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Amherst, NH
Community Contact Amherst Board of Selectmen
Marilyn Peterman, 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, andTuesday 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: First granted in 1728 as Narragansett Number 3, the town was named after Lord Jeffrey Amherst, commander-in-chief of the colonials
in the French and Indian War. Amherst was the birthplace of Horace Greeley, founder of the New York Tribune. The town is home to Baboosic
Lake. Population, Year of the First Census Taken: 2,369 residents in 1790
Population Trends: Population growth in Amherst was very fast—the town ranked 15th intotal percent increase and 17th in total numeric increase between 1950 and 2000. Decennialgrowth rates ranged from ten percent between 1980-1990 to 125 percent between 1960-1970. Amherst's population increased from 1,461 residents in 1950 to 10,769 in 2000, a totalincrease of 9,308 residents. The Census 2004 estimate for Amherst was 11,566 residents,which ranked 26th among New Hampshire's incorporated cities and towns.Population Density, 2004: 340.9 persons per square mile of land area. Amherst contains33.9 square miles of land area and 0.5 square miles of inland water area.Villages and Place Names:Cricket Corner, Ponemah, Baboosic Lakee
MUNICIPAL SERVICES
Type of Government Selectmen
Budget: Municipal Appropriations, 2005 $7,677,763
Budget: School Appropriations not available
Zoning Ordinance 1946/04
Master Plan 1998
Capital Improvement Plan Yes
Industrial Plans Reviewed By Planning Board
Boards and Commissions
Elected: Selectmen; Cemetery Trustees; Library Trustees;
Trustees of Trust Funds; Zoning
Appointed: Planning; Comm. Infrastructure; Conservation;
Heritage; Historic District; Recreation; Road
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):
Southern NH Regional or St. Joseph, Nashua
Distance: 14 miles Staffed Beds: 180; 144
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 Program Voluntary
Telephone Company Verizon
Cellular Telephone Access Yes
Cable Television Access Yes
Public Access Television Station No
High Speed Internet Service: Business Yes
Residential Yes
PROPERTY TAXES
2004 Total Tax Rate (per $1000 of value) $22.84
2004 Equalization Ratio 80.6
2004 Full Value Tax Rate (per $1000 of value) $18.33
2004 Percent of Property Valuation by Type
Residential Land and Buildings 88.1%
Commercial Land and Buildings 10.3%
Other Property including Utilities 1.7%
HOUSING
2003 Total Housing Units 4,021
2003 Single-Family Units 3,643
Building Permits Issued 64
2003 Multi-Family Units 307
Building Permits Issued 12
2003 Manufactured Housing Units 71
DEMOGRAPHICS
Total Population Community County
2004 11,566 398,574
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 (Census 2000)
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 1994 2004
Annual Average
Civilian labor force 4,995 6,119
Employed 4,758 5,906
Unemployed 237 213
Unemployment rate 4.7% 3.5%
EMPLOYMENT & WAGES 1994 2004
Goods Producing Industries
Average Employment 1,052 913
Average Weekly Wage $647 $901
Service Providing Industries
Average Employment 2,007 2,841
Average Weekly Wage $524 $712
Total Private Industry
Average Employment 3,059 3,754
Average Weekly Wage $566 $758
Government (Federal, State, and Local)
Average Employment 413 590
Average Weekly Wage $520 $743
Total, Private Industry plus Government
Average Employment 3,472 4,344
Average Weekly Wage $561 $756
EDUCATION AND CHILD CARE
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 n/a
NH Licensed Child Care Facilities, 2004: Total Facilities: 12 Total Capacity: 721
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
Nashua Redimix Ready mixed concrete 25
Resin System Corporation Custom cast thermoset plastic 52 1972
Vibrac Corporation Torque test instruments 15 1971
Rontex America, Inc. Nonwoven fabrics 23 1976
TRANSPORTATION
Road Access Federal Routes
State Routes 13, 101, 101A, 122
Nearest Interstate, Exit I-293, Exit 8
Distance 14 miles
Railroad Boston & Maine
Public Transportation No
Nearest Airport Manchester
Runway 9,250 feet
Lighted? Yes Navigational Aids? Yes
Nearest Commercial Airport Manchester
Distance 14 miles
Driving distance to select cities:
Manchester, NH 14 miles
Portland, Maine 110 miles
Boston, Mass. 48 miles
New York City, NY 241 miles
Montreal, Quebec 274 miles
COMMUTING TO WORK (Census 2000)
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%
COPYRIGHT 2005 Economic & Labor Market Information Bureau, NH Employment Security. All Rights Reserved. Updated 05/25/05
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