Sandown is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 6,548 at the 2020 census, up from 5,986 at the 2010 census.

History

thumb|The [[Sandown Old Meetinghouse|Old Meeting House in 1908]]

Once part of Kingston, Sandown was incorporated as a separate town in 1756 by colonial governor Benning Wentworth. It was named after the picturesque Sandown on the Isle of Wight. The first minister of Sandown, the Reverend Josiah Cotton, built the Sandown Meeting House in 1774. It had an pulpit, marble columns supporting the gallery, and is still an excellent example of early New England church architecture.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which are land and are water, comprising 3.39% of the town.

As of the census of 2000, there were 5,143 people, 1,694 households and 1,382 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 1,777 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 98.43% White, 0.21% African American, 0.12% Native American, 0.16% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 0.37% from other races, and 0.70% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.56% of the population.

There were 1,694 households, out of which 48.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.0% were married couples living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 18.4% were non-families. 12.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 3.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 3.02 and the average family size was 3.32.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 31.4% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 37.1% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 5.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 105.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.5 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $67,581, and the median income for a family was $73,083. Males had a median income of $49,012 versus $29,773 for females. The per capita income for the town was $25,978. About 3.3% of families and 4.1% of the population were below the poverty line, including 2.8% of those under age 18 and 9.2% of those age 65 or over.

Education

  • Timberlane Regional High School, Grades 9–12, located in Plaistow
  • Timberlane Regional Middle School, Grades 6–8, located in Plaistow
  • Sandown North Elementary School, Grades 1–5, located in Sandown
  • Sandown Central School, Grades Pre-K, located in Sandown

Transportation

Two New Hampshire state routes cross Sandown.

  • NH 121 crosses the extreme southwestern corner of town, running from Chester (via a small corner of Derry) to Hampstead.
  • NH 121A is the main road through the center of town, running from Chester in the west to the village of East Hampstead in the southeast. It is locally known as Main Street.

References

  • Tri-Town Times, community news
  • Sandown Public Library
  • Sandown Historical Society & Depot Museum