Epsom, New Hampshire (original) (raw)

Town in New Hampshire, United States

Epsom, New Hampshire
Town
Epsom Town Hall, listed on the New Hampshire State Register of Historic PlacesEpsom Town Hall, listed on the New Hampshire State Register of Historic Places
Official seal of Epsom, New HampshireSeal
Location in Merrimack County and the state of New HampshireLocation in Merrimack County and the state of New Hampshire
Coordinates: 43°13′21″N 71°19′57″W / 43.22250°N 71.33250°W / 43.22250; -71.33250
Country United States
State New Hampshire
County Merrimack
Incorporated 1727
Villages EpsomGossvilleShort Falls
Government
• Board of Selectmen Cheryl Gilpatrick, ChairVirginia DrewMeadow Wysocki
Area[1]
• Total 34.61 sq mi (89.65 km2)
• Land 34.42 sq mi (89.14 km2)
• Water 0.20 sq mi (0.51 km2) 0.57%
Elevation 404 ft (123 m)
Population (2020)[2]
• Total 4,834
• Density 140/sq mi (54.2/km2)
Time zone UTC-5 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST) UTC-4 (Eastern)
ZIP code 03234
Area code 603
FIPS code 33-24900
GNIS feature ID 0873592
Website www.epsomnh.org

Epsom is a town in Merrimack County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4,834 at the 2020 census.[2]

Incorporated in 1727, Epsom takes its name from Epsom in Surrey, England.[3] Although dotted with several small mountains, the land was suitable for grazing and growing grain. By 1859, when the town's population was 1,366, it had two gristmills and two sawmills.[4]

Epsom is in central New Hampshire, in the eastern part of Merrimack County. The eastern border of the town is the Rockingham County line. Concord, the state capital, is 11 miles (18 km) to the west by U.S. Route 4, while the same highway leads east 34 miles (55 km) to Portsmouth on New Hampshire's seacoast.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the town of Epsom has a total area of 34.6 square miles (89.7 km2), of which 34.4 square miles (89.1 km2) are land and 0.2 square miles (0.5 km2) are water, comprising 0.57% of the town.[1] The town is drained by the Suncook River and its tributary, the Little Suncook River. Epsom lies fully within the Merrimack River watershed.[5] The highest point in Epsom is the summit of Fort Mountain, at 1,413 feet (431 m) above sea level, in the eastern part of town. Other small summits in town include McCoy Mountain (1,270 ft or 390 m) and Nats Mountain (1,180 ft or 360 m).

Adjacent municipalities

[edit]

Historical population

Census Pop. Note %±
1790 799 —
1800 1,034 29.4%
1810 1,156 11.8%
1820 1,336 15.6%
1830 1,408 5.4%
1840 1,205 −14.4%
1850 1,366 13.4%
1860 1,216 −11.0%
1870 993 −18.3%
1880 909 −8.5%
1890 815 −10.3%
1900 771 −5.4%
1910 725 −6.0%
1920 655 −9.7%
1930 678 3.5%
1940 797 17.6%
1950 756 −5.1%
1960 1,002 32.5%
1970 1,469 46.6%
1980 2,743 86.7%
1990 3,591 30.9%
2000 4,021 12.0%
2010 4,566 13.6%
2020 4,834 5.9%
U.S. Decennial Census[2][6]

As of the census[7] of 2000, there were 4,021 people, 1,491 households, and 1,103 families residing in the town. The population density was 117.7 inhabitants per square mile (45.4/km2). There were 1,592 housing units at an average density of 46.6 per square mile (18.0/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 98.63% White, 0.10% African American, 0.10% Native American, 0.32% Asian, 0.10% from other races, and 0.75% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.45% of the population.

There were 1,491 households, out of which 34.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 64.0% were married couples living together, 6.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.0% were non-families. 19.7% of all households 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 2.62 and the average family size was 3.01.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.5% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 30.9% from 25 to 44, 25.4% from 45 to 64, and 14.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 92.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.8 males.

The median income for a household in the town was 50,685,andthemedianincomeforafamilywas50,685, and the median income for a family was 50,685,andthemedianincomeforafamilywas56,875. Males had a median income of 40,995versus40,995 versus 40,995versus27,106 for females. The per capita income for the town was $22,026. About 1.9% of families and 3.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.4% of those under age 18 and 3.2% of those age 65 or over.

Three New Hampshire state routes and two U.S. routes cross Epsom.

Epsom was the town where Leo Rockway (known initially as "Joe") in Stephen King's The Stand was from.

  1. ^ a b "2021 U.S. Gazetteer Files – New Hampshire". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c "Epsom town, Merrimack County, New Hampshire: 2020 DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171)". U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved December 14, 2021.
  3. ^ Gannett, Henry (1905). The Origin of Certain Place Names in the United States. Govt. Print. Off. pp. 120.
  4. ^ Coolidge, Austin J.; John B. Mansfield (1859). A History and Description of New England. Boston, Massachusetts: A.J. Coolidge. pp. 486–487. coolidge mansfield history description new england 1859.
  5. ^ Foster, Debra H.; Batorfalvy, Tatianna N.; Medalie, Laura (1995). Water Use in New Hampshire: An Activities Guide for Teachers. U.S. Department of the Interior and U.S. Geological Survey.
  6. ^ "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2016.
  7. ^ "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  8. ^ "Major Andrew McClary". www.usgennet.org. Retrieved December 16, 2019.
  9. ^ "Fort McClary State Historic Site". Maine Trail Finder. Retrieved December 16, 2019.