The town of South Hero includes the southern half of South Hero Island, as well as several smaller islands in Lake Champlain, including Providence Island and Stave Island to the southwest. To the west, across Lake Champlain, it is bordered by the towns of Plattsburgh and Peru in Clinton County, New York. To the east, across the eastern arm of Lake Champlain, is the town of Milton in Chittenden County, Vermont, and to the south across the lake is the town of Colchester, also in Chittenden County. U.S. Route 2 crosses the town, leaving north into the town of Grand Isle and to the east, across Lake Champlain over sandbar bridge, into a corner of the town of Milton. Burlington, the largest city in Vermont, is to the south by road, and Rouses Point, New York, is to the north. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town of South Hero has a total area of, of which are land and, or 68.59%, are water.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,696 people, 663 households, and 472 families residing in the town. The population density was 112.3 people per square mile. There were 1,036 housing units at an average density of 68.6 per square mile. The racial makeup of the town was 97.94% White, 0.24% African American, 0.47% Native American, 0.29% Asian, 0.12% from other races, and 0.94% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.53% of the population. There were 663 households out of which 32.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.7% were married couples living together, 6.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.7% were non-families. 21.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.56 and the average family size was 2.98. In the town, the population was spread out with 24.9% under the age of 18, 5.5% from 18 to 24, 28.8% from 25 to 44, 29.5% from 45 to 64, and 11.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.8 males. The median income for a household in the town was $52,344, and the median income for a family was $61,198. Males had a median income of $41,250 versus $27,357 for females. The per capita income for the town was $26,532. About 4.0% of families and 4.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.8% of those under age 18 and 5.2% of those age 65 or over. Though it has relatively few full-time residents, South Hero is much more populated in the summer months with seasonal residents and out-of-town vacationers and tourists usually from Canada.
Culture
South Hero has a strong agricultural system that combines multi-generational farming operations with newer sustainable and organic ventures. Apples and dairy continue to be mainstay industries with multiple orchards and dairy farms throughout the town. The local K-8 school also houses the town's community center and is a focal point for many events, from library-based learning and programs to school-sponsored plays and athletic events. The town also hosts an annual marathon and half-marathon, which begins and ends in front of the school. A strong spirit of volunteerism lends to the town's ability to attract families and to draw youth back after exploration outside of the area in college years.
