Wells 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 Rutland County,

Vermont Vermont () is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, New York (state), New York to the west, and the Provinces and territories of Ca ...

, United States. As of the 2020 census, the town had a total

population Population is a set of humans or other organisms in a given region or area. Governments conduct a census to quantify the resident population size within a given jurisdiction. The term is also applied to non-human animals, microorganisms, and pl ...

of 1,214.

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 , or 3.42%, is water. The village of Wells is in the southern part of the town, along

Vermont Route 30 Vermont Route 30 (VT 30) is a north–south state highway in the U.S. state of Vermont. VT 30 runs from U.S. Route 5 in Vermont, U.S. Route 5 (US 5) and Vermont Route 9, VT 9 in Brattleboro, Vermont, Brattleboro to U.S. Rout ...

. Little Lake (also known as Little Pond) is situated entirely within the town, and a portion of Lake Saint Catherine falls within the town as well. Raymond Lobdell's "A Natural Resource Planning Study of Wells, Vermont" (1975) indicates that "Lake St. Catherine is a large, long lake of which begins at the Lily Pond in Poultney and drains south into Wells. The lake has a maximum depth of 68 feet, an average depth of 32.2 feet, and a volume of . "It is about five miles long and drains into a narrow channel which connects it with Little Pond. "Little Pond is a shallow lake of about , with an average depth of two feet, a maximum depth of only four feet and a volume of .

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 1,121 people, 466 households, and 334 families residing 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 49.7 people per square mile (19.2/km²). There were 857 housing units at an average density of 38.0 per square mile (14.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 98.66%

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 ...

, 0.36%

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 ...

, 0.09% Native American, 0.36% from other races, and 0.54% 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 0.98% of the population. There were 466 households, out of which 26.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 58.8% 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, 8.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.3% were non-families. 23.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 11.8% 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. In the town, the population was spread out, with 22.2% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 28.4% from 45 to 64, and 18.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 43 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.5 males. The median income for a household in the town was $32,361, and the median income for a family was $41,023. Males had a median income of $30,921 versus $21,842 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 $16,280. About 6.8% of families and 11.8% 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 ...

, including 16.5% of those under age 18 and 12.4% of those age 65 or over.

Notable people

Tom Peters Thomas J. Peters (born November 7, 1942), an American writer on business management , business-management practices, became best-known for his 1982 book ''In Search of Excellence'' (co-authored with Robert H. Waterman Jr.) Life and education ...

, business guru and author (''

In Search of Excellence ''In Search of Excellence'' is a book written by Tom Peters and Robert H. Waterman Jr. First published in 1982, it sold three million copies in its first four years, and was the most widely held monograph in the United States from 1989 to 2006. T ...

'') * E. B. Ward, 19th-century American industrialist, spent part of his childhood hereDetroit News - E. B. Ward obituary January 2, 1875
published by The New York Times January 5, 1875.

History

Richard Clayton Photography Vintage Wells, Vermont and area photos

Education

* Wells Village School - Educates learners grades kindergarten through 6th grade.

References

External links

Town of Wells official website
{{Rutland County, Vermont Towns in Vermont Towns in Rutland County, Vermont