Amherst is a town in Portage County,

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. The population was 1,435 at the 2000 census. The ghost town of Lake Emily was located in the town. The Town of Amherst was established in 1851.

Geography

According to the

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, the town has a total area of 38.5 square miles (99.7 km), of which, 38.0 square miles (98.4 km) of it is land and 0.5 square miles (1.3 km) of it (1.35%) is water.

Demographics

As of the

census A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording and calculating information about the members of a given population. This term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common censuses incl ...

of 2000, there were 1,435 people, 494 households, and 390 families residing in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was 37.8 people per square mile (14.6/km). There were 556 housing units at an average density of 14.6 per square mile (5.7/km). The racial makeup of the town was 98.19%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 0.07%

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African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

, 0.21% Native American, 0.98%

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, 0.14% from

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, and 0.42% from two or more races. 0.35% of the population were

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of any race. There were 494 households, out of which 37.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 70.6% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between t ...

living together, 3.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.9% were non-families. 17.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.80 and the average family size was 3.17. In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.1% under the age of 18, 6.3% from 18 to 24, 26.6% from 25 to 44, 28.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 39 years. For every 100 females, there were 107.4 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 100.9 males. The median income for a household in the town was $50,435, and the median income for a family was $55,313. Males had a median income of $37,784 versus $25,536 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the town was $19,751. About 3.4% of families and 6.8% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for t ...

, including 2.1% of those under age 18 and 27.3% of those age 65 or over.

Infrastructure

Amherst is home to the area's Telephone, Internet & Television company, named Amherst Telephone Company/Tomorrow Valley Communication. Amherst Telephone Company was incorporated on July 3, 1903. Capital to form the new company was provided by 62 area residents who pledged $25 each to buy a share of stock. Currently it provides Copper and Fiber service to Amherst as well as the surrounding communities of Rosholt, Amherst Junction and Polonia.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Amherst (Town), Wisconsin Towns in Portage County, Wisconsin Towns in Wisconsin