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Amherst New Hampshire Community Profile

 Amherst new hampshire community profile
Amherst, NH
Community Contact Amherst Board of Selectmen
Bruce Bowler, Chairman
PO Box 960
Amherst, NH 03031

Telephone (603) 673-6041
Fax (603) 673-6794
E-mail sfrydlo@amherstnh.gov
Web Site www.amherstnh.gov/

Municipal Office Hours Monday through Friday, 8 am - 4 pm; Town Clerk/Tax Collector: Monday through Friday, 9 am - 3 pm, and Tuesday evenings, 4:30 pm - 6:30 pm

County Hillsborough
Labor Market Area Nashua NH-MA NECTA Division, NH Portion
Tourism Region Merrimack Valley
Planning Commission Nashua Regional
Regional Development Gateway Industrial Development Corp.

Election Districts
US Congress
 District 2
Executive Council
 District 5
State Senate
 District 11
State Representative
 Hillsborough County District 6
Incorporated: 1760
Origin: This area was first granted in 1728 as Narragansett Number 3, settled by the families of soldiers who had fought at Narragansett, Rhode Island. In 1760, the town was named Amherst in honor of Lord Jeffrey Amherst (1717-1797), commander-in-chief of the colonial forces in the French and Indian War. Amherst was the birthplace of Horace Greeley (1811-1872), founder of the New York Tribune, a founder of the Republican Party, and 1872 Presidential candidate. For a brief time, Amherst was the county seat for Hillsborough County.
Villages and Place Names: Cricket Corner, Ponemah, Baboosic Lake

Population, Year of the First Census Taken: 2,369 residents in 1790
Population Trends: Population change for Amherst totaled 9,373 over 50 years, from 1,461 in 1950 to 10,834 in 2000. The largest decennial percent change was a 125 percent increase between 1960 and 1970, this was followed by a 79 percent increase between 1970 and 1980. The 2005 Census estimate for Amherst was 11,614 residents, which ranked 26th among New Hampshire's incorporated cities and towns.

Population Density, 2005: 342.3 persons per square mile of land area. Amherst contains 33.9 square miles of land area and 0.5 square miles of inland water area.
MUNICIPAL SERVICES
Type of Government Selectmen
Budget: Municipal Appropriations, 2007-08 $9,393,310
Budget: School Appropriations not available
Zoning Ordinance 1946/07
Master Plan 1998
Capitol Improvement Plan Yes
Industrial Plans Reviewed By Planning Board

Boards and Commissions
Elected:
 Selectmen; Cemetery; Library; Zoning;
Trust Funds
Appointed:
 Planning; CIP; Communications Infrastructure; Conservation; Heritage; Historic District; Recreation; Road; Stormwater II; Solid Waste

Public Library Amherst Town

EMERGENCY SERVICES
Police Department Full-time
Fire Department Full-time & volunteer
Town Fire Insurance Rating 5/9
Emergency Medical Service Volunteer

Nearest Hospital(s) Distance Staffed Beds
Southern NH Medical Center, Nashua 12 miles 188
St. Joseph Hospital, Nashua 13 miles 208
Catholic Medical Center, Manchester 13 miles 330

UTILITIES
Electric Supplier PSNH
Natural Gas Supplier KeySpan
Water Supplier Pennichuck Water Works

Sanitation Private septic
Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant No
Solid Waste Disposal
Curbside Trash Pickup
 None
Pay-As-You-Throw Program
 No
Recycling
 Voluntary

Telephone Company Verizon
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) 
2005 Total Tax Rate (per $1000 of value) $24.65
2005 Equalization Ratio 72.9
2005 Full Value Tax Rate (per $1000 of value) $17.92

2005 Percent of Property Valuation by Type
Residential Land and Buildings
 87.3%
Commercial Land and Buildings
 11.0%
Other Property including Utilities
 1.6%

HOUSING (NH Office of Energy and Planning) 
2005 Total Housing Units 4,121
   
2005 Single-Family Units 3,741
Building Permits Issued
 55
2005 Multi-Family Units 308
Building Permits Issued
 1
2005 Manufactured Housing Units 72
   
DEMOGRAPHICS (US Census Bureau) 
Total Population Community County
2005 11,614 401,291
2000 10,834 382,384
1990 9,057 336,549
1980 8,243 276,608
1970 4,605 223,941

Census 2000 Demographics
Population by Gender
Male
 5,418
Female
 5,351

Population by Age Group
Under age 5
 664
Age 5 to 19
 2,996
Age 20 to 34
 1,057
Age 35 to 54
 4,150
Age 55 to 64
 1,118
Age 65 and over
 784
Median Age
 38.7 years

Educational Attainment, population 25 years and over
High school graduate or higher
 96.2%
Bachelor's degree or higher
 55.6%

ANNUAL INCOME, 1999 (US Census Bureau) 
Per capita income $35,531
Median 4-person family income $97,913
Median household income $89,384

Median Earnings, full-time, year-round workers
Male
 $73,432
Female
 $35,250

Families below the poverty level 1.0%

LABOR FORCE (NHES - ELMI) 
Annual Average 1995 2005
Civilian Labor Force
 5,050 6,266
Employed
 4,864 6,070
Unemployed
 186 196
Unemployment Rate
 3.7% 3.1%

EMPLOYMENT & WAGES (NHES - ELMI) 
Annual Average Covered Employment 1995 2005
Goods Producing Industries  
Average Employment
 1,050 882
Average Weekly Wage
 $712 $936
   
Service Providing Industries  
Average Employment
 2,204 2,859
Average Weekly Wage
 $549 $737
   
Total Private Industry  
Average Employment
 3,253 3,740
Average Weekly Wage
 $602 $784
   
Government (Federal, State, and Local)  
Average Employment
 446 603
Average Weekly Wage
 $496 $768
   
Total, Private plus Government  
Average Employment
 3,700 4,343
Average Weekly Wage
 $589 $782
n = indicates that the data does not meet disclosure standards
EDUCATION/CHILD CARE FACILITIES (NH Dept. of Education)
Schools students attend: Amherst operates grades K-8; grades 9-12 are part of Souhegan Cooperative (Amherst, Mont Vernon) District: SAU 39
Career Technology Center(s): Wilbur Palmer Voc. Tech. Center, Hudson; Milford HS; Nashua HS North Region: 16

Educational Facilities Elementary Middle/Junior High High School Private/Parochial
Number of Schools
 2 1 1 1
Grade Levels
 K 1-4 5-8 9-12 9-12
Total Enrollment
 829 866 1,036
NH Licensed Child Care Facilities, 2006: Total Facilities: 11 Total Capacity: 637
Nearest Community/Technical College: Manchester; Nashua
Nearest Colleges or Universities: St. Anselm; Rivier; Daniel Webster
LARGEST EMPLOYERS PRODUCT/SERVICE EMPLOYEES ESTABLISHED
Wal-Mart Department store 200 1992
H & M Metals, Inc. Steel metal fabrication 130 1970
Diacom Corporation Fabric-elastomer diaphragms 93 1983
Resin System Corporation Custom cast thermoset plastic 52 1972
Nashua Redimix Ready mixed concrete 25
Rontex America, Inc. Nonwoven fabrics 23 1976
Vibrac Corporation Torque test instruments 15 1971
TRANSPORTATION  (Distance estimated from city / town hall)
Road Access US Routes
  State Routes 13, 101, 101A, 122
Nearest Interstate, Exit Everett Tpk., Exit 11;
I-293, Exit 4
         Distance 9 miles; 12 miles
Railroad Boston & Maine
Public Transportation No

Nearest Public Use Airport, General Aviation
Boire Field, Nashua
Runway
 5,501 ft. asphalt
Lighted?
 Yes  Navigational Aids? Yes
Nearest Airport with Scheduled Service
Manchester-Boston Regional Distance 15 miles
Number of Passsenger Airlines Serving Airport 8

Driving distance to selected cities:
Manchester, NH
 14 miles
Portland, ME
 110 miles
Boston, MA
 55 miles
New York City, NY
 226 miles
Montreal, Quebec
 274 miles

COMMUTING TO WORK (US Census)
Workers 16 years and over  
Drove alone, car/truck/van
 82.5%
Carpooled, car/truck/van
 7.1%
Public transportation
 0.5%
Walked
 0.3%
Other Means
 1.1%
Worked at home
 8.6%
Mean Travel Time to Work 29.3 minutes
Percent of Working Residents:
Working in community of residence
 23%
Commuting to another NH community
 60%
Commuting out-of-state
 17%
    
RECREATION, ATTRACTIONS, AND EVENTS
X Municipal Parks
YMCA/YWCA
Boys Club/Girls Club
X Golf Courses
Swimming: Indoor Facility
X Swimming: Outdoor Facility
Tennis Courts: Indoor Faclity
X Tennis Courts: Outdoor Facility
Ice Skating Rink: Indoor Facility
Bowling Facilities
Museums
Cinemas
Performing Arts Facilities
Tourists Attractions
X Youth Organizations (i.e., Scouts, 4-H)
X Youth Sports: Baseball
X Youth Sports: Soccer
X Youth Sports: Football
X Youth Sports: Basketball
Youth Sports: Hockey
Campgrounds
Fishing/Hunting
Boating/Marinas
Snowmobile Trails
Bicycle Trails
Cross Country Skiing
X Beach or Waterfront Recreational Area
Overnight or Day Camps
   
Nearest Ski Area(s): Pat's Peak
   
Other: Youth Lacrosse; Camps; Ponemah Bog Sanctuary; Peabody Mill Env. Center; Joe English Reservation Hiking Trails
Copyright 2006 Economic & Labor Market Information Bureau, NH Employment Security. All Rights Reserved. Updated 06/02/06

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.