| Incorporated: 1787 |
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| Origin: First granted in 1771, the town was named New Bradford, then Bradfordton, most likely because many settlers were from Bradford, Massachusetts. It was incorporated as Bradford in 1787, the year of the Constitutional Convention. Meeting in Exeter, Anti-Federalist members of the New Hampshire delegation were opposed the Constitution. However, political maneuvering postponed the state convention. When reconvened in Concord several months later, under the leadership of moderator Colonel Thomas Stickney, the delegation approved ratification on June 21, 1788. New Hampshire was the ninth and deciding state to ratify, thus making the United States Constitution binding. |
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| Villages and Place Names: Box Corner, Bradford Center |
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| Population, Year of the First Census Taken: 217 residents in 1790 |
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| Population Trends: Population change for Bradford totaled 1,002 over 50 years, from 679 in 1970 to 1,681 in 2020. The largest decennial percent change was a 64 percent increase from 1970 to 1980, followed by a 26 percent increase from 1980 to 1990. The town's population increased by two percent from 2010 to 2020. |
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| Population Density and Land Area: 2023 (US Census Bureau): 48.8 persons per square mile of land area. Bradford contains 35.2 square miles of land area and 0.7 square miles of inland water area. |
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