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Bedford New Hampshire Community Profile

     Bedford new hampshire community profile 
Bedford, NH
Community Contact Town of Bedford
Karen White, Planning Director
24 North Amherst Road
Bedford, NH 03110

Telephone (603) 472-5242
Fax (603) 472-4573
E-mail kewhite@ci.bedford.nh.us
Web Site www.bedfordnh.org

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

County Hillsborough
Labor Market Area Manchester NH Metro-NECTA
Tourism Region Merrimack Valley
Planning Commission Southern NH
Regional Development Southeast Economic Development Corp.

Election Districts
US Congress
 District 1
Executive Council
 District 4
State Senate
 District 9
State Representative
 Hillsborough County District 18
Incorporated: 1750
Origin: Bedford was established in 1730 as Narragansett Number 5 for the benefit of soldiers who fought against the Narragansett Indians in Rhode Island. Twenty years later little had been done to the land, and it was regranted first as Souhegan East, then as Bedford in 1750. The town was named for Lord John Russell, fourth Duke of Bedford, a close friend of Governor Benning Wentworth, whose first wife, Diana Spencer, was cousin to the Duke of Marlborough. The town's first moderator was Major John Goffe, son of Colonel John Goffe for whom Goffstown was named.
Villages and Place Names:

Population, Year of the First Census Taken: 898 residents in 1790
Population Trends: Bedford ranked ninth in percent change and eighth in numeric change over 50 years. Population change totaled 16,316, from 2,176 in 1950 to 18,492 in 2000. The largest decennial percent change was 67 percent between 1950 and 1960. The 2005 Census estimate for Bedford was 20,732 residents, which ranked 12th among New Hampshire's incorporated cities and towns.

Population Density, 2005: 633.0 persons per square mile of land area. Bedford contains 32.8 square miles of land area and 0.3 square miles of inland water area.
MUNICIPAL SERVICES
Type of Government Manager & Council
Budget: Municipal Appropriations, 2006 $21,644,602
Budget: School Appropriations, 2006 $92,702,682
Zoning Ordinance 1953/06
Master Plan 2000
Capitol Improvement Plan Yes
Industrial Plans Reviewed By Planning Board

Boards and Commissions
Elected:
 Town Council; Library
Appointed:
 Planning; Zoning; Conservation; Historic District

Public Library Bedford Public

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

Nearest Hospital(s) Distance Staffed Beds
Elliot Hospital, Manchester 6 miles 296
Catholic Medical Center, Manchester 4 miles 330

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

Sanitation Private septic & Municipal
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) $15.44
2005 Equalization Ratio 89.5
2005 Full Value Tax Rate (per $1000 of value) $13.78

2005 Percent of Property Valuation by Type
Residential Land and Buildings
 83.4%
Commercial Land and Buildings
 15.9%
Other Property including Utilities
 0.7%

HOUSING (NH Office of Energy and Planning) 
2005 Total Housing Units 7,532
   
2005 Single-Family Units 6,242
Building Permits Issued
 143
2005 Multi-Family Units 1,289
Building Permits Issued
 0
2005 Manufactured Housing Units 0
   
DEMOGRAPHICS (US Census Bureau) 
Total Population Community County
2005 20,732 401,291
2000 18,492 382,384
1990 12,513 336,549
1980 9,481 276,608
1970 5,859 223,941

Census 2000 Demographics
Population by Gender
Male
 8,988
Female
 9,286

Population by Age Group
Under age 5
 1,329
Age 5 to 19
 4,212
Age 20 to 34
 2,190
Age 35 to 54
 6,703
Age 55 to 64
 1,737
Age 65 and over
 2,103
Median Age
 39.2 years

Educational Attainment, population 25 years and over
High school graduate or higher
 92.6%
Bachelor's degree or higher
 49.3%

ANNUAL INCOME, 1999 (US Census Bureau) 
Per capita income $37,730
Median 4-person family income $91,868
Median household income $84,392

Median Earnings, full-time, year-round workers
Male
 $69,987
Female
 $39,507

Families below the poverty level 1.6%

LABOR FORCE (NHES - ELMI) 
Annual Average 1995 2005
Civilian Labor Force
 7,764 11,118
Employed
 7,499 10,793
Unemployed
 265 325
Unemployment Rate
 3.4% 2.9%

EMPLOYMENT & WAGES (NHES - ELMI) 
Annual Average Covered Employment 1995 2005
Goods Producing Industries  
Average Employment
 845 1,817
Average Weekly Wage
 $639 $961
   
Service Providing Industries  
Average Employment
 9,486 11,174
Average Weekly Wage
 $563 $881
   
Total Private Industry  
Average Employment
 10,331 12,990
Average Weekly Wage
 $569 $892
   
Government (Federal, State, and Local)  
Average Employment
 504 778
Average Weekly Wage
 $535 $786
   
Total, Private plus Government  
Average Employment
 10,835 13,768
Average Weekly Wage
 $567 $886
n = indicates that the data does not meet disclosure standards
EDUCATION/CHILD CARE FACILITIES (NH Dept. of Education)
Schools students attend: Bedford operates grades K-8; grades 9-12 are tuitioned to Manchester West District: SAU 25
Career Technology Center(s): Manchester School of Technology Region: 15

Educational Facilities Elementary Middle/Junior High High School Private/Parochial
Number of Schools
 3 1 2
Grade Levels
 P K 1-5 6-8 K-12
Total Enrollment
 1,931 932
NH Licensed Child Care Facilities, 2006: Total Facilities: 15 Total Capacity: 1,001
Nearest Community/Technical College: Manchester
Nearest Colleges or Universities: St. Anselm; Southern NH University; Hesser; UNH-Manchester
LARGEST EMPLOYERS PRODUCT/SERVICE EMPLOYEES ESTABLISHED
Wal-Mart Department store 283
Bedford School District Education 245
Macy's Retail 199
Lowe's Home improvement center 196
Wayfarer/Quality Inn Hotel, restaurant, convention center 185
Kelly Services Temporary employment agency 150
Target Retail 150
Graham Packaging Research & manufacturing of plastic bottles 100
Harvey Construction Construction 100
TRANSPORTATION  (Distance estimated from city / town hall)
Road Access US Routes 3
  State Routes 101, 114
Nearest Interstate, Exit I-293, Exit 3
         Distance Local access
Railroad Boston & Maine
Public Transportation Yes

Nearest Public Use Airport, General Aviation
Manchester-Boston Regional
Runway
 9,250 ft. asphalt
Lighted?
 Yes  Navigational Aids? Yes
Nearest Airport with Scheduled Service
Manchester-Boston Regional Distance 7 miles
Number of Passsenger Airlines Serving Airport 8

Driving distance to selected cities:
Manchester, NH
 5 miles
Portland, ME
 101 miles
Boston, MA
 55 miles
New York City, NY
 252 miles
Montreal, Quebec
 263 miles

COMMUTING TO WORK (US Census)
Workers 16 years and over  
Drove alone, car/truck/van
 86.0%
Carpooled, car/truck/van
 5.4%
Public transportation
 0.3%
Walked
 0.5%
Other Means
 1.5%
Worked at home
 6.3%
Mean Travel Time to Work 27.2 minutes
Percent of Working Residents:
Working in community of residence
 26%
Commuting to another NH community
 62%
Commuting out-of-state
 12%
    
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
X Museums
X Cinemas
Performing Arts Facilities
Tourists Attractions
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
Beach or Waterfront Recreational Area
Overnight or Day Camps
   
Nearest Ski Area(s): McIntyre; Pat's Peak
   
Other:
Copyright 2006 Economic & Labor Market Information Bureau, NH Employment Security. All Rights Reserved. Updated 06/21/06

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.