Durham, NH

Durham, New Hampshire

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	Strafford 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: A parish of Dover settled in 1669 as Oyster River Plantation, Durham was incorporated in 1732. The name probably honored Richard Barnes, Bishop of Durham, England, the first Puritan bishop. A descendent of an early settler, Benjamin Thompson, bequeathed the family estate, 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.

Population, Year of the First Census Taken: 1,247 residents in 1790

Population Trends: Durham''s population count includes resident students, but even so, decennial growth rates have slowed recently. Growth rates hit a high of 61 percent between 1960-1970, and have slowed since, growing by only seven percent between 1990-2000. Over fifty years, Durham''s population increased by 7,894 residents, going from 4,770 in 1950 to 12,664 residents in 2000. The 2004 Census estimate for Durham was 12,904 residents, which ranked 21st among New Hampshire''s incorporated cities and towns.

Population Density, 2004: 576.1 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.

Villages and Place Names: Oyster River

Type of Government	Administrator & Council
Budget: Municipal Appropriations, 2005	$9,360,705
Budget: School Appropriations	not available
Zoning Ordinance	1935/05
Master Plan	2000
Capitol Improvement Plan	Yes
Industrial Plans Reviewed By	Town Planner/Planning Board

Boards and Commissions
Elected:	Town Council
Appointed:	Planning Board; Zoning Board; Conservation Commission; Library Trustees; Cemetery Trustees; Historic District Commission

Public Library

Durham Public; UNH Durham Dimond

EMERGENCY SERVICES
Police Department	Full-time
Fire Department	Full-time
Town Fire Insurance Rating	4/9
Emergency Medical Service	Volunteer

Nearest Hospital(s):
Wentworth-Douglass, Dover
Distance: 4 miles	Staffed Beds: 115

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
Mandatory Recycling Program	Mandatory

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

PROPERTY TAXES
2004 Total Tax Rate (per $1000 of value)	$25.14
2004 Equalization Ratio	96.0
2004 Full Value Tax Rate (per $1000 of value)	$24.16

2004 Percent of Property Valuation by Type
Residential Land and Buildings	82.0%
Commercial Land and Buildings	16.7%
Other Property including Utilities	1.3%

HOUSING
2003 Total Housing Units	3,136

2003 Single-Family Units	1,795
Building Permits Issued	10
2003 Multi-Family Units	1,341
Building Permits Issued	115
2003 Manufactured Housing Units	0

DEMOGRAPHICS
Total Population	Community	County
2004	12,904	118,217
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 (Census 2000)
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
Annual Average	1994	2004
Civilian Labor Force	5,096	6,782
Employed	4,975	6,593
Unemployed	121	189
Unemployment Rate	2.4%	2.8%

EMPLOYMENT & WAGES	1994	2004
Goods Producing Industries
Average Employment	48	589
Average Weekly Wage	$389	$1,122

Service Providing Industries
Average Employment	1,614	1,402
Average Weekly Wage	$440	$412

Total Private Industry
Average Employment	1,662	1,991
Average Weekly Wage	$439	$622

Government (Federal, State, and Local)
Average Employment	3,926	4,816
Average Weekly Wage	$657	$901

Total, Private plus Government
Average Employment	5,588	6,807
Average Weekly Wage	$592	$820
n = indicates that the data does not meet disclosure standards

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, 2004:

Total Facilities: 6

Total Capacity: 222

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
Road Access	Federal Routes		4
	State Routes		108, 155, 155A
Nearest Interstate, Exit		I-95, Exit 6
	Distance	12 miles
Railroad	Boston & Maine
Public Transportation	Yes
Nearest Airport		Pease
Runway			11,321 feet
Lighted?	Yes	Navigational Aids?	Yes
Nearest Commercial Airport			Pease
Distance			12 miles

Driving distance to selected cities:
Manchester, NH	35 miles
Portland, ME	61 miles
Boston, MA	64 miles
New York City, NY	272 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

	Nearest Ski Area(s): Gunstock Ski Area

	Other: Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve

Copyright 2005 Economic & Labor Market Information Bureau, NH Employment Security. All Rights Reserved. Updated 06/03/05

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.

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Durham, NH