Hampton, New Hampshire | |
|---|---|
 Great Boar's Headc. 1920 | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location inRockingham County and the state ofNew Hampshire. | |
| Coordinates:42°56′15″N70°50′20″W / 42.93750°N 70.83889°W /42.93750; -70.83889 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New Hampshire |
| County | Rockingham |
| Founded | October 14, 1638 |
| Incorporated | May 22, 1639 |
| Villages |
|
| Government | |
| • Board of Selectmen |
|
| • Town Manager | Jamie Sullivan |
| 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 | 603 |
| FIPS code | 33-33060 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0873616 |
| Website | hamptonnh |
Hampton is atown inRockingham County,New Hampshire, United States. The population was 16,214 at the2020 census.[2] On theAtlantic coast, Hampton is home toHampton Beach, a summer tourist destination.
The densely populated central part of the town, where 9,597 people resided at the 2020 census,[3] is defined as theHampton census-designated place (CDP) and centers on the intersection ofU.S. 1 andNH 27.
First called the "Plantation of Winnacunnet", Hampton was one of four original New Hampshire townships chartered by theGeneral Court of Massachusetts, which then held authority over the colony.Winnacunnet is anAlgonquianAbenaki word meaning "pleasant pines" and is the name of the town'shigh school, serving students from Hampton and the surrounding towns ofSeabrook,North Hampton, andHampton Falls.
In March 1635,Richard Dummer and John Spencer of theByfield section ofNewbury, Massachusetts, came round in theirshallop, coming 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."[4]
The town was settled in 1638 by a group of parishioners led byOxford University graduate ReverendStephen Bachiler, who had formerly preached at the settlement's namesake:Hampton,England.[5] The town, incorporated in 1639, once included Seabrook,Kensington,Danville,Kingston,East Kingston,Sandown, North Hampton and Hampton Falls. On September 18, 1679, the Acts ofPrivy Council records that Stephen Bachiler's son-in-law, "Christopher Hussey of Hampton, Esquire", was appointed byKing Charles II to "govern the provence of New Hampshire" as a member of the newly established council of seven men.[6][7]
Also among Hampton's earliest settlers wasThomas Leavitt, who previously had been among the first settlers atExeter. His descendant Thomas Leavitt, Esq., lived in Hampton Falls, and was the leadingDemocratic politician in southern New Hampshire for many years.[8] He made a noted early survey and plan of the town of Hampton in 1806.[9] James Leavitt, of the same family, occupied the home which had previously belonged to Gen.Jonathan Moulton.[9] Later members of the family ran Leavitts' Hampton Beach Hotel, a fixture in the area for generations.[9]
Construction of therailroad 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.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 14.6 square miles (37.9 km2), of which 12.9 square miles (33.4 km2) are land and 1.7 square miles (4.5 km2) are water, comprising 11.76% of the town.[1]
Hampton is drained by theHampton andDrakes rivers. The town lies fully within the New Hampshire Coastalwatershed.[10] The highest point in Hampton is Bride Hill (approximately 150 feet (46 m) abovesea level), near the town line withExeter.
| Climate data for Hampton, New Hampshire | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 61 (16) | 66 (19) | 79 (26) | 91 (33) | 99 (37) | 95 (35) | 101 (38) | 100 (38) | 94 (34) | 87 (31) | 76 (24) | 68 (20) | 101 (38) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 31.6 (−0.2) | 33.8 (1.0) | 42.2 (5.7) | 53.6 (12.0) | 65.0 (18.3) | 74.3 (23.5) | 79.8 (26.6) | 77.8 (25.4) | 70.3 (21.3) | 59.7 (15.4) | 48.5 (9.2) | 36.1 (2.3) | 56.1 (13.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 16.1 (−8.8) | 18.0 (−7.8) | 27.3 (−2.6) | 36.7 (2.6) | 46.7 (8.2) | 55.7 (13.2) | 61.6 (16.4) | 60.0 (15.6) | 52.2 (11.2) | 42.0 (5.6) | 33.8 (1.0) | 21.8 (−5.7) | 39.3 (4.1) |
| Record low °F (°C) | −16 (−27) | −9 (−23) | 0 (−18) | 17 (−8) | 29 (−2) | 38 (3) | 47 (8) | 40 (4) | 32 (0) | 23 (−5) | 11 (−12) | −9 (−23) | −16 (−27) |
| Averageprecipitation inches (mm) | 3.59 (91) | 3.80 (97) | 5.02 (128) | 4.63 (118) | 4.45 (113) | 4.82 (122) | 3.77 (96) | 4.00 (102) | 4.19 (106) | 5.20 (132) | 4.09 (104) | 5.03 (128) | 52.59 (1,336) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 18.6 (47) | 20.5 (52) | 10.9 (28) | 1.4 (3.6) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0.2 (0.51) | 0.8 (2.0) | 10.2 (26) | 62.6 (159) |
| Source: NOAA[11] | |||||||||||||
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 41.7 °F (5.4 °C) | 39.0 °F (3.9 °C) | 39.0 °F (3.9 °C) | 42.6 °F (5.9 °C) | 50.2 °F (10.1 °C) | 58.1 °F (14.5 °C) | 65.1 °F (18.4 °C) | 66.4 °F (19.1 °C) | 63.0 °F (17.2 °C) | 56.7 °F (13.7 °C) | 50.0 °F (10.0 °C) | 45.3 °F (7.4 °C) | 51.4 °F (10.8 °C) |
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 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[13] | |||
As of thecensus 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 wereHispanic orLatino of any race.[14]
Of the 6,868 households, 23.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 47.2% were headed bymarried 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.[14]
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.[14]
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. Theper 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.[15]
Hampton is part of School Administrative Unit 90, which covers the elementary and middle schools,[16] and SAU 21 which includesWinnacunnet High School, a regional high school serving Hampton and several surrounding communities.
Hampton is home to the headquarters ofPlanet Fitness.[17]
18th September 1679....The king was represented by a president and council of his own appointment....to govern the provence of New Hampshire.....Christopher Hussey of Hampton, Esquire...to be of the council...
The names of the first settlers are Stephen Bachiler, Christopher Hussey...
{{cite book}}:ISBN / Date incompatibility (help)
Places adjacent to Hampton, New Hampshire | |
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Municipalities and communities ofRockingham County, New Hampshire,United States | ||
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| City |  | |
| Towns | ||
| CDPs | ||
| Other villages | ||
| International | |
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| National | |
| Geographic | |
