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Alton New Hampshire Community Profile

Alton new hampshire community profile
Alton, NH
Community Contact Town of Alton
Board of Selectmen
PO Box 659
Alton, NH 03809

Telephone (603) 875-2161
Fax (603) 875-0207
E-mail administrator@alton.nh.gov
Web Site www.alton.nh.gov

Municipal Office Hours Monday through Friday, 8:30 am - 4:30 pm

County Belknap
Labor Market Area Wolfeboro NH LMA
Tourism Region Lakes
Planning Commission Lakes Region
Regional Development Belknap County Economic Development Council

Election Districts
US Congress
 District 1
Executive Council
 District 1
State Senate
 District 4
State Representative
 Belknap County District 5
Incorporated: 1796
Origin: Originally called New Durham Gore, the town was settled by a group from Roxbury, Massachusetts. There were already two towns named Roxbury in New England, so the town was incorporated as Alton in honor of a prominent family from Roxbury. The town's boundary envelopes the five-mile long Alton Bay, southeastern point of Lake Winnipesaukee, and includes the southern side of Wolfeboro Harbor and all of the largest islands in the southeast end of the lake. Alton's 19.3 square miles of inland water area is the highest among the cities and towns in New Hampshire.
Villages and Place Names: Alton Bay, East Alton, Mount Major, South Alton, West Alton

Population, Year of the First Census Taken: 445 residents in 1790
Population Trends: Population change for Alton totaled 3,339 over 50 years, from 1,189 in 1950 to 4,528 in 2000. The largest decennial percent change was a 48 percent increase between 1970 and 1980, followed by 35 percent and 38 percent increases over the next two decades. The 2006 Census estimate for Alton was 5,109 residents, which ranked 66th among New Hampshire's incorporated cities and towns.

Population Density, 2006: 79.9 persons per square mile of land area. Alton contains 63.9 square miles of land area and 19.3 square miles of inland water area.
MUNICIPAL SERVICES
Type of Government Selectmen
Budget: Municipal Appropriations, 2006 $6,728,000
Budget: School Appropriations, 2006 $10,806,326
Zoning Ordinance 1970/06
Master Plan 2002
Capitol Improvement Plan Yes
Industrial Plans Reviewed By Planning Board

Boards and Commissions
Elected:
 Selectmen; Planning; Library; Cemetery; Budget; Checklist; Trust Funds; Water; Zoning
Appointed:
 Conservation; Parks & Recreation

Public Library Gilman

EMERGENCY SERVICES
Police Department Full & part-time
Fire Department Full & part-time
Town Fire Insurance Rating 6/9
Emergency Medical Service Part-time

Nearest Hospital(s) Distance Staffed Beds
Huggins Hospital, Wolfeboro 11 miles 25

UTILITIES
Electric Supplier PSNH; NH Electric Coop; Wolfeboro Electric
Natural Gas Supplier None
Water Supplier Alton Water Works

Sanitation Private septic
Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant No
Solid Waste Disposal
Curbside Trash Pickup
 Private
Pay-As-You-Throw Program
 No
Recycling
 Mandatory

Telephone Company Verizon; Union
Cellular Telephone Access Yes
Cable Television Access Yes
Public Access Television Station Yes
High Speed Internet Service:  
Business
 Yes
Residential
 Yes

PROPERTY TAXES (NH Dept. of Revenue Adminstration) 
2006 Total Tax Rate (per $1000 of value) $9.70
2006 Equalization Ratio 98.6
2006 Full Value Tax Rate (per $1000 of value) $9.54

2006 Percent of Local Assessed Value by Property Type
Residential Land and Buildings
 96.2%
Commercial Land and Buildings
 3.4%
Public Utilities, Current Use, and Other
 0.4%

HOUSING (NH Office of Energy and Planning) 
2006 Total Housing Units 4,104
   
2006 Single-Family Units 3,663
Single-Family Permits Issued, Net Change of Units
 58
2006 Multi-Family Units 241
Multi-Family Permits Issued, Net Change of Units
 0
2006 Manufactured Housing Units 200
   
DEMOGRAPHICS (US Census Bureau) 
Total Population Community County
2006 5,109 61,562
2000 4,528 56,576
1990 3,289 49,294
1980 2,440 42,884
1970 1,647 32,367

Census 2000 Demographics
Population by Gender
Male
 2,238
Female
 2,264

Population by Age Group
Under age 5
 273
Age 5 to 19
 887
Age 20 to 34
 630
Age 35 to 54
 1,472
Age 55 to 64
 545
Age 65 and over
 695
Median Age
 41.4 years

Educational Attainment, population 25 years and over
High school graduate or higher
 87.9%
Bachelor's degree or higher
 21.5%

ANNUAL INCOME, 1999 (US Census Bureau) 
Per capita income $25,940
Median 4-person family income $46,467
Median household income $43,451

Median Earnings, full-time, year-round workers
Male
 $37,585
Female
 $29,375

Families below the poverty level 5.4%

LABOR FORCE (NHES - ELMI) 
Annual Average 1996 2006
Civilian Labor Force
 1,789 2,755
Employed
 1,717 2,669
Unemployed
 72 86
Unemployment Rate
 4.0% 3.1%

EMPLOYMENT & WAGES (NHES - ELMI) 
Annual Average Covered Employment 1996 2006
Goods Producing Industries  
Average Employment
 24 91
Average Weekly Wage
 $350 $704
   
Service Providing Industries  
Average Employment
 502 607
Average Weekly Wage
 $304 $525
   
Total Private Industry  
Average Employment
 526 698
Average Weekly Wage
 $306 $549
   
Government (Federal, State, and Local)  
Average Employment
 158 294
Average Weekly Wage
 $400 $574
   
Total, Private plus Government  
Average Employment
 684 992
Average Weekly Wage
 $328 $556
n = indicates that the data does not meet disclosure standards
EDUCATION/CHILD CARE FACILITIES (NH Dept. of Education)
Schools students attend: Alton operates grades K-8; grades 9-12 are jointly managed with Barnstead. District: SAU 72/JMA
Career Technology Center(s): Region 9 Vocational Technical Center, Wolfeboro Region: 09

Educational Facilities Elementary Middle/Junior High High School Private/Parochial
Number of Schools
 1 1
Grade Levels
 P K 1-8 9-12
Total Enrollment
 613 549
NH Licensed Child Care Facilities, 2007: Total Facilities: 4 Total Capacity: 104
Nearest Community/Technical College: Laconia
Nearest Colleges or Universities: University of NH; McIntosh
LARGEST BUSINESSES PRODUCT/SERVICE EMPLOYEES ESTABLISHED
Hannaford Supermarket 38 FT/94 PT
Alton School Department Education 116
Town of Alton Municipal services 110 1796
McDonald's Fast food restaurant 50 1995
Dunkin' Donuts Donut shop 20 1996
Water Industries Commercial pumping systems 20 1963
Alton Home & Lumber Hardware & lumber sales 10
Hillsgrove Machine Custom machine shop 9 1979
Christian Conference Center Recreational/campground 8 1863
Alton Service Center Car repairs 4 1996
TRANSPORTATION  (Distance estimated from city / town hall)
Road Access US Routes
  State Routes 11, 11D, 28, 28A, 140
Nearest Interstate, Exit I-93, Exit 20
         Distance 28 miles
Railroad No
Public Transportation No

Nearest Public Use Airport, General Aviation
Laconia Municipal
Runway
 5,286 ft. asphalt
Lighted?
 Yes  Navigational Aids? Yes
Nearest Airport with Scheduled Service
Pease International Distance 36 miles
Number of Passsenger Airlines Serving Airport 2

Driving distance to selected cities:
Manchester, NH
 40 miles
Portland, ME
 68 miles
Boston, MA
 91 miles
New York City, NY
 302 miles
Montreal, Quebec
 254 miles

COMMUTING TO WORK (US Census)
Workers 16 years and over  
Drove alone, car/truck/van
 80.2%
Carpooled, car/truck/van
 14.4%
Public transportation
 0.0%
Walked
 1.2%
Other Means
 0.3%
Worked at home
 3.9%
Mean Travel Time to Work 31.1 minutes
Percent of Working Residents:
Working in community of residence
 24%
Commuting to another NH community
 68%
Commuting out-of-state
 9%
    
RECREATION, ATTRACTIONS, AND EVENTS
X Municipal Parks
X YMCA/YWCA
Boys Club/Girls Club
Golf Courses
Swimming: Indoor Facility
Swimming: Outdoor Facility
Tennis Courts: Indoor Faclity
X Tennis Courts: Outdoor Facility
Ice Skating Rink: Indoor Facility
Bowling Facilities
X Museums
Cinemas
Performing Arts Facilities
X Tourists Attractions
X Youth Organizations (i.e., Scouts, 4-H)
X Youth Sports: Baseball
X Youth Sports: Soccer
Youth Sports: Football
X Youth Sports: Basketball
Youth Sports: Hockey
X Campgrounds
X Fishing/Hunting
X Boating/Marinas
X Snowmobile Trails
Bicycle Trails
X Cross Country Skiing
X Beach or Waterfront Recreational Area
Overnight or Day Camps
   
Nearest Ski Area(s): Gunstock
   
Other: Boat Launch; Town Docks; Swim Dock; Public Beach in Picnic Area
Economic & Labor Market Information Bureau, NH Employment Security, 2007. Community Response Received 09/05/07

All information regarding the communities is from sources deemed reliable and is submitted subject to errors, omissions, modifications, and withdrawals without notice. No warranty or representation is made as to the accuracy of the information contained herein. Specific questions regarding individual cities and towns should be directed to the community contact.