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Hampton, New Hampshire
Great Boar's Head c. 1920
Great Boar's Head c. 1920
Official seal of Hampton, New Hampshire
Seal
Location in Rockingham County and the state of New Hampshire.
Location in Rockingham County and the state of New Hampshire.
Country United States
State New Hampshire
County Rockingham
Founded October 14, 1638
Incorporated May 22, 1639
Villages Hampton
Hampton Beach
Great Boars Head
North Beach
Plaice Cove
Area
 • Total 14.6 sq mi (37.9 km2)
 • Land 12.9 sq mi (33.4 km2)
 • Water 1.7 sq mi (4.5 km2)  11.76%
Elevation
36 ft (11 m)
Population
 (2020)
 • Total 16,214
 • Density 1,256/sq mi (484.9/km2)
Time zone UTC-5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-4 (Eastern)
ZIP codes
03842–03843
Area code(s) 603 Exchanges: 926,929,601,910
FIPS code 33-33060
GNIS feature ID 0873616

Hampton is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 16,214 at the 2020 census. On the Atlantic Ocean coast, Hampton is home to Hampton Beach, a summer tourist destination.

The densely populated central part of the town, where 9,597 people resided at the 2020 census, is defined as the Hampton census-designated place (CDP) and centers on the intersection of U.S. 1 and NH 27.

History

First called the Plantation of Winnacunnet, Hampton was one of four original New Hampshire townships chartered by the General Court of Massachusetts, which then held authority over the colony. "Winnacunnet" is an Algonquian Abenaki word meaning "pleasant pines" and is the name of the town's high school, serving students from Hampton and the surrounding towns of Seabrook, North Hampton, and Hampton Falls.

In March 1635, Richard Dummer and John Spencer of the Byfield section in Newbury, came round in their shallop, came ashore at the landing and were much impressed by the location. Dummer, who was a member of the General Court, got that body to lay its claim to the section and plan a plantation here. The Massachusetts General Court of March 3, 1636 ordered that Dummer and Spencer be given power to "To presse men to build there a Bound house".

HamptonNH Library
The public library

The town was settled in 1638 by a group of parishioners led by Reverend Stephen Bachiler, who had formerly preached at the settlement's namesake: Hampton, England. Incorporated in 1639, the township once included Seabrook, Kensington, Danville, Kingston, East Kingston, Sandown, North Hampton and Hampton Falls.

Among Hampton's earliest settlers was Thomas Leavitt, who previously had been among the first settlers at Exeter. His descendant Thomas Leavitt Esq., lived in Hampton Falls, and was the leading Democratic politician in southern New Hampshire for many years. He made a noted early survey and plan of the town of Hampton in 1806. James Leavitt, of the same family, occupied the home which had previously belonged to Gen. Jonathan Moulton. Later members of the family ran Leavitts' Hampton Beach Hotel, a fixture in the area for generations.

Construction of the railroad in the 1850s, as well as the Exeter and Hampton Trolley line, made Hampton's oceanfront a popular resort. Hampton Beach remains a tourist destination, offering shops, restaurants, beaches, and summer seasonal housing.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 14.7 square miles (38.1 km2), of which 12.9 square miles (33.4 km2) is land and 1.8 square miles (4.7 km2) is water, comprising 12.38% of the town. The town center, or CDP, has a total area of 5.4 sq mi (14 km2), of which 5.4 sq mi (14 km2) is land and 0.1 sq mi (0.26 km2) (1.11%) is water.

Hampton is drained by the Hampton and Drakes rivers. The town lies fully within the New Hampshire Coastal watershed. The highest point in Hampton is Bride Hill (approximately 150 feet (46 m) above sea level), near the town line with Exeter.

Climate

Climate data for Hampton, New Hampshire
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °F (°C) 62
(17)
72
(22)
89
(32)
94
(34)
94
(34)
96
(36)
101
(38)
104
(40)
96
(36)
86
(30)
78
(26)
75
(24)
104
(40)
Average high °F (°C) 34
(1)
38
(3)
45
(7)
57
(14)
68
(20)
77
(25)
82
(28)
81
(27)
73
(23)
61
(16)
50
(10)
39
(4)
59
(15)
Average low °F (°C) 15
(−9)
18
(−8)
25
(−4)
34
(1)
43
(6)
53
(12)
59
(15)
57
(14)
50
(10)
39
(4)
31
(−1)
21
(−6)
37
(3)
Record low °F (°C) −26
(−32)
−15
(−26)
−6
(−21)
13
(−11)
15
(−9)
33
(1)
38
(3)
33
(1)
23
(−5)
17
(−8)
−6
(−21)
−17
(−27)
−26
(−32)
Average precipitation inches (mm) 3.61
(92)
3.70
(94)
4.99
(127)
4.70
(119)
4.24
(108)
4.34
(110)
4.10
(104)
3.49
(89)
4.05
(103)
4.57
(116)
4.86
(123)
4.39
(112)
51.04
(1,296)
Source: The Weather Channel (Historical Monthly Averages)

Demographics

Hotel Whittier & Annex, Hampton, NH
Hotel Whittier c. 1910
Historical population
Census Pop.
1790 853
1800 875 2.6%
1810 990 13.1%
1820 1,098 10.9%
1830 1,102 0.4%
1840 1,320 19.8%
1850 1,192 −9.7%
1860 1,230 3.2%
1870 1,177 −4.3%
1880 1,184 0.6%
1890 1,330 12.3%
1900 1,209 −9.1%
1910 1,215 0.5%
1920 1,251 3.0%
1930 1,507 20.5%
1940 2,137 41.8%
1950 2,847 33.2%
1960 5,379 88.9%
1970 8,011 48.9%
1980 10,493 31.0%
1990 12,324 17.4%
2000 14,973 21.5%
2010 14,976 0.0%
2020 16,214 8.3%
U.S. Decennial Census

As of the census of 2010, there were 14,976 people, 6,868 households, and 4,079 families residing in the town. There were 9,921 housing units, of which 3,053, or 30.8%, were vacant. 2,221 of the vacant units were for seasonal or recreational uses. The racial makeup of the town was 96.1% white, 0.6% African American, 0.2% Native American, 1.2% Asian, 0.1% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, 0.5% some other race, and 1.3% from two or more races. 1.7% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Of the 6,868 households, 23.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.2% were headed by married couples living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 40.6% were non-families. 33.7% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.2% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.16, and the average family size was 2.77.

In the town, 17.5% of the population were under the age of 18, 7.0% were from 18 to 24, 22.3% from 25 to 44, 35.1% from 45 to 64, and 18.2% were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 47.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 99.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 99.0 males.

For the period 2011–2015, the estimated median annual income for a household was $76,836, and the median income for a family was $98,642. Male full-time workers had a median income of $65,519 versus $51,009 for females. The per capita income for the town was $45,189. 5.9% of the population and 4.7% of families were below the poverty line. 5.9% of the population under the age of 18 and 2.5% of those 65 or older were living in poverty.

The Marshes, Hampton Beach, NH
The marshes, c. 1905

Sites of interest

Education

Hampton is part of School Administrative Unit 90, which covers the elementary and middle schools, and SAU 21 which includes Winnacunnet High School, a regional high school serving Hampton and several surrounding communities.

Notable people

Beach & Casino, Hampton Beach, NH
Beach & Casino c. 1910
  • Bill Alfonso (born 1957), professional wrestling personality
  • Stephen Bachiler (1561–1656), English clergyman; town founder
  • Eunice "Goody" Cole (c. 1590–1680), the only woman convicted of witchcraft in New Hampshire
  • Henry Dearborn (1751–1829), physician, general and 5th U.S. Secretary of War
  • Abraham Drake (1715–1781), Continental Army during the Revolutionary War and politician
  • Jimmy Dunn, stand-up comedian, actor
  • Christopher Hussey (1599–1686), English nobleman, one of the original founders of Nantucket, Massachusetts
  • Thomas Leavitt (1616–1696), early settler
  • Paul Maher Jr. (born 1963), author
  • Stephen E. Merrill (1946–2020), 77th governor of New Hampshire
  • Jonathan Moulton (1726–1787), Revolutionary War era brigadier general
  • Jane Pierce (1806–1863), First Lady of the United States, wife of Franklin Pierce
  • Robert Preston (1929–2021), businessman and New Hampshire state senator
  • Trish Regan (born 1972), business news broadcaster
  • Tristram Shaw (1786–1843), U.S. congressman

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Hampton (Nuevo Hampshire) para niños

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