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Alton, NH


alton New Hampshire Community Profile Community Contact Town of Alton
Board of Selectmen
PO Box 659
Alton, NH 03809
Telephone (603) 875-2161
Fax (603) 875-0207
E-mail administrator@alton.nh.gov
Web Site www.alton.nh.gov

Municipal Office Hours Town Office: Monday to Friday, 8-4:30, first and last Thursday each month until 7pm

County Belknap
Labor Market Area Belmont, NH LMA
Tourism Region Lakes
Planning Commission Lakes Region
Regional Development Belknap County Economic Development Council

Election Districts
US Congress District District 1
Executive Council District District 1
State Senate District District 6
State Representative Belknap County District 7

Incorporated: 1796
Origin:
Villages and Place Names: Alton Bay, East Alton, Mount Major, South Alton, West Alton
Population, Year of the First Census Taken: 445 residents in 1790
Population Trends: Population change for Alton totaled 4,238 over 50 years, from 1,647 in 1970 to 5,885 in 2020. The 2022 Census estimate for Alton was 6,026 residents, which ranked 62nd among New Hampshire's incorporated cities and towns.
Population Density and Land Area, 2022 (US Census Bureau): 94.3 persons per square mile of land area. Alton contains 63.9 square miles of land area and 19.3 square miles of inland water area.

Municipal Services
Type of Government Selectmen
Budget: Municipal Appropriations, 2021 $12,101,377
Budget: School Appropriations, 2020-2021 $16,041,076
Zoning Ordinance 1970/15
Master Plan 2023
Capitol Improvement Plan Yes
Industrial Plans Reviewed By Planning Board
Boards and Commissions
Elected:Selectmen; Planning; Library; Cemetery; Budget; Checklist; Trust Funds; Water; Zoning
Appointed:Conservation; Parks & Recreation; Levey Park; Milfoil; Energy
Public Library Gilman

Emergency Services
Police Department Full & part-time
Fire Department Municipal
Emergency Medical Service Municipal
Nearest Hospital(s) Distance Staffed Beds
Huggins Hospital, Wolfeboro 11 miles 25

Utilities
Electric Supplier Eversource Energy; NH Electric Coop; Wolfeboro Electric
Natural Gas Supplier None
Water Supplier Alton Water Works
Sanitation Private septic
Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant No
Solid Waste Disposal
Curbside Trash PickupPrivate
Pay-As-You-Throw ProgramNo
Recycling ProgramMandatory
Telephone Company Consolidated; TDS
Cellular Telephone Access Yes
Cable Television Access Yes
Public Access Television Station No
High Speed Internet Service:
BusinessYes
ResidentialYes

(NH Dept. of Revenue Administration) Property Taxes
2022 Total Tax Rate (per $1,000 of value) $11.37
2022 Equalization Ratio 62.1
2022 Full Value Tax Rate (per $1,000 of value) $7.05
2022 Percent of Local Assessed Value by Property Type
Residential Land and Buildings95.3%
Commercial Land and Buildings4.1%
Public Utilities, Current Use, and Other0.7%

(ACS 2017-2021) Housing
Total Housing Units 4,240
Single-Family Units, Detached or Attached 3,815
Units in Multiple-Family Structures:  
Two to Four Units in Structure 63
Five or More Units in Structure 88
Mobile Homes and Other Housing Units 274
(US Census Bureau) Population
(1-Year Estimates/Decennial)
Total Population Community County
2022 6,026 64,781
2020 5,894 63,705
2010 5,250 60,088
2000 4,528 56,576
1990 3,289 49,294
1980 2,440 42,884
 
Demographics, American Community Survey (ACS) 2017-2021
Population by Gender
Male:   2,909 Female:   2,917
Population by Age Group
Under age 5 258
Age 5 to 19 873
Age 20 to 34 860
Age 35 to 54 1,255
Age 55 to 64 1,160
Age 65 and over 1,420
Median Age 50.7 years
Educational Attainment, population 25 years and over 4,258
High school graduate or higher 94.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher 26.9%

(ACS 2017-2021) Income, Inflation Adjusted $
Per capita income $43,288
Median family income $104,657
Median household income $101,604
Median Earnings, full-time, year-round workers
Male $61,250
Female $65,463
Individuals below the poverty level 5.2%

(NHES - ELMI) Labor Force
Annual Average 2012 2022
Civilian Labor Force 3,067 3,049
Employed 2,933 2,982
Unemployed 134 67
Unemployment Rate 4.4% 2.2%

(NHES - ELMI) Employment & Wages
Annual Average Covered Employment 2012 2022
Goods Producing Industries
Average Employment 45 115
Average Weekly Wage $607 $1,101
     
Service Providing Industries
Average Employment 627 849
Average Weekly Wage $464 $743
     
Total Private Industry
Average Employment 672 964
Average Weekly Wage $474 $785
     
Government (Federal, State, and Local)
Average Employment 333 300
Average Weekly Wage $675 $1,015
     
Total, Private plus Government
Average Employment 1,005 1,263
Average Weekly Wage $540 $840

If "n" appears, data does not meet disclosure standards.


(NH Dept. of Education) Education and Child Care
Schools students attend: Alton operates grades K-8; grades 9-12 are jointly managed with Barnstead (JMA) SAU 72
Career Technology Center(s): Lakes Region Technology Center (Wolfeboro)
Educational Facilities (includes Charter Schools) Elementary Middle/Junior High High School Private/Parochial
Number of Schools 1 1
Grade Levels P K 1-8 9-12
Total Enrollment 417 387
2022 NH Licensed Child Care Facilities (Bureau of Child Care Licensing): Total Facilities: 1 Total Capacity: 9
Nearest Community/Technical College: Lakes Region; NHTI-Concord
Nearest Colleges or Universities: Granite State; UNH School of Law; University of NH

Largest Businesses Product/Service Employees Established
Alton School Department Education 116 1797
Town of Alton Municipal services 140 1796
McDonald's Fast food restaurant 50 1995
Dunkin' Donuts Donut shop 20 1996
Water Industries Commercial pumping systems 20 1963
Hannaford Brothers Supermarket 38FT & 94 PT 2006
Christian Conference Center Recreational, campground 8 1863
Alton Home & Lumber Hardware & lumber sales 10 1994
Aubuchon Hardware store 11 2004

Employer Information Supplied by Municipality


(Distance estimated from city/town hall) Transportation
Road Access US Routes
State Routes 11, 11D, 28, 28A, 140
Nearest Interstate, Exit I-93, Exit 20
Distance 28 miles
Railroad No
Public Transportation No
 
Nearest Public Use Airport, General Aviation
Laconia MunicipalRunway5,286 ft. asphalt
Lighted? Yes Navigational Aids? Yes
Nearest Airport with Scheduled Service
Manchester-Boston Regional Distance 46 miles
Number of Passenger Airlines Serving Airport 4
 
Driving distance to selected cities:
Manchester, NH 46 miles
Portland, ME 66 miles
Boston, MA 91 miles
New York City, NY 293 miles
Montreal, Quebec 256 miles

(ACS 2017-2021) Commuting to Work
Workers 16 years and over 2,849
Drove alone, car/truck/van 72.4%
Carpooled, car/truck/van 16.2%
Public transportation 0.0%
Walked 0.8%
Other Means 0.5%
Worked at home 10.0%
Mean Travel Time to Work 32.0 minutes
 
Percent of Working Residents: (ACS 2017-2021)
Working in community of residence 30.9%
Commuting to another NH community 62.6%
Commuting out-of-state 6.5%
Recreation, Attractions, and Events
X Municipal Parks
X YMCA/YWCA
Boys Club/Girls Club
Golf Courses
Swimming: Indoor Facility
Swimming: Outdoor Facility
Tennis Courts: Indoor Facility
X Tennis Courts: Outdoor Facility
Ice Skating Rink: Indoor Facility
Bowling Facilities
X Museums
Cinemas
Performing Arts Facilities
X Tourist Attractions
X Youth Organizations (i.e., Scouts, 4-H)
X Youth Sports: Baseball
X Youth Sports: Soccer
Youth Sports: Football
X Youth Sports: Basketball
Youth Sports: Hockey
X Campgrounds
X Fishing/Hunting
X Boating/Marinas
X Snowmobile Trails
Bicycle Trails
X Cross Country Skiing
X Beach or Waterfront Recreational Area
X Overnight or Day Camps
   
Nearest Ski Area(s): Gunstock
   
Other: Boat Launch; Town Docks; Swim Dock; Public Beach in Picnic Area; B&M RR; Old Home Days; Mt. Washington Dock

Economic & Labor Market Information Bureau, NH Employment Security, October 2023. Community Response Received 7/31/23

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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