Bradford, Vermont | |
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 Bradford, VT, viewed from the south | |
 Seal | |
 Located in Orange County, Vermont | |
  Bradford, Vermont | |
| Coordinates:43°59′41″N72°7′58″W / 43.99472°N 72.13278°W /43.99472; -72.13278 | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  Vermont |
| County | Orange |
| Chartered | 1770 |
| Communities | Bradford Bradford Center |
| Area | |
• Total | 29.9 sq mi (77.4 km2) |
| • Land | 29.8 sq mi (77.2 km2) |
| • Water | 0.077 sq mi (0.2 km2) |
| Elevation | 863 ft (263 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 2,790 |
| • Density | 93/sq mi (36.1/km2) |
| • Households | 1,028 |
| • Families | 692 |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (EST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (EDT) |
| ZIP Codes | 05033 (Bradford) 05040 (East Corinth) |
| Area code | 802 |
| FIPS code | 50-07375[1] |
| GNIS feature ID | 1462046[2] |
| Website | bradford-vt.us |
Bradford is atown inOrange County, Vermont, United States. The population was 2,790 at the2020 census.[3] Bradford is located on the county's eastern border, bordering both theConnecticut River andNew Hampshire, and is a commercial center for some of its surrounding towns.
The earliest name of the settlement wasWait's River Town orWaitstown,[4] in honor of Joseph Wait, a member ofRogers' Rangers.[5] The town was originally part ofGloucester County in theProvince of New York before becoming part of Vermont.[4] In 1770, the town was established by New York patent: 3,000 acres (1,200 hectares) were granted on May 3, 1770, and the town was namedMooretown afterSir Henry Moore, 1st Baronet, then the royalgovernor of New York.[4][5] On October 23, 1788, at the request of town's residents, the town was renamed Bradford by theVermont General Assembly,[4] likely afterBradford, Massachusetts.[5] According to theVermont Encyclopedia, Bradford "has always been an industrial and commercial center for the surrounding rural towns and villages."[5]
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 29.9 square miles (77 km2), of which 29.8 square miles (77 km2) is land and 0.1 square miles (0.26 km2) (0.20%) is water. TheWaits River flows through Bradford in a southeasterly direction to its confluence with theConnecticut River, which forms the eastern boundary of the town.[4][6] The town rises from the river's meadows through low hills and river valleys and finally Wright's Mountain (at an elevation of 1,822 feet) close to the border withNewbury to the north.[4]
Bradford is bordered by the towns of Newbury to the north,West Fairlee andFairlee to the south, andCorinth to the west.[7]
Piermont, New Hampshire lies across the Connecticut River to the east. ThePiermont Bridge, aPennsylvania truss bridge erected in 1928, connects Bradford and Piermont.[8]
Bradford is part of the Upper Valley micropolitan region of east-central Vermont and west-central New Hampshire surrounding the Connecticut River.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1790 | 654 | — | |
| 1800 | 1,064 | 62.7% | |
| 1810 | 1,302 | 22.4% | |
| 1820 | 1,411 | 8.4% | |
| 1830 | 1,507 | 6.8% | |
| 1840 | 1,655 | 9.8% | |
| 1850 | 1,723 | 4.1% | |
| 1860 | 1,689 | −2.0% | |
| 1870 | 1,492 | −11.7% | |
| 1880 | 1,520 | 1.9% | |
| 1890 | 1,429 | −6.0% | |
| 1900 | 1,338 | −6.4% | |
| 1910 | 1,372 | 2.5% | |
| 1920 | 1,422 | 3.6% | |
| 1930 | 1,235 | −13.2% | |
| 1940 | 1,507 | 22.0% | |
| 1950 | 1,551 | 2.9% | |
| 1960 | 1,619 | 4.4% | |
| 1970 | 1,527 | −5.7% | |
| 1980 | 2,191 | 43.5% | |
| 1990 | 2,522 | 15.1% | |
| 2000 | 2,619 | 3.8% | |
| 2010 | 2,797 | 6.8% | |
| 2020 | 2,790 | −0.3% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[9] | |||
As of thecensus of 2010,[10] there were 2,797 people, 1,281 households, and 692 families residing in the town. Thepopulation density was 87.8 people per square mile (33.9 people/km2). There were 1,217 housing units at an average density of 40.8 units per square mile (15.8 units/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 97.71%White, 0.46%Black orAfrican American, 0.46%Native American, 0.23%Asian, 0.15%Pacific Islander, and 0.99% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 0.61% of the population.
There were 1,028 households, out of which 33.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them. 51.8% weremarried couples living together, 12.5% 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 11.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.98.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.2% under the age of 18, 7.6% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 25.1% from 45 to 64, and 15.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $37,270, and the median income for a family was $42,128. Males had a median income of $30,865 versus $28,857 for females. Theper capita income for the town was $18,452. About 7.9% of families and 11.3% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 15.5% of those under age 18 and 8.1% of those age 65 or over.
Bradford has two public schools: Bradford Elementary School for kindergarten through grade 6 and Oxbow High School for grades 7–12. Attached to Oxbow High School is the Riverbend Career and Technical Center for adults, avocational center. Total school enrollment for fiscal year 2017–2018 was 242 at Bradford Elementary[11] and approximately 373 at Oxbow/Riverbend.[12] While Bradford Elementary serves only the Town of Bradford, Oxbow/Riverbend is part of asupervisory union, and so has students from the surrounding area as well.[13]The central office for the Orange East Supervisory Union is located in Bradford.
A branch of Central Vermont Basic Education, which provides curricula for learning basic skills (reading, writing, math and computer literacy), English language that prepares the student for U.S. citizenship, credential programs for high school diplomas and GED, and college and career readiness, is also located in Bradford.[citation needed]
The town is crossed byInterstate 91 (6.42 miles (10.33 km) in the town),U.S. Route 5 (5.85 miles (9.41 km)) andVermont Routes 25 and25B (8.01 miles (12.89 km)).[14]
Stagecoach Transportation bus service also serves Bradford, with commuter service to points south includingHanover, New Hampshire,Lebanon, New Hampshire andWhite River Junction, Vermont along its River Route. Stagecoach also provides a "Circulator Route" to shopping and service destinations in the Lower Cohase Region, and provides individual rides to health care and other approved appointments.
The town has a number of scenic views, including of theConnecticut River Valley,Waits River Valley, andWhite Mountains. Also of note is the view from Wright's Mountain.[15]
Places adjacent to Bradford, Vermont | |
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Municipalities and communities ofOrange County, Vermont,United States | ||
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| Other communities | ||
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