This article shows U.S. Census totals for Coos County, New Hampshire, broken down by municipality, from 1900 to 2000.
Most areas of New England are entirely divided into incorporated municipalities, with no unincorporated areas. In the three northern New England states, however, some unincorporated territory does exist, generally in areas that are very sparsely populated. Coos County contains the bulk of New Hampshire’s unincorporated territory, although Grafton and Carroll counties also include smaller amounts.
The unincorporated territory in Coos County consists of 23 distinct entities, covering about 560 square miles (approximately 30% of the county’s land area). Six are townships (essentially, areas that were drawn up as “future towns” in the 18th century, but never attained a large enough permanent population to formally incorporate as towns). The other seventeen are an assortment of grants, locations, and purchases (tracts of land, typically smaller than a town, which were not included in any town when town boundaries were being drawn up in the 18th and 19th centuries). Most of the unincorporated territory in Coos County is in the mountainous north central, northeastern and southeastern parts of the county. Almost all territory in the western, southwestern and south central parts of the county is incorporated.
Due to the large extent of unorganized territory in Coos County, a separate section with detailed historical census totals for such areas follows the main tables below. Note that Wentworth's Location was incorporated as a town for many years, although it never dropped the word “location” from its name. In recent censuses, the population of the unorganized territory (including Wentworth's Location) has typically been between 100 and 200 residents.
There are two types of incorporated municipalities in New Hampshire, towns and cities. The tables below differentiate between towns and cities. For any census, adding up the totals for each municipality and unincorporated entity should yield the county total.
For more information on the New England municipal system, see New England town.
1966 – Wentworth's Location (which, despite retaining the word “location” in its name, had been an incorporated town since the late 19th century) disincorporated and reverted to unorganized territory
County Total: 29,468
Berlin (city) 8,886
Lancaster 3,190
Whitefield 2,157
Northumberland 1,977
Gorham 1,797
Colebrook 1,876
Stewartstown 1,150
Milan 1,135
Jefferson 1,080
Stratford 968
Carroll 710
Columbia 690
Stark 733
Pittsburg 687
Dalton 592
Dummer 349
Clarksville 307
Errol 305
Shelburne 283
Randolph 137
Wentworth's Location 61
Unorganized territory: 398
County Total: 30,753
Berlin (city) 11,780
Lancaster 3,054
Northumberland 2,184
Gorham 2,155
Colebrook 1,905
Whitefield 1,635
Stewartstown 1,128
Jefferson 1,061
Milan 924
Stratford 844
Pittsburg 624
Columbia 619
Carroll 569
Dalton 475
Stark 448
Shelburne 305
Dummer 292
Clarksville 271
Errol 211
Randolph 137
Wentworth’s Location 51
Unorganized territory: 81
County Total: 36,093
Berlin (city) 16,104
Lancaster 2,819
Gorham 2,734
Northumberland 2,567
Whitefield 1,935
Colebrook 1,811
Stewartstown 1,109
Jefferson 960
Pittsburg 887
Stratford 794
Milan 730
Columbia 601
Dalton 460
Clarksville 410
Carroll 388
Stark 339
Dummer 266
Errol 241
Shelburne 178
Randolph 67
Wentworth’s Location 50
Unorganized territory: 643
County Total: 38,959
Berlin (city) 20,018
Lancaster 2,887
Gorham 2,763
Northumberland 2,360
Colebrook 1,937
Whitefield 1,693
Stewartstown 1,148
Stratford 918
Jefferson 771
Milan 719
Pittsburg 671
Dalton 580
Columbia 524
Carroll 402
Stark 329
Dummer 298
Errol 293
Clarksville 215
Shelburne 196
Randolph 82
Wentworth’s Location 38
Unorganized territory: 117
County Total: 39,274
Berlin (city) 19,084
Lancaster 3,095
Northumberland 2,740
Gorham 2,597
Colebrook 2,096
Whitefield 1,834
Stewartstown 1,203
Stratford 1,049
Pittsburg 820
Milan 782
Jefferson 763
Dalton 642
Carroll 496
Columbia 483
Stark 352
Dummer 274
Errol 235
Clarksville 225
Shelburne 190
Randolph 114
Wentworth’s Location 57
Unorganized territory: 143
County Total: 35,932
Berlin (city) 16,615
Lancaster 3,113
Northumberland 2,779
Gorham 2,639
Colebrook 2,116
Whitefield 1,677
Stratford 973
Stewartstown 970
Milan 743
Jefferson 728
Pittsburg 697
Dalton 557
Columbia 495
Carroll 359
Stark 373
Dummer 229
Errol 224
Shelburne 184
Clarksville 171
Randolph 158
Wentworth’s Location 48
Unorganized territory: 84
County Total: 37,140
Berlin (city) 17,821
Lancaster 3,138
Gorham 3,039
Northumberland 2,586
Colebrook 2,389
Whitefield 1,581
Stratford 1,029
Stewartstown 918
Milan 661
Pittsburg 639
Jefferson 600
Dalton 567
Columbia 457
Stark 327
Carroll 295
Shelburne 226
Errol 220
Dummer 202
Clarksville 179
Randolph 140
Wentworth’s Location 58
Unorganized territory: 68
County Total: 34,291
Berlin (city) 15,256
Lancaster 3,166
Gorham 2,998
Northumberland 2,493
Colebrook 2,094
Whitefield 1,538
Stewartstown 1,008
Stratford 980
Pittsburg 726
Jefferson 714
Milan 713
Columbia 467
Dalton 425
Stark 343
Carroll 310
Dummer 225
Errol 199
Shelburne 199
Randolph 169
Clarksville 166
Unorganized territory: 102
County Total: 35,147
Berlin (city) 13,084
Lancaster 3,401
Gorham 3,322
Northumberland 2,520
Colebrook 2,459
Whitefield 1,681
Milan 1,013
Stratford 989
Stewartstown 943
Jefferson 803
Pittsburg 780
Columbia 673
Dalton 672
Carroll 647
Stark 470
Dummer 390
Shelburne 318
Errol 313
Randolph 274
Clarksville 262
Unorganized territory: 133
County Total: 34,828
Berlin (city) 11,824
Lancaster 3,522
Gorham 3,173
Northumberland 2,492
Colebrook 2,444
Whitefield 1,909
Milan 1,295
Stewartstown 1,048
Jefferson 965
Stratford 927
Pittsburg 901
Dalton 827
Columbia 661
Carroll 528
Stark 518
Shelburne 437
Randolph 371
Dummer 327
Errol 292
Clarksville 232
Unorganized territory: 135
County Total: 33,111
Berlin (city) 10,331
Lancaster 3,280
Gorham 2,895
Northumberland 2,438
Colebrook 2,321
Whitefield 2,038
Milan 1,331
Stewartstown 1,012
Jefferson 1,006
Stratford 942
Dalton 927
Pittsburg 867
Columbia 750
Carroll 663
Stark 516
Shelburne 379
Randolph 339
Dummer 309
Errol 298
Clarksville 294
Unorganized territory: 175
The unincorporated entities in Coos County are as follows:
Six townships: Cambridge, Dixville, Kilkenny, Millsfield, Odell and Success
Eight grants: Atkinson & Gilmanton Academy, Bean's, Cutt's, Dix's, Green's, Low & Burbank's, Pinkham's, and Second College
Six purchases: Bean's, Chandler's, Crawford's, Hadley's Purchase, Sargent's, and Thompson & Meserve’s
Three locations: Erving's, Martin's and Wentworth's
Note that there is both a Bean’s Grant and a Bean’s Purchase.
The population of many of the unincorporated entities has historically been transitory, and some have rarely if ever reported any population at all. The only ones that have reported population in each census since 1900 are Dixville Township, Millsfield Township and Wentworth’s Location (bearing in mind that Wentworth’s Location was an incorporated town for many years prior to the 1960s). All three appear to have small but well-established population bases. Wentworth’s Location has reported a population of at least 37 in every post-1900 census. Dixville and Millsfield have consistently been in double figures throughout the same period (the only exceptions being Millsfield in 1960 and 1980); in both communities, a town clerk's office exist for the purpose of conducting elections for state and federal officials. In addition to those noted above, Pinkham’s Grant reported population in every census from 1930 to 1990, although its population exceeded 17 in only one census, and it reported no population in 2000.
Note: The 1920 Census reported population for a Hubbard Township, a Webster Township, and a Colebrook Academy Grant. The 1920 census reports also make reference to a Carlisle township, although it is not shown as having any population. None of these appear on the current roster of unincorporated entities in Coos County; it is unclear what happened to them. The 1930 census reports add the first three into the town of Pittsburg’s 1920 total. The 1900 and 1910 censuses reported population for a Dartmouth College Grant which has since been known as the Second College Grant.
1900
Total: 398
Success Twp. 220
Kilkenny Twp. 47
Millsfield Twp. 41
Thompson & Meserve’s Purchase 18
Cambridge Twp. 17
Dixville Twp. 15
Dartmouth College Grant 13
Green’s Grant 13
Crawford’s Purchase 10
Pinkham’s Grant 4
1910
Total: 81
Dix’s Grant 33
Dixville Twp. 12
Millsfield Twp. 12
Dartmouth College Grant 7
Cambridge Twp. 5
Green’s Grant 4
Thompson & Meserve’s Purchase 4
Martin’s Location 3
Atkinson & Gilmanton Academy Grant 1
1920
Total: 643
Hubbard Twp. 358
Odell Twp. 73
Webster Twp. 51
Millsfield Twp. 45
Erving’s Location 31
Dixville Twp. 24
Atkinson & Gilmanton Academy Grant 20
Colebrook Academy Grant 15
Success Twp. 8
Second College Grant 6
Green’s Grant 5
Martin’s Location 4
Kilkenny Twp. 2
Cambridge Twp. 1
1930
Total: 117
Millsfield Twp. 33
Dixville Twp. 25
Bean’s Purchase 25
Second College Grant 17
Pinkham’s Grant 9
Green’s Grant 4
Thompson & Meserve’s Purchase 2
Atkinson & Gilmanton Academy Grant 1
Cambridge Twp. 1
1940
Total: 143
Odell Twp. 82
Millsfield Twp. 34
Dixville Twp. 13
Pinkham’s Grant 10
Green’s Grant 3
Success Twp. 1
1950
Total: 84
Pinkham’s Grant 17
Sargent’s Purchase 16
Millsfield Twp. 16
Dixville Twp. 13
Odell Twp. 12
Cambridge Twp. 8
Thompson & Meserve’s Purchase 2
1960
Total: 68
Dixville Twp. 18
Sargent’s Purchase 17
Pinkham’s Grant 15
Millsfield Twp. 7
Second College Grant 6
Green’s Grant 2
Martin’s Location 2
Thompson & Meserve’s Purchase 1
1970
Total: 102
Wentworth’s Location 37
Dixville Twp. 18
Millsfield Twp. 18
Pinkham’s Grant 16
Cambridge Twp. 4
Atkinson & Gilmanton Academy Grant 4
Odell Twp. 3
Success Twp. 2
1980
Total: 133
Wentworth’s Location 49
Dixville Twp. 36
Pinkham’s Grant 30
Millsfield Twp. 7
Cambridge Twp. 5
Second College Grant 2
Thompson & Meserve’s Purchase 2
Low & Burbank’s Grant 1
Sargent’s Purchase 1
1990
Total: 135
Wentworth’s Location 53
Dixville Twp. 50
Millsfield Twp. 21
Pinkham’s Grant 11
2000
Total: 175
Dixville Twp. 75
Wentworth’s Location 44
Millsfield Twp. 22
Atkinson & Gilmanton Academy Grant 12
Cambridge Twp. 10
Odell Twp. 5
Bean’s Purchase 4
Success Twp. 2
Erving’s Location 1
