New Sharon 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 Franklin County,

Maine Maine ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the United States, and the northeasternmost state in the Contiguous United States. It borders New Hampshire to the west, the Gulf of Maine to the southeast, and the Provinces and ...

, incorporated in 1794. The population was 1,458 at the 2020 census. The town is roughly bisected by the Sandy River, a tributary of the Kennebec River. Fred H. Hale Sr., who was recognized as the world's oldest living man from March 5, 2004, to November 19, 2004, was born in the town on December 1, 1890.

Geography

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 is water.

Climate

This

climatic Climate is the long-term weather pattern in a region, typically averaged over 30 years. More rigorously, it is the mean and variability of meteorological variables over a time spanning from months to millions of years. Some of the meteorolog ...

region is typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and cold (sometimes severely cold) winters. According to the

Köppen Climate Classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

system, New Sharon has a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...

, abbreviated "Dfb" on climate maps.

Demographics

2010 census

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 2010, there were 1,407 people, 585 households, and 405 families living in the town. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), 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 geog ...

was . There were 700 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 97.4%

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 ...

, 0.1%

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 ...

, 0.9% Native American, 0.1% from other races, and 1.5% 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 0.9% of the population. There were 585 households, of which 30.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.4% 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, 10.3% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.6% had a male householder with no wife present, and 30.8% were non-families. 24.3% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 2.80. The median age in the town was 43.7 years. 22.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 6.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.6% were from 25 to 44; 32.9% were from 45 to 64; and 14.6% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the town was 50.0% male and 50.0% female.

2000 census

As of the

of 2000, there were 1,297 people, 518 households, and 360 families living in the town. The population density was . There were 598 housing units at an average density of 13.0 per square mile (5.0/km). The racial makeup of the town was 98.92%

, 0.23%

, 0.23% Native American, 0.31% Asian, 0.08% from other races, and 0.23% from two or more races.

or Latino of any race were 0.46% of the population. There were 518 households, out of which 30.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.7% were

living together, 6.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.5% were non-families. 23.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.50 and the average family size was 2.99. In the town, the population was spread out, with 24.5% under the age of 18, 7.3% from 18 to 24, 27.8% from 25 to 44, 28.0% from 45 to 64, and 12.3% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 100.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 98.2 males. The median income for a household in the town was $33,083, and the median income for a family was $37,171. Males had a median income of $29,118 versus $21,927 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 $15,690. About 12.3% of families and 15.6% 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 31.2% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

Barry Longyear Barry Brookes Longyear (May 12, 1942 – May 6, 2025) was an American science fiction author who resided in New Sharon, Maine. Career Born in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Longyear was known best for his 1979 Hugo- and Nebula Award–winning novel ...

, authorAmazon.com: ''Naked Came the Robot Paperback'' – 1 Nov 1988
Retrieved March 9, 2017. * Melanie Sachs, member of the

Maine House of Representatives The Maine House of Representatives is the lower house of the Maine Legislature. The House consists of 151 voting members and three nonvoting members. The voting members represent an equal number of districts across the state and are elected via ...

References

External links

Town of New Sharon
{{authority control Towns in Franklin County, Maine Towns in Maine