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Although Derry, New Hampshire was first settled by Scottish-Irish families in 1719, Derry was not incorporated until 1827. It was for a long time part of Londonderry, which included Windham and portions of Manchester, Salem and Hudson.
The town was named for the city of Derry, Northern Ireland, the Irish word "Doire" meaning "oak woods." The first potato planted in the United States was planted here in 1719. The town is the location of two of America's oldest private schools, Pinkerton Academy, founded in 1814 and still in operation, and the closed Adams Female Seminary.
Derry was once a linen-making center until New England textile industries moved south in the 20th century. As recently as World War II, Derry was also a sleepy farming community. The post-war suburban boom, the town's proximity to Boston in the south and Manchester to the northwest, and the construction of Interstate 93 through town led to a huge population boom. Although this growth has slowed somewhat, the population of Derry still increased by 15 percent during the 1990s. Geography: According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 94.9 km² (36.7 mi²). 92.7 km² (35.8 mi²) of it is land and 2.3 km² (0.9 mi²) of it (2.40%) is water. Derry is drained by Beaver Brook. The highest point is Warner Hill (605 feet / 184 meters above sea level), where from the top one can see the Boston skyline on a clear day.
Demographics: As of the census of 2000, there were 34,021 people, 12,327 households, and 8,789 families residing in the town. The population density was 367.0/km² (950.7/mi²). There were 12,735 housing units at an average density of 137.4 persons/km² (355.9 persons/mi²). The racial makeup of the town was 96.05% White, 0.90% African American, 0.21% Native American, 1.06% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.60% from other races, and 1.13% from two or more races. 1.89% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There were 12,327 households out of which 42.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 56.4% were married couples living together, 10.6% have a woman whose husband does not live with her, and 28.7% were non-families. 21.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 4.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.24. In the town the population was spread out with 30.1% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 35.5% from 25 to 44, 20.7% from 45 to 64, and 6.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 98.6 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 96.6 males. The median income for a household in the town was $54,634, and the median income for a family was $61,625. Males had a median income of $41,271 versus $30,108 for females. The per capita income for the town was $22,315. 4.6% of the population and 3.3% of families were below the poverty line. Out of the total people living in poverty, 5.0% are under the age of 18 and 7.1% are 65 or older.
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Communications.