| Sharon, Connecticut | |
| Official Name: | Town of Sharon |
| Settlement Type: | Town |
| Coordinates: | 41.8667°N -100°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Type1: | U.S. state |
| Subdivision Type2: | County |
| Subdivision Name2: | Litchfield |
| Subdivision Type3: | Region |
| Subdivision Name3: | Northwest Hills |
| Established Title: | Incorporated |
| Established Date: | 1739 |
| Government Type: | Selectman-town meeting |
| Leader Title: | First selectman |
| Leader Name: | Brent M. Colley (R) |
| Leader Title1: | Selectman |
| Leader Name1: | Dale Jones (R) |
| Leader Title2: | Selectman |
| Leader Name2: | Jessica K. Fowler (D) |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Area Total Km2: | 154.3 |
| Area Land Km2: | 152.2 |
| Area Water Km2: | 2.1 |
| Elevation M: | 346 |
| Elevation Ft: | 1135 |
| Population Total: | 2680 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Timezone: | Eastern |
| Utc Offset: | -5 |
| Timezone Dst: | Eastern |
| Utc Offset Dst: | -4 |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP code |
| Postal Code: | 06069 |
| Area Code: | 860/959 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | 09-005-67960 |
| Blank1 Name: | GNIS feature ID |
| Blank1 Info: | 213503 |
| Named For: | Sharon plain |
Sharon is a town in Litchfield County, Connecticut, United States, in the northwest corner of the state. At the time of the 2020 census, the town had a total population of 2,680.[1] The town is part of the Northwest Hills Planning Region. The ZIP code for Sharon is 06069. The urban center of the town is the Sharon census-designated place, with a population of 729 at the 2010 census.[2]
The first inhabitants of the area they called Poconnuck were the Mattabesec Native Americans. These were part of what became known as the Wappinger confederacy, which in turn belonged to the loose Algonquian confederacy.
Sharon was incorporated in 1739. It is named after the Plain of Sharon.[3]
Sharon has six sites listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places:
The town is bounded on the north by Salisbury, on the east across the Housatonic River by Cornwall, on the south by Kent, and on the west by Dutchess County, New York. Sharon is north of Danbury, west of Hartford, and northeast of Poughkeepsie, New York.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 154.3sqkm, of which 152.2sqkm are land and 2.1sqkm, or 1.33%, are water.[4] It is the third largest town in Connecticut based on area. Sharon is part of the Northwest Highlands of Connecticut, a region in and around the watershed of the Housatonic River. The Appalachian Trail passes for a few miles through the east side of Sharon, near West Cornwall and U.S. Route 7. Housatonic Meadows State Park is in the eastern part of the town, next to the Housatonic River.
See also: List of Connecticut locations by per capita income. As of the census[5] of 2000, there were 2,968 people, 1,246 households, and 775 families residing in the town. The population density was 50.6sp=usNaNsp=us. There were 1,617 housing units at an average density of 27.5sp=usNaNsp=us. The racial makeup of the town was 96.87% White, 0.94% African American, 0.57% Asian, 0.44% Native American, 0% Pacific Islander, 0.34% from other races, and 0.84% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.95% of the population.
There were 1,246 households, of which 25.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 51.9% were married couples living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.8% were non-families. 31.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 13.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.26 and the average family size was 2.87.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 21.3% under the age of 18, 4.2% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 29.1% from 45 to 64, and 21.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 45 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.2 males.
The median household income was $53,000, and the median family income for a family was $71,458. Males had a median income of $42,841 versus $31,375 for females. The per capita income for the town was $45,418. About 3.9% of families and 7.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 10.4% of those under the age of 18 and none of those 65 and older.
Sharon is a member of Regional School District 01, which also includes the towns of Canaan, Cornwall, Kent, North Canaan, and Salisbury. Public school students attend Sharon Center School from grades K–8 and Housatonic Valley Regional High School from grades 9–12.
The town is served by state highways 4, 41, 343, and 361. Route 4 has its western terminus in Sharon and leads southeast 8miles to Cornwall Bridge and ultimately east to West Hartford. Route 41 leads north 8miles to Salisbury and southwest 4miles to the New York state line, Route 343 leads west and becomes New York State Route 343, leading 5miles to Amenia, New York, and Route 361 leads towards Millerton, New York, 6miles north of Sharon.