Harpersfield is a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

in Delaware County, New York, United States. The population was 1,442 at the 2020 census.United States Census Bureau, 2020 U.S. Census Results, Harpersfield town, Delaware County, New York https://www.census.gov/search-results.html?searchType=web&cssp=SERP&q=Harpersfield%20town,%20Delaware%20County,%20New%20York The town is on the northern border of the county.

History

The town was formed in 1768 by Colonel John Harper, who fought for the state of New York during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was the armed conflict that comprised the final eight years of the broader American Revolution, in which Am ...

Geography

The northern town line is the border of Otsego County, while the northeastern town boundary is the border of Schoharie County. The village of Stamford is on the town's southeastern border. According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the town has a total area of , of which is land and , or 0.63%, is water. The northern three-quarters of the town drains westward via Charlotte Creek and several tributaries to the

Susquehanna River The Susquehanna River ( ; Unami language, Lenape: ) is a major river located in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, crossing three lower Northeastern United States, Northeast states (New York, Pennsylvani ...

near Oneonta, while the remainder drains south to the West Branch Delaware River, which forms the south town boundary.

Demographics

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 1,603 people, 591 households, and 416 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 913 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 97.82%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 0.56%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.31% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.25% from other races, and 0.75% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 2.99% of the population. There were 591 households, out of which 26.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.0% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 8.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.6% were non-families. 23.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.92. In the town, the population was spread out, with 21.5% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 20.4% from 25 to 44, 26.6% from 45 to 64, and 25.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 46 years. For every 100 females, there were 90.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 89.0 males. The median income for a household in the town was $33,333, and the median income for a family was $37,446. Males had a median income of $27,237 versus $21,500 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the town was $18,863. About 12.5% of families and 18.3% 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 ...

, including 38.0% of those under age 18 and 7.4% of those age 65 or over.

Communities and locations in Harpersfield

*Harpersfield – The

hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...

of Harpersfield. *North Harpersfield – A hamlet on CR 29. *West Harpersfield – A location at the intersection of NY 23 and CR 33. * Stamford – Part of the Village of Stamford is in the northeastern corner of the town. *Sturges Corners – A location on CR 29 near its western terminus with NY 23.

References

External links

Town of Harpersfield
{{authority control Towns in Delaware County, New York Towns in New York (state)