For geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place Hatfield, please see the article Hatfield (CDP), Massachusetts.
History
Hatfield was founded in 1660 on land granted to General Daniel Dennison and Governor William Bradford. It was formally incorporated as a town in 1670 and has a Board of Selectmen and annual town meeting.
As a center for agriculture the region produced cattle, sheep, corn, and tobacco. At first their relations with the local Indians were very welcoming on both sides. But on October 16, 1675 a substantial part of the town was destroyed in King Philip's War, and surviving settlers sought refuge at Springfield.
During the American Revolution, Hatfield was an important source of supplies and men for the rebels. In 1786 the town was used as an assembly area for the discontented who became involved in Shay's Rebellion.
Geography
Hatfield is located on the west bank of the Connecticut River at the mouth of the Mill River, 25 miles north of Sprigfield and about 100 miles west of Boston.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 43.6 km² (16.8 mi²). 41.5 km² (16.0 mi²) of it is land and 2.1 km² (0.8 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 4.82% water.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there are 3,249 people, 1,381 households, and 871 families residing in the town. The population density is 78.3/km² (202.8/mi²). There are 1,431 housing units at an average density of 34.5 persons/km² (89.3 persons/mi²). The racial makeup of the town is 98.03% White, 0.22% African American, 0.12% Native American, 0.49% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.58% from other races, and 0.49% from two or more races. 1.05% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 1,381 households out of which 27.6% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 53.1% are married couples living together, 7.5% have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 36.9% are non-families. 29.3% of all households are made up of individuals and 13.8% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.35 and the average family size is 2.96.
In the town the population is spread out with 20.7% under the age of 18, 5.4% from 18 to 24, 27.2% from 25 to 44, 29.9% from 45 to 64, and 16.7% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 43 years. For every 100 females there are 95.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 90.7 males.
The median income for a household in the town is $50,238, and the median income for a family is $61,607. Males have a median income of $39,414 versus $35,042 for females. The per capita income for the town is $24,813. 2.8% of the population and 1.4% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 1.2% are under the age of 18 and 6.1% are 65 or older.