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Amherst, NH


amherst New Hampshire Community Profile Community Contact Town of Amherst
Dean Shankle, Town Administrator
2 Main Street
Amherst, NH 03031-0960
Telephone (603) 673-6041
Fax (603) 673-6794
E-mail dshankle@amherstnh.gov
Web Site www.amherstnh.gov/

Municipal Office Hours Town Hall, Town Administrator: Monday to Friday, 8-4; Town Clerk: Monday to Friday, 9-3, plus Tuesday, 4:30-6:30; Tax Collector: Monday to Friday, 9-3

County Hillsborough
Labor Market Area Nashua, NH-MA NECTA Division
Tourism Region Merrimack Valley
Planning Commission Nashua Regional
Regional Development Capital Regional Development Council

Election Districts
US Congress District District 2
Executive Council District District 5
State Senate District District 11
State Representative Hillsborough County Districts 34, 37

Incorporated: 1760
Origin: This area was first granted in 1728 as Narragansett Number 3, settled by the families of soldiers who had fought at Narragansett, Rhode Island. In 1760, the town was named Amherst in honor of Lord Jeffrey Amherst (1717-1797), commander-in-chief of the colonial forces in the French and Indian War. Amherst was the birthplace of Horace Greeley (1811-1872), founder of the New York Tribune, a founder of the Republican Party, and 1872 Presidential candidate. For a brief time, Amherst was the county seat for Hillsborough County.
Villages and Place Names: Cricket Corner, Ponemah, Baboosic Lake
Population, Year of the First Census Taken: 2,369 residents in 1790
Population Trends: Population change for Amherst totaled 7,174 over 50 years, from 4,605 in 1970 to 11,779 in 2020. The 2022 Census estimate for Amherst was 11,898 residents, which ranked 26th among New Hampshire's incorporated cities and towns.
Population Density and Land Area, 2022 (US Census Bureau): 350.7 persons per square mile of land area. Amherst contains 33.9 square miles of land area and 0.5 square miles of inland water area.

Municipal Services
Type of Government Selectmen
Budget: Municipal Appropriations, 2023 $16,810,950
Budget: School Appropriations, 2022-2023 $31,819,908
Zoning Ordinance 1946/23
Master Plan 2023
Capitol Improvement Plan Yes
Industrial Plans Reviewed By Planning Board
Boards and Commissions
Elected:Selectmen; Cemetery; Library; Trust Funds; Zoning; Planning
Appointed:Communications Infrastructure; Conservation; Heritage; Historic District; Recreation; Capital Improvement; Solid Waste
Public Library Amherst Town

Emergency Services
Police Department Full-time
Fire Department On Call
Emergency Medical Service Part-time
Nearest Hospital(s) Distance Staffed Beds
Southern NH Medical Center, Nashua 12 miles 163
St. Joseph Hospital, Nashua 13 miles 159
Catholic Medical Center, Manchester 13 miles 262

Utilities
Electric Supplier Eversource Energy
Natural Gas Supplier Liberty Utilities
Water Supplier Pennichuck Water Works
Sanitation Private septic
Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant No
Solid Waste Disposal
Curbside Trash PickupNone
Pay-As-You-Throw ProgramNo
Recycling ProgramVoluntary
Telephone Company Consolidated Communications
Cellular Telephone Access Yes
Cable Television Access Yes
Public Access Television Station Yes
High Speed Internet Service:
BusinessYes
ResidentialYes

(NH Dept. of Revenue Administration) Property Taxes
2022 Total Tax Rate (per $1,000 of value) $21.13
2022 Equalization Ratio 77.6
2022 Full Value Tax Rate (per $1,000 of value) $16.28
2022 Percent of Local Assessed Value by Property Type
Residential Land and Buildings86.9%
Commercial Land and Buildings10.3%
Public Utilities, Current Use, and Other2.8%

(ACS 2017-2021) Housing
Total Housing Units 4,524
Single-Family Units, Detached or Attached 4,222
Units in Multiple-Family Structures:  
Two to Four Units in Structure 199
Five or More Units in Structure 91
Mobile Homes and Other Housing Units 12
(US Census Bureau) Population
(1-Year Estimates/Decennial)
Total Population Community County
2022 11,898 426,594
2020 11,753 422,937
2010 11,201 400,721
2000 10,834 382,384
1990 9,057 336,549
1980 8,243 276,608
 
Demographics, American Community Survey (ACS) 2017-2021
Population by Gender
Male:   5,748 Female:   5,964
Population by Age Group
Under age 5 656
Age 5 to 19 2,308
Age 20 to 34 1,300
Age 35 to 54 3,171
Age 55 to 64 2,151
Age 65 and over 2,126
Median Age 46.7 years
Educational Attainment, population 25 years and over 8,400
High school graduate or higher 99.2%
Bachelor's degree or higher 62.6%

(ACS 2017-2021) Income, Inflation Adjusted $
Per capita income $67,288
Median family income $162,328
Median household income $141,424
Median Earnings, full-time, year-round workers
Male $111,267
Female $63,396
Individuals below the poverty level 4.3%

(NHES - ELMI) Labor Force
Annual Average 2012 2022
Civilian Labor Force 6,107 6,353
Employed 5,811 6,211
Unemployed 296 142
Unemployment Rate 4.8% 2.2%

(NHES - ELMI) Employment & Wages
Annual Average Covered Employment 2012 2022
Goods Producing Industries
Average Employment 832 1,065
Average Weekly Wage $1,067 $1,311
     
Service Providing Industries
Average Employment 2,993 3,408
Average Weekly Wage $825 $1,237
     
Total Private Industry
Average Employment 3,825 4,473
Average Weekly Wage $877 $1,254
     
Government (Federal, State, and Local)
Average Employment 585 589
Average Weekly Wage $964 $1,118
     
Total, Private plus Government
Average Employment 4,410 5,062
Average Weekly Wage $889 $1,239

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


(NH Dept. of Education) Education and Child Care
Schools students attend: Amherst operates grades K-8; grades 9-12 are part of Souhegan Cooperative (Amherst, Mont Vernon) SAU 39
Career Technology Center(s): Milford HS & Applied Technology Center; Wilbur H. Palmer Career & Tech Ed Center (Hudson); Nashua Technology Center
Educational Facilities (includes Charter Schools) Elementary Middle/Junior High High School Private/Parochial
Number of Schools 1 1 1 3
Grade Levels P K 1-4 5-8 9-12 P K 1-12
Total Enrollment 708 639 698 72
2022 NH Licensed Child Care Facilities (Bureau of Child Care Licensing): Total Facilities: 7 Total Capacity: 490
Nearest Community/Technical College: Manchester; Nashua
Nearest Colleges or Universities: St. Anselm; Rivier; Thomas More; UNH-Manchester; Southern NH University; MCPHS; Franklin Pierce-Manchester

Largest Businesses Product/Service Employees Established
Wal-Mart Retail store 200 1992
H & M Metals, Inc. Steel metal fabrication 130 1970
Diacom Corporation Fabric-elastomer diaphragms 93 1983
Resin System Corporation Custom cast thermoset plastic 52 1972
Vibrac Corporation Torque test instruments 15 1971
Rontex America, Inc. Nonwoven fabrics 23 1976
Lowe's Home improvement center

Employer Information Supplied by Municipality


(Distance estimated from city/town hall) Transportation
Road Access US Routes
State Routes 13, 101, 101A, 122
Nearest Interstate, Exit Everett Tpk., Exit 11; I-293, Exit 4
Distance 9 miles; 12 miles
Railroad Boston & Maine
Public Transportation No
 
Nearest Public Use Airport, General Aviation
Boire Field, NashuaRunway6,000 ft. asphalt
Lighted? Yes Navigational Aids? Yes
Nearest Airport with Scheduled Service
Manchester-Boston Regional Distance 15 miles
Number of Passenger Airlines Serving Airport 4
 
Driving distance to selected cities:
Manchester, NH 16 miles
Portland, ME 110 miles
Boston, MA 56 miles
New York City, NY 226 miles
Montreal, Quebec 262 miles

(ACS 2017-2021) Commuting to Work
Workers 16 years and over 5,924
Drove alone, car/truck/van 67.6%
Carpooled, car/truck/van 5.9%
Public transportation 0.0%
Walked 0.2%
Other Means 3.1%
Worked at home 23.2%
Mean Travel Time to Work 33.3 minutes
 
Percent of Working Residents: (ACS 2017-2021)
Working in community of residence 34.2%
Commuting to another NH community 53.8%
Commuting out-of-state 12.0%
Recreation, Attractions, and Events
X Municipal Parks
YMCA/YWCA
X Boys Club/Girls Club
X Golf Courses
Swimming: Indoor Facility
X 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
Tourist 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
Youth Sports: Hockey
Campgrounds
X Fishing/Hunting
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): Pat's Peak; Crotched Mountain
   
Other: Swimming Lake; Youth Lacrosse; Ponemah Bog Sanctuary; Peabody Mill Environmental Center; Joe English Reservation; Hiking Trails

Economic & Labor Market Information Bureau, NH Employment Security, October 2023. Community Response Received 6/14/23

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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