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Durham New Hampshire Community Profile

Durham new hampshire community profile
Durham, NH
Community Contact Town of Durham
James Campbell, Director of Planning
15 Newmarket Road
Durham, NH 03824-2898

Telephone (603) 868-8064
Fax (603) 868-8033
E-mail jcampbell@ci.durham.nh.us
Web Site http://ci.durham.nh.us

Municipal Office Hours Monday through Friday, 8 am - 5 pm

County Strafford
Labor Market Area Rochester-Dover NH-ME Metro-NECTA, NH Portion
Tourism Region Seacoast
Planning Commission Strafford Regional
Regional Development Southeast Economic Development Corp.

Election Districts
US Congress
 District 1
Executive Council
 District 3
State Senate
 District 21
State Representative
 Strafford County District 7
Incorporated: 1732
Origin: Durham started as a parish of Dover called Oyster River Plantation, first settled in 1669. Durham was incorporated in 1732, probably to honor the first Puritan bishop, Richard Barnes, Bishop of Durham. Durham included what is now Lee until 1766, when that town was incorporated. Benjamin Thompson, descendent of an early settler, bequeathed the family estate, the Warner Farm, to be used for establishment of an agricultural college. The state agricultural school, originally set up in Hanover in 1866, was moved to Durham in 1890, becoming the University of New Hampshire in 1923.
Villages and Place Names: Oyster River

Population, Year of the First Census Taken: 1,247 residents in 1790
Population Trends: Population change for Durham, including resident students, totaled 7,914 over 50 years, from 4,770 in 1950 to 12,684 in 2000. The largest decennial percent change was a 61 percent increase between 1960 and 1970. The 2005 Census estimate for Durham was 13,040 residents, which ranked 21st among New Hampshire's incorporated cities and towns.

Population Density, 2005: 582.1 persons per square mile of land area. Durham contains 22.4 square miles of land area and 2.4 square miles of inland water area.
MUNICIPAL SERVICES
Type of Government Administrator & Council
Budget: Municipal Appropriations, 2005 $9,799,490
Budget: School Appropriations, not available
Zoning Ordinance 1935/06
Master Plan 2000
Capitol Improvement Plan Yes
Industrial Plans Reviewed By Town Planner/Planning Board

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

Public Library Durham Public; UNH Durham Dimond

EMERGENCY SERVICES
Police Department Full-time
Fire Department Full-time
Town Fire Insurance Rating 4/10
Emergency Medical Service Volunteer

Nearest Hospital(s) Distance Staffed Beds
Wentworth-Douglass, Dover 6 miles 178

UTILITIES
Electric Supplier PSNH; NH Electric Coop.
Natural Gas Supplier Northern Utilities
Water Supplier UNH/Durham Water System

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

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

PROPERTY TAXES (NH Dept. of Revenue Adminstration) 
2005 Total Tax Rate (per $1000 of value) $26.19
2005 Equalization Ratio 87.0
2005 Full Value Tax Rate (per $1000 of value) $22.84

2005 Percent of Property Valuation by Type
Residential Land and Buildings
 81.9%
Commercial Land and Buildings
 16.7%
Other Property including Utilities
 1.4%

HOUSING (NH Office of Energy and Planning) 
2005 Total Housing Units 3,229
   
2005 Single-Family Units 1,835
Building Permits Issued
 13
2005 Multi-Family Units 1,384
Building Permits Issued
 12
2005 Manufactured Housing Units 0
   
DEMOGRAPHICS (US Census Bureau) 
Total Population Community County
2005 13,040 119,015
2000 12,684 112,676
1990 11,816 104,348
1980 10,652 85,324
1970 8,869 70,431

Census 2000 Demographics
Population by Gender
Male
 5,719
Female
 6,945

Population by Age Group
Under age 5
 306
Age 5 to 19
 4,083
Age 20 to 34
 4,982
Age 35 to 54
 1,948
Age 55 to 64
 571
Age 65 and over
 774
Median Age
 21.2 years

Educational Attainment, population 25 years and over
High school graduate or higher
 97.5%
Bachelor's degree or higher
 73.4%

ANNUAL INCOME, 1999 (US Census Bureau) 
Per capita income $17,210
Median 4-person family income $83,609
Median household income $51,697

Median Earnings, full-time, year-round workers
Male
 $54,519
Female
 $31,548

Families below the poverty level 2.8%

LABOR FORCE (NHES - ELMI) 
Annual Average 1995 2005
Civilian Labor Force
 5,058 6,767
Employed
 4,927 6,554
Unemployed
 131 213
Unemployment Rate
 2.6% 3.1%

EMPLOYMENT & WAGES (NHES - ELMI) 
Annual Average Covered Employment 1995 2005
Goods Producing Industries  
Average Employment
 43 582
Average Weekly Wage
 $425 $1,086
   
Service Providing Industries  
Average Employment
 1,808 1,449
Average Weekly Wage
 $500 $423
   
Total Private Industry  
Average Employment
 1,850 2,031
Average Weekly Wage
 $498 $613
   
Government (Federal, State, and Local)  
Average Employment
 3,984 4,652
Average Weekly Wage
 $616 $914
   
Total, Private plus Government  
Average Employment
 5,834 6,683
Average Weekly Wage
 $579 $822
n = indicates that the data does not meet disclosure standards
EDUCATION/CHILD CARE FACILITIES (NH Dept. of Education)
Schools students attend: Grades K-12 are part of Oyster River Cooperative (Durham, Lee, Madbury) District: SAU 5
Career Technology Center(s): Dover Voc. Center; Somersworth Reg. Voc. Center; Creteau Voc. Center, Rochester Region: 12

Educational Facilities Elementary Middle/Junior High High School Private/Parochial
Number of Schools
 1 1
Grade Levels
 5-8 9-12
Total Enrollment
 701 722
NH Licensed Child Care Facilities, 2006: Total Facilities: 7 Total Capacity: 277
Nearest Community/Technical College: Stratham
Nearest Colleges or Universities: University of NH; McIntosh
LARGEST EMPLOYERS PRODUCT/SERVICE EMPLOYEES ESTABLISHED
University of New Hampshire Education 4,268
Goss International Printing press 300
Town of Durham Municipal services 80
TRANSPORTATION  (Distance estimated from city / town hall)
Road Access US Routes 4
  State Routes 108, 155, 155A
Nearest Interstate, Exit I-95, Exit 5
         Distance 8 miles
Railroad Boston & Maine
Public Transportation Yes

Nearest Public Use Airport, General Aviation
Pease International
Runway
 11,321 ft. asphalt/concrete
Lighted?
 Yes  Navigational Aids? Yes
Nearest Airport with Scheduled Service
Pease International Distance 9 miles
Number of Passsenger Airlines Serving Airport 2

Driving distance to selected cities:
Manchester, NH
 37 miles
Portland, ME
 61 miles
Boston, MA
 64 miles
New York City, NY
 275 miles
Montreal, Quebec
 282 miles

COMMUTING TO WORK (US Census)
Workers 16 years and over  
Drove alone, car/truck/van
 56.6%
Carpooled, car/truck/van
 6.5%
Public transportation
 3.6%
Walked
 27.1%
Other Means
 2.1%
Worked at home
 4.1%
Mean Travel Time to Work 17.1 minutes
Percent of Working Residents:
Working in community of residence
 46%
Commuting to another NH community
 47%
Commuting out-of-state
 6%
    
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
Tennis Courts: Outdoor Facility
X Ice Skating Rink: Indoor Facility
Bowling Facilities
Museums
Cinemas
X 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
X Youth Sports: Hockey
Campgrounds
X Fishing/Hunting
X Boating/Marinas
Snowmobile Trails
X Bicycle Trails
X Cross Country Skiing
Beach or Waterfront Recreational Area
Overnight or Day Camps
   
Nearest Ski Area(s): Gunstock
   
Other: Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
Copyright 2006 Economic & Labor Market Information Bureau, NH Employment Security. All Rights Reserved. Updated 06/09/06

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.