Unity, New Hampshire

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Unity, New Hampshire
Location in Sullivan County, New Hampshire
Location in Sullivan County, New Hampshire
Coordinates: 43°17′38″N, 72°15′37″W
Country United States
State New Hampshire
County Sullivan County
Incorporated 1764
Government
 - Board of Selectmen
Area
 - Town  37.2 sq mi (96.3 km²)
 - Land  36.9 sq mi (95.7 km²)
 - Water  0.2 sq mi (0.6 km²)
Elevation  1,457 ft (444 m)
Population (2000)
 - Town 1,530
 - Density 41.4/sq mi (16.0/km²)
Time zone Eastern (UTC-5)
 - Summer (DST) Eastern (UTC-4)

Unity is a town in Sullivan County, New Hampshire, USA. The population was 1,530 at the 2000 census. The town includes the villages of East Unity, Quaker City, and West Unity.

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[edit] History

The Common in c. 1904
The Common in c. 1904

First granted in 1753, the town was named "Buckingham" after John Hobart, 1st Earl of Buckinghamshire. But numerous families from Kingston, Hampstead and Amesbury petitioned Colonial Governor Benning Wentworth to grant them land in compensation for property lost because of ancient land grants. Consequently, he granted them 29,000 acres in the former "Buckingham." Grantees were given land equivalent to what they felt they had a legal right to at their previous residences. Upon friendly resolution of the claim despute in 1764, the town was named "Unity."

Situated on the Second New Hampshire Turnpike, an important trade route chartered in 1799, the town prospered. By 1810, the town had 1,044 inhabitants, with 2 grain mills, 5 sawmills, a clothing mill and a distillery. Sheep farming was a principal business.

[edit] Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 96.3 km² (37.2 mi²). 95.7 km² (36.9 mi²) of it is land and 0.6 km² (0.2 mi²) of it is water, comprising 0.65% of the town. Unity is drained by the Little Sugar River. The highest point in Unity is an unnamed summit along the town's northern boundary, with an elevation of 2,011 feet (613 meters) above sea level.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census2 of 2000, there were 1,530 people, 504 households, and 385 families residing in the town. The population density was 16.0/km² (41.4/mi²). There were 594 housing units at an average density of 6.2/km² (16.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 99.35% White, 0.07% African American, 0.13% Asian, and 0.46% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.72% of the population.

There were 504 households out of which 30.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 66.5% were married couples living together, 4.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.6% were non-families. 17.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.59 and the average family size was 2.89.

In the town the population was spread out with 20.0% under the age of 18, 5.9% from 18 to 24, 27.5% from 25 to 44, 26.1% from 45 to 64, and 20.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females there were 101.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 97.7 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $41,594, and the median income for a family was $47,045. Males had a median income of $31,199 versus $24,833 for females. The per capita income for the town was $17,908. About 6.8% of families and 8.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 15.4% of those under age 18 and 1.4% of those age 65 or over.

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