Sunapee, New Hampshire

Image:Bird's-eye View, Sunapee Village, NH.jpg

Like many other towns, Sunapee went through name changes before its incorporation in 1781, including "Saville" in 1768, "Corey's Town", and then "Wendell", after John Wendell, a Masonian Proprietor. A village at the western edge of town and a marsh near Sunapee Middle-High School still bear Wendell's name. The name "Sunapee" was substituted for "Wendell" by the legislature in 1850. The town, Lake Sunapee and Mount Sunapee share the name which comes from the Algonquian words suna meaning "goose", and apee, meaning "water". The Natives called the area "Lake of the Wild Goose" because it is shaped like a goose,{{Cite web |title=About Sunapee {{!}} Sunapee NH |url=https://www.town.sunapee.nh.us/home/pages/about-sunapee |access-date=January 20, 2024 |website=www.town.sunapee.nh.us}} with the beak being in Sunapee Harbor.

Image:SunapeeHarbor BurkehavenHill2005.jpg

Before Sunapee was a sizable tourist attraction, it was an industrial area. One factory produced 110 clothespins a minute. After the factories faded away, the major attraction became the pristine lake, once surrounded by a number of grand hotels. People used large ferries to get from hotel to hotel around the lake, but the ferries were mostly gone by 1915, when the automobile was widely introduced to the area. Lake Sunapee is the only lake in New Hampshire with three working lighthouses, which were originally built in the 1890s by the Woodsum brothers and are currently maintained by the Lake Sunapee Protective Association.

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of {{convert|65.2|sqkm|order=flip}}, of which {{convert|54.5|sqkm|order=flip}} are land and {{convert|10.6|sqkm|order=flip}} are water, comprising 16.31% of the town. Sunapee is drained by the Sugar River, the outlet of Lake Sunapee and a west-flowing tributary of the Connecticut River. The highest point in town is about {{convert|1600|ft|m}} above sea level, along the town's northern border, just north of Ledge Pond.

• Springfield (north)
• New London (northeast)
• Newbury (southeast)
• Goshen (south)
• Newport (southwest)
• Croydon (northwest)

{{US Census population

|1790= 267

|1800= 355

|1810= 447

|1820= 603

|1830= 637

|1840= 795

|1850= 787

|1860= 778

|1870= 808

|1880= 895

|1890= 900

|1900= 946

|1910= 1071

|1920= 898

|1930= 1040

|1940= 1071

|1950= 1108

|1960= 1164

|1970= 1384

|1980= 2312

|1990= 2559

|2000= 3055

|2010= 3365

|2020= 3342

|estyear=

|estimate=

|estref=

|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|access-date=June 4, 2016}}

}}

Image:sunapeesafetyservices2006.jpg

As of the census of 2010, there were 3,365 people, 1,443 households, and 973 families residing in the town. The population density was {{convert|159.5|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 2,431 housing units at an average density of {{convert|115.2|/sqmi|/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. The racial makeup of the town was 97.6% White, 0.2% African American, 0.3% Native American, 0.6% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.3% some other race, and 1.0% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.8% of the population.{{cite web| url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0600000US3301975060| title=Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (DP-1): Sunapee town, Sullivan County, New Hampshire| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder| access-date=February 4, 2013| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212144628/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0600000US3301975060| archive-date=February 12, 2020| url-status=dead}}

Image:Bird's-eye View, Sunapee Harbor, NH.jpg

There were 1,443 households, out of which 27.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 55.2% were headed by married couples living together, 7.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.6% were non-families. 25.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 8.8% were someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.31, and the average family size was 2.74.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 19.6% under the age of 18, 6.7% from 18 to 24, 21.7% from 25 to 44, 32.8% from 45 to 64, and 19.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46.2 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.9 males.

Image:George's Mills from Lake Sunapee, NH.jpg

For the period 2007–2011, the estimated median annual income for a household in the town was $66,741, and the median income for a family was $78,973. Male full-time workers had a median income of $52,870 versus $42,784 for females. The per capita income for the town was $38,737. About 0.8% of families and 6.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.7% of those under age 18 and 2.3% of those age 65 or over.{{cite web| url=http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/11_5YR/DP03/0600000US3301975060| title=Selected Economic Characteristics: 2007-2011 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (DP03): Sunapee town, Sullivan County, New Hampshire| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder| access-date=February 4, 2013| archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212082958/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/11_5YR/DP03/0600000US3301975060| archive-date=February 12, 2020| url-status=dead}}

• John H. Bartlett (1869–1952), 57th governor of New Hampshire
• Ken Burns (born 1953), director and producer of documentary films, primarily distributed on PBS{{Cite web| url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2017/09/04/ken-burns-american-canon| last1=Parker| first1=Ian| title=Ken Burn's American Canon| date=August 28, 2017| work=The New Yorker| access-date=April 17, 2019}}
• Steven Tyler (born 1948), lead singer of American rock band Aerosmith[http://www.newhampshire.com/article/99999999/NEWHAMPSHIRE09/110429373/-1/newhampshire09 NewHampshire.com], January 21, 2012[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-W7I5jsnfk Oprah Winfrey Network]

{{portal|New Hampshire}}

{{reflist}}

• {{Official website|www.town.sunapee.nh.us}}
• [http://www.lakesunapee.org/ Lake Sunapee Protective Association]
• [https://www.nhes.nh.gov/elmi/products/cp/profiles-htm/sunapee.htm New Hampshire Economic and Labor Market Information Bureau Profile]

{{Geographic location

| Centre = Sunapee

| North = Springfield

| Northeast = New London

| East =

| Southeast = Newbury

| South = Goshen

| Southwest = Newport

| West =

| Northwest = Croydon

}}

{{Sullivan County, New Hampshire}}

{{authority control}}

Category:Towns in Sullivan County, New Hampshire

Category:Towns in New Hampshire

Category:New Hampshire placenames of Native American origin