Chester, New Hampshire

Chester is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 3,792 at the 2000 census. It is home to Chester College (formerly White Pines College).

History

Incorporated in 1722, Chester once included Candia, set off in 1763. First called "the chestnut country," it may have been the first of the settlement grants by Massachusetts selected for expansion of growing populations in the seacoast. The name may be derived from Cheshire, Chester being the county seat of Cheshire in England. Earl of Chester is a title held by the Prince of Wales.

Notable Inhabitants:

Isaac Blasdel, clockmaker
Daniel Chester French, sculptor of the Lincoln Monument in Washington, D.C., was a summer inhabitant and took Chester as his middle name because of his love for the town.

Education

Middle School / Elementary School: Chester Academy (Public)

High School : Pinkerton Academy, Derry (Private)

Preschools : Chester Pre-School (Private), Chester Academy (Public), Country Christian Daycare (Private)

Pinkerton Academy is technically a private school, but it contracts with Derry, Chester, and Hampstead. Those three towns pay the Academy with tax money.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 67.4 km² (26.0 mi²). 67.1 km² (25.9 mi²) of it is land and 0.3 km² (0.1 mi²) of it (0.42%) is water. The Exeter River rises in Chester. The highest point in town is the top of the manure pile at Senator Bell Farm, reaching 639 feet (195 meters) above sea level, near the town's southwest corner.

Demographics

As of the census ² of 2000, there were 3,792 people, 1,214 households, and 1,011 families residing in the town. The population density was 56.5/km² (146.4/mi²). There were 1,247 housing units at an average density of 18.6/km² (48.1/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 97.97% White, 0.26% African American, 0.42% Native American, 0.32% Asian, 0.16% from other races, and 0.87% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.82% of the population.

There were 1,214 households out of which 45.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 73.3% were married couples living together, 6.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 16.7% were non-families. 11.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.09 and the average family size was 3.38.

In the town the population was spread out with 31.0% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 32.1% from 25 to 44, 24.6% from 45 to 64, and 6.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 97.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.4 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $68,571, and the median income for a family was $75,092. Males had a median income of $44,056 versus $35,382 for females. The per capita income for the town was $23,842. About 3.4% of families and 5.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.9% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over.

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