Hanover, with its quaint shops and historic homes, may appear to be a typical New England town, except for one difference -- it revolves around a world-renowned Ivy League college. Dartmouth's presence has created a community that is an anomaly within the Upper Valley, with a much higher average income, education level and property value than surrounding towns.
Many in the area appreciate the College for the jobs and money it brings in. For some others, however, the affluence that Dartmouth represents can engender resentment.
According to 1990 census data, the average income in Hanover was $51,000, compared to $29,258 in nearby Windsor County, Vt., where the towns of Thetford, Norwich and White River Junction are located. The average income in Lebanon, N.H., was $32,221.
The cost of housing in Hanover is also higher than in surrounding areas, with the average retail cost of a home a surprising $230,800 in 1990, compared to $97,300 for Windsor County and $117,200 for Lebanon.
According to Dartmouth Habitat for Humanity coordinator Jennifer Ross '03, this exacerbates an already dire affordable housing problem in the Upper Valley and makes cheap housing next to nonexistent in Hanover, a factor that could add to the area's lack of economic diversity.
"Affordable housing is a big issue in Hanover," Ross said. "The College drives up property values."
The cost of living in Hanover is so high, in fact, that it has prohibited the Habitat for Humanity group, which builds inexpensive homes for people who would not otherwise be able to afford one, from locating one of its houses in the area.
"A family that would qualify for a Habitat for Humanity house couldn't afford the property tax in Hanover," Ross said. "Also, there is the question of whether a low-income family would feel comfortable here. There are a lot of wealthy people in Hanover."
Demographically, too, Hanover differs widely from its surroundings. The mean education level of residents is significantly greater in Hanover, where 65 percent of the population had an advanced degree in 1990, and 79 percent had a bachelor's degree.
In surrounding areas, that proportion was much smaller. Only 23.6 percent of Windsor County residents had bachelor's degrees, and 26.8 precent of Lebanon citizens.
These differences can lead in some cases to resentment, as less affluent area residents view Hanover as a place of privilege.
Barry Snyder, a Norwich resident who owns the restaurant La Poule Dents, said there is some rivalry between students at Hanover High and other Upper Valley high schools.
Dartmouth students, too, are in training for "a certain echelon," Snyder said. His upscale restaurant capitalizes on the generally wealthy area residents, though.
"It is a very affluent community because of Dartmouth," Snyder said. "We get a lot of business from the College -- students celebrating something special, parents around graduation time, alumni who come and recruiters that hold dinners here."
The College brings business and employment to the Upper Valley, according to Sharon's Town Clerk Jo Ann Slater. She said that many people there work for the College or the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center.
Habitat is just one of the many programs the Tucker Foundation sponsors which bring aid to the area outside of Hanover. Programs such as Big Brother, Big Sister, Book Buddies and the unaffiliated DREAM program pair students with area children. Hannah House, a home for pregnant teens, and the Good Neighbor Clinic that provides free healthcare to impoverished residents are helped by Dartmouth volunteers.
Even in such seemingly positive interactions, though, there is sometimes a sense of economic separation. Dartmouth student Nina Sethi '05 mentors a Thetford child, and said that the girl's family has certain conceptions of the College.
"Nicole's mom told her that all the kids here are filthy rich," Sethi said. "A lot of students do drive nice cars and generally have a lot of money, and this makes some people upset because we are so young."
