Bethel, Maine
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bethel is a town in Oxford County, Maine, United States. It is located on the Androscoggin River near the popular Sunday River ski resort and is home to a private preparatory school called Gould Academy. The settlement was the site of the last Indian attack in Maine, made in August 1781 during the American Revolutionary War. The town was incorporated in 1796.[1] The population was 2,411 at the 2000 census.
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[edit] Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 170.8 km² (65.9 mi²). 167.9 km² (64.8 mi²) of it is land and 2.9 km² (1.1 mi²) of it (1.70%) is water.
[edit] Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 2,411 people, 1,034 households, and 677 families residing in the town. The population density was 14.4/km² (37.2/mi²). There were 1,448 housing units at an average density of 8.6/km² (22.3/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.09% White, 0.21% African American, 0.37% Native American, 0.50% Asian, 0.12% from other races, and 0.71% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.79% of the population.
There were 1,034 households out of which 27.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 52.5% were married couples living together, 9.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.5% were non-families. 26.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.33 and the average family size was 2.77.
In the town the population was spread out with 22.4% under the age of 18, 6.8% from 18 to 24, 27.4% from 25 to 44, 27.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females there were 96.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $33,803, and the median income for a family was $38,669. Males had a median income of $31,569 versus $18,859 for females. The per capita income for the town was $17,458. About 8.0% of families and 10.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.2% of those under age 18 and 5.7% of those age 65 or over.
[edit] Education
The campus of Gould Academy, a private preparatory school that once also served as the area's public high school, is located in Bethel's village center.
For public education, Bethel is a constituent of Maine School Administrative District 44 (MSAD 44) along with five other towns in the region: Andover, Gilead, Greenwood, Newry, and Woodstock. The district's schools in Bethel are Crescent Park Elementary School and MSAD 44's flagship, Telstar Regional Middle/High School.
[edit] External links
- Bethel, Maine Web site
- Bethel Area Chamber of Commerce
- Gould Academy
- Sunday River
- Bethel Inn & County Club
- Sudbury Inn
[edit] References
- ^ Maine League of Historical Societies and Museums (1970). in Doris A. Isaacson: Maine: A Guide 'Down East'. Rockland, Me: Courier-Gazette, Inc., 366.
