Hancock

Hancock started as an unidentified settlement on the Contoocook River, in lands known as "Society Land" or "Cumberland" First settled in 1764, the town was set off from Peterborough and incorporated in 1779, named "Hancock" in honor of John Hancock. Almost every building on Main Street in downtown Hancock is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Hancock Village Historic District. Hancock's Meetinghouse is home to Paul Revere's #236 bell, which chimes on the hour, day and night. The town does not have paved sidewalks, but gravel paths leading from home to home. The population was 1,731 at the 2020 census. Hancock is part of SA #1, which is a better known school district that includes the towns of Bennington, Greenfield, Harrisville, Nelson, Antrim, and Greenfield. It is located at the junction of New Hampshire routes 123 and 137. The highest point in Hancock is Skatutakee Mountain, which has an elevation of 2,002 feet (610 m) above sea level. Hancock lies fully within the Merrimack River watershed. It has a total area of 31.2 square miles (80.9 km²), of which 30.0 square miles. (77.6 km²) are land and 1.3 sq miles (3.3 km 2) are water, comprising 4.12% of the town. The main village of Hancock is defined as the Hancock census-designated place (CDP), where 213 people resided at the 2010 census.

History

Hancock started as an unidentified settlement on the Contoocook River, in lands known as "Society Land" or "Cumberland" First settled in 1764, the town was set off from Peterborough and incorporated in 1779, named "Hancock" in honor of John Hancock. A landowner of 1,875 acres (8 km²) in the community, Hancock was the first governor of the state of Massachusetts, president of the Continental Congress, and signer of the Declaration of Independence. Almost every building on Main Street in downtown Hancock is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the Hancock Village Historic District. Hancock's Meetinghouse is home to Paul Revere's #236 bell, which chimes on the hour, day and night. The town does not have paved sidewalks, but gravel paths leading from home to home. Almost all of the buildings in Hancock are listed as being of national historic significance, with the exception of one, which is listed as having been built in the 19th century. The city of Hancock has a population of about 3,000 people, with most of its residents living in the village of Hancock Village, which was established in 1838. The population of the town is about 2,000, with many of the residents having moved there from elsewhere in the state to live in the area. It is the only town in New Hampshire with a population over the age of 20, and the first to reach that level of population in more than 100 years.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 31.2 square miles (80.9 km²) Skatutakee Mountain, the highest point in Hancock, has an elevation of 2,002 feet (610 m) above sea level. Hancock is drained by the Contoocook River, which flows northward along the eastern border of the town. Powder Mill Pond is in the east, and Nubanusit Lake is on the western border. The town lies fully within the Merrimack River watershed, and is surrounded by the towns of Antrim, Bennington, Greenfield, Peterborough, Harrisville, Nelson, and Peterborough. It has a population of 4.12 million (as of the 2010 U.S. Census), making it one of the smallest towns in New Hampshire. It is the only town in the state not to be part of the New Hampshire-Massachusetts Bay Area, which is home to the majority of the state's casinos. It also has a number of small lakes and ponds, including Powder Mill Lake, which lies on the town's eastern border. It lies within the New York-New Hampshire state line, which runs north-south and east-to-west. It was the site of the first recorded European settlement of Hancock in the 17th century, and was the first town to have a post office in the 19th century. The last post office closed in 1875. It reopened in 1883.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 1,654 people, 724 households, and 484 families residing in the town. There were 864 housing units, of which 140, or 16.2%, were vacant. 91 of the vacant units were for seasonal or recreational use. The racial makeup of the town was 97.4% white, 0.4%. The estimated median annual income for a household was $77,788, and the median income for the family was $89,773. 5.2% of the population under the age of 18 and 2.8% of those 65 or older were living in poverty. The per capita income was $45,544, and 4.6% of families were below the poverty line. The median age was 50.8 years. For every 100 females there were 90.1 males. For each 100 females age 18 and over there were 87.8 males. The town is located on the U.S.-Mexico border. It is located near the border of the state of New Mexico and New Mexico. It has a population of about 1,700 people, and a population growth rate of 0.7% from 2007 to 2010. The city has an estimated population of around 1,600 people, with a population Growth Rate of 1.7%. The town has a median age of 50.9 years. The population growth Rate of 0% is 0.8%. The city's population growth rates are 0.9% from 2008 to 2012.

Education

Hancock is part of SAU (School Administrative Unit) #1, which is a school district that includes 9 towns, better known as the Contoocook Valley Regional School District. Students from Hancock attend the following schools: Hancock Elementary School, Great Brook School, and ConVal Regional High School, located in Peterborough and Antrim, respectively.

Transportation

Two New Hampshire state routes and one U.S. Highway cross Hancock. NH 123 enters the town in the southeast from Peterborough, duplexed with US 202. NH 137 enters the south-central part of town from Harrisville, following Bonds Corner Road. After its short wrong-way concurrency with NH 123, it turns northeast along Bennington Road before reaching its northern terminus at US 202 near the town's border with Bennington. US 202 continues along Concord Road, passing Powder Mill Pond, before passing the northernterminus of NH 137 and entering the town of Bennington at Hancock's eastern border. The town of Antrim is located in the north-eastern part of the state, on the border with New Hampshire's largest city, Concord. It is the only town in New Hampshire to have a state highway dedicated to the state legislature. The state highway system was established in the late 19th century. It was the first state highway to cross the state border with the state of New Hampshire, and the first to cross into the state from the state's other major cities, such as Concord and Manchester. The first highway to enter the town from the south was US 202, which was built in the early 20th Century. The last to enter from the north was NH 137, which began in the mid-20th century, and was completed in the 1930s. The current state highway network was created in the 1950s. It runs from Concord to the south of the town, and from the city to the north of the city.

Sites of interest

Hancock Historical Society Museum. Very Long Baseline Array radio telescope. National Park Service. National parks in the U.S. are open to the public. See www.nps.gov for more information on these sites of interest.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Hancock, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire = 42.6. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 60. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 10. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Hancock = 3.2 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 1,731 individuals with a median age of 46.9 age the population grows by 4.03% in Hancock, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 58 residents per square mile of area (22.3/km²). There are average 2.44 people per household in the 742 households with an average household income of $69,179 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 4.50% of the available work force and has dropped -4.76% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 25.98%. The number of physicians in Hancock per 100,000 population = 215.1.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Hancock = 47 inches and the annual snowfall = 80.9 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 123. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 199. 80 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 12.2 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 53, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Hancock, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire which are owned by the occupant = 68.44%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 43 years with median home cost = $195,920 and home appreciation of -6.91%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $23.37 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $6,066 per student. There are 13.9 students for each teacher in the school, 393 students for each Librarian and 299 students for each Counselor. 8.73% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 28.75% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 17.77% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).