, 2024; Ward 1), Rick DeLucry (D, 2024; Ward 4), Dennis Haney (R, 2024; Ward 3), Neal Kane (R, 2026; At-Large), Paul Lettieri (R, 2024; Ward 2) and Michael Riordan (R, 2026; At-Large).

In September 2020, the city council appointed Vince Sera as mayor to fill the seat expiring in December 2022 that became vacant following the death of Andy Simpson the previous month. Later that month, Tom Kane was selected from a list of three candidates nominated by the Republican municipal committee to fill the at-large seat expiring in December 2022 that had been held by Sera until he took office as mayor.

In January 2019, the city council selected Paul Lettieri to fill the Ward 2 seat that had been held by Michael Riordan unil he vacated it to take the at-large seat he won in the November 2018 general election; Lettieri served on an interim basis until the November 2019 general election, when he was elected to serve the balance of the term of office.

In December 2015, John Withers IV was selected from three candidates nominated by the Democratic municipal committee to fill the Ward 3 seat expiring in December 2016 that had been vacated following the resignation of Joseph M. Picardi earlier that month.

Karen Bew was selected in January 2015 from among three candidates nominated by the Republican municipal committee to fill the Ward 1 seat that was vacated by Andrew Simpson when he took office in an at-large seat. In November 2015, she was elected to serve the balance of the term.

Federal, state and county representation
Brigantine is located in the 2nd Congressional District and is part of New Jersey's 2nd state legislative district.

Politics
As of March 23, 2011, there was a total of 6,430 registered voters in Brigantine City, of whom 1,219 (19.0% vs. 30.5% countywide) were registered as Democrats, 2,679 (41.7% vs. 25.2%) were registered as Republicans, and 2,524 (39.3% vs. 44.3%) were registered as Unaffiliated. There were 8 voters registered as Libertarians or Greens. Among the city's 2010 Census population, 68.0% (vs. 58.8% in Atlantic County) were registered to vote, including 81.4% of those ages 18 and over (vs. 76.6% countywide).

In the 2012 presidential election, Republican Mitt Romney received 2,462 votes (53.5% vs. 41.1% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 2,068 votes (44.9% vs. 57.9%) and other candidates with 49 votes (1.1% vs. 0.9%), among the 4,605 ballots cast by the city's 6,944 registered voters, for a turnout of 66.3% (vs. 65.8% in Atlantic County). In the 2008 presidential election, Republican John McCain received 2,652 votes (53.2% vs. 41.6% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barack Obama with 2,218 votes (44.5% vs. 56.5%) and other candidates with 67 votes (1.3% vs. 1.1%), among the 4,984 ballots cast by the city's 7,214 registered voters, for a turnout of 69.1% (vs. 68.1% in Atlantic County). In the 2004 presidential election, Republican George W. Bush received 2,627 votes (53.7% vs. 46.2% countywide), ahead of Democrat John Kerry with 2,181 votes (44.6% vs. 52.0%) and other candidates with 36 votes (0.7% vs. 0.8%), among the 4,888 ballots cast by the city's 6,847 registered voters, for a turnout of 71.4% (vs. 69.8% in the whole county).

In the 2013 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 2,270 votes (73.2% vs. 60.0% countywide), ahead of Democrat Barbara Buono with 715 votes (23.1% vs. 34.9%) and other candidates with 35 votes (1.1% vs. 1.3%), among the 3,099 ballots cast by the city's 6,977 registered voters, yielding a 44.4% turnout (vs. 41.5% in the county). In the 2009 gubernatorial election, Republican Chris Christie received 1,877 votes (57.7% vs. 47.7% countywide), ahead of Democrat Jon Corzine with 1,147 votes (35.2% vs. 44.5%), Independent Chris Daggett with 173 votes (5.3% vs. 4.8%) and other candidates with 26 votes (0.8% vs. 1.2%), among the 3,255 ballots cast by the city's 6,632 registered voters, yielding a 49.1% turnout (vs. 44.9% in the county).

Education
The Brigantine Public Schools serves students in pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. As of the 2022–23 school year, the district, comprised of one school, had an enrollment of 392 students and 59.2 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 6.6:1. The district's board of education is comprised of seven members who set policy and oversee the fiscal and educational operation of the district through its administration. As a Type I school district, the board's trustees are appointed by the Mayor to serve three-year terms of office on a staggered basis, with either two or three members up for reappointment each year. Of the more than 600 school districts statewide, Brigantine is one of about a dozen districts with appointed school districts.

Students in public school for ninth through twelfth grades, along with those from Longport, Margate City and Ventnor City, attend Atlantic City High School in neighboring Atlantic City, as part of sending/receiving relationships with the Atlantic City School District. As of the 2022–23 school year, the high school had an enrollment of 1,764 students and 146.8 classroom teachers (on an FTE basis), for a student–teacher ratio of 12.0:1.

City public school students are also eligible to attend the Atlantic County Institute of Technology in the Mays Landing section of Hamilton Township or the Charter-Tech High School for the Performing Arts, located in Somers Point.

Roads and highways
, the city had a total of 64.45 mi of roadways, of which 60.54 mi were maintained by the municipality, 3.74 mi by Atlantic County, 0.06 mi by the New Jersey Department of Transportation and 0.11 mi by the South Jersey Transportation Authority.

Constructed in 1972, the Brigantine Bridge is a vehicular bridge over Absecon Inlet, providing the only road access to Brigantine Island; formally known as the Justice Vincent S. Haneman Memorial Bridge, it carries Route 87.

Public transportation
NJ Transit provides bus service to and from Atlantic City on the 501 route.

Climate
According to the Köppen climate classification system, Brigantine has a humid subtropical climate (Cfa) with hot, moderately humid summers, cool winters and year-around precipitation. Cfa climates are characterized by all months having an average mean temperature above 32.0 F, at least four months with an average mean temperature at or above 50.0 F, at least one month with an average mean temperature at or above 71.6 F and no significant precipitation difference between seasons. During the summer months in Brigantine, a cooling afternoon sea breeze is present on most days, but episodes of extreme heat and humidity can occur with heat index values at or above 95.0 F. During the winter months, episodes of extreme cold and wind can occur with wind chill values below 0.0 F. The plant hardiness zone at Brigantine Beach is 7b with an average annual extreme minimum air temperature of 7.3 F. The average seasonal (November–April) snowfall total is 12 to 18 in, and the average snowiest month is February which corresponds with the annual peak in nor'easter activity.

Ecology
According to the A. W. Kuchler U.S. potential natural vegetation types, Brigantine would have a dominant vegetation type of Northern Cordgrass (73) with a dominant vegetation form of Coastal Prairie (20).

Notable people
People who were born in, residents of, or otherwise closely associated with Brigantine include:

 * Ray Birdwhistell (1918–1994), anthropologist who founded kinesics as a field of inquiry and research
 * Dan Borislow (1961–2014), entrepreneur, sports team owner, inventor and thoroughbred horse breeder
 * Mark A. Brown (born 1961), gaming industry executive who has been CEO of Trump Hotels and Casinos Inc. and President of The Venetian Macao, Sands Macao and The Four Seasons Macau
 * Angelo Coia (1938–2013), football end who played in the NFL for the Chicago Bears, the Washington Redskins and the Atlanta Falcons
 * Vincent S. Haneman (1902–1978), Associate Justice of New Jersey Supreme Court 1960 to 1971, served eight years as Brigantine's mayor
 * Amy Kennedy (born 1978), educator, mental health advocate and politician who is the Democratic Party nominee in the 2020 elections seeking to represent New Jersey's 2nd congressional district
 * Brett Kennedy (born 1994), pitcher for the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball
 * Patrick J. Kennedy (born 1967), former member of United States House of Representatives
 * Brittany Lee Lewis (born 1990), professor, television personality, domestic violence advocate, Miss Delaware 2014 and Miss Black America 2017
 * Guy Marks (1923–1987), actor, comedian, singer and impressionist, familiar face on TV sitcoms and variety shows of 1960s and 1970s
 * Harry Olivieri (1916–2006), co-creator of the Philly cheesesteak and owner of Pat's King of Steaks
 * Carol Plum-Ucci (born 1957), young adult novelist and essayist
 * John Rosenbaum (1934–2003), California artist and educator
 * Katherine Shindle (born 1977), actress, singer, dancer and AIDS activist who was Miss America 1998 and Miss Illinois 1997
 * Slappy White (1921–1995), comedian and actor

title: Brigantine, New Jersey