NHES and ELMI agency logos
New Hampshire Employment Security - an official New Hampshire Government web site
Smaller text size Reset text size Larger text size

ELMI Home > Products > Community Profiles >

Community Profiles

Bedford, NH


Bedford New Hampshire Community Profile Community Contact Town of Bedford
Rick Sawyer, Planning Director
24 North Amherst Road
Bedford, NH 03110
Telephone (603) 472-5242
Fax (603) 472-4573
E-mail rsawyer@bedfordnh.org
Web Site www.bedfordnh.org

Municipal Office Hours Monday through Friday, 8 am - 4:30 pm

County Hillsborough
Labor Market Area Manchester NH Metro-NECTA
Tourism Region Merrimack Valley
Planning Commission Southern NH
Regional Development Capital Regional Development Council

Election Districts
US Congress District 1
Executive Council District 4
State Senate District 9
State Representative Hillsborough County Districts 7, 41

Incorporated: 1750
Origin: Bedford was established in 1730 as Narragansett Number 5 for the benefit of soldiers who fought against the Narragansett Indians in Rhode Island. Twenty years later little had been done to the land, and it was regranted first as Souhegan East, then as Bedford in 1750. The town was named for Lord John Russell, fourth Duke of Bedford, a close friend of Governor Benning Wentworth, whose first wife, Diana Spencer, was cousin to the Duke of Marlborough. The town's first moderator was Major John Goffe, son of Colonel John Goffe for whom Goffstown was named.
Villages and Place Names: unknown
Population, Year of the First Census Taken: 898 residents in 1790
Population Trends: Bedford ranked eighth in numeric change over 51 years. Population change totaled 17,620, from 3,636 in 1960 to 21,256 in 2011. The largest decennial percent change was 62 percent between 1970 and 1980. The 2011 Census estimate for Bedford was 21,256 residents, which ranked 12th among New Hampshire's incorporated cities and towns.
Population Density and Land Area, 2010 (US Census Bureau): 645.9 persons per square mile of land area. Bedford contains 32.8 square miles of land area and 0.3 square miles of inland water area.

MUNICIPAL SERVICES
Type of Government Manager & Council
Budget: Municipal Appropriations, 2012 $24,192,169
Budget: School Appropriations, 2012 $60,369,487
Zoning Ordinance 1953/12
Master Plan 2010
Capitol Improvement Plan Yes
Industrial Plans Reviewed By Planning Board
Boards and Commissions
Elected:Town Council; Library
Appointed:Planning; Zoning; Conservation; Historic District; Recreation; Budget; Housing Auth.
Public Library Bedford Public

EMERGENCY SERVICES
Police Department Full-time
Fire Department Municipal
Emergency Medical Service Municipal
Nearest Hospital(s) Distance Staffed Beds
Elliot Hospital, Manchester 6 miles 279
Catholic Medical Center, Manchester 4 miles 233

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

(NH Dept. of Revenue Adminstration)PROPERTY TAXES
2011 Total Tax Rate (per $1,000 of value) $20.54
2011 Equalization Ratio 100.0
2011 Full Value Tax Rate (per $1,000 of value) $20.45
2011 Percent of Local Assessed Value by Property Type
Residential Land and Buildings81.5%
Commercial Land and Buildings17.4%
Public Utilities, Current Use, and Other1.1%

(ACS 2007-2011)HOUSING
Total Housing Units 7,280
Single-Family Units, Detached or Attached 6,430
Units in Multiple-Family Structures:  
Two to Four Units in Structure 13
Five or More Units in Structure 786
Mobile Homes and Other Housing Units 51
(US Census Bureau)DEMOGRAPHICS
Total Population Community County
2011 21,256 401,696
2010 21,203 400,721
2000 18,492 382,384
1990 12,513 336,549
1980 9,481 276,608
1970 5,859 223,941
 
Demographics, American Community Survey (ACS) 2007-2011
Population by Gender
Male:   10,230 Female:   10,750
Population by Age Group
Under age 5 1,074
Age 5 to 19 5,146
Age 20 to 34 2,321
Age 35 to 54 7,111
Age 55 to 64 2,603
Age 65 and over 2,725
Median Age 41.8 years
Educational Attainment, population 25 years and over
High school graduate or higher 96.1%
Bachelor's degree or higher 58.1%

(ACS 2007-2011)INCOME, 2011 INFLATION ADJUSTED $
Per capita income $52,855
Median family income $135,411
Median household income $127,208
Median Earnings, full-time, year-round workers
Male $102,967
Female $53,382
Families below the poverty level 2.3%

(NHES - ELMI)LABOR FORCE
Annual Average 2001 2011
Civilian Labor Force 10,282 11,429
Employed 9,991 10,951
Unemployed 291 478
Unemployment Rate 2.8% 4.2%

(NHES - ELMI)EMPLOYMENT & WAGES
Annual Average Covered Employment 2001 2011
Goods Producing Industries
Average Employment 1,963 1,120
Average Weekly Wage $872 $1,178
     
Service Providing Industries
Average Employment 11,141 11,743
Average Weekly Wage $849 $1,005
     
Total Private Industry
Average Employment 13,104 12,862
Average Weekly Wage $852 $1,020
     
Government (Federal, State, and Local)
Average Employment 705 1,162
Average Weekly Wage $638 $871
     
Total, Private plus Government
Average Employment 13,809 14,024
Average Weekly Wage $841 $1,008
n = indicates that the data does not meet disclosure standards

(NH Dept. of Education)EDUCATION/CHILD CARE FACILITIES
Schools students attend: Bedford operates grades K-12 SAU 25
Career Technology Center(s): Manchester School of Technology Region: 15
Educational Facilities Elementary Middle/Junior High High School Private/Parochial
Number of Schools 3 2 1 2
Grade Levels P K 1-4 5-8 9-12 K 1-8
Total Enrollment 1,580 1,482 1,327 42
2012 NH Licensed Child Care Facilities (Bureau of Child Care Licensing): Total Facilities: 15 Total Capacity: 1,058
Nearest Community/Technical College: Manchester
Nearest Colleges or Universities: St. Anselm; Southern NH University; Hesser; UNH-Manchester

LARGEST BUSINESSES PRODUCT/SERVICE EMPLOYEES ESTABLISHED
Wal-Mart Retail store 172
Bedford School District Education 700
Macy's Department store 199
Lowe's Home improvement center 148
Kelly Services Temporary employment agency 200
Harvey Construction Construction 80
Graham Packaging Research & manufacturing of plastic bottles 50
Target Department store 150
Kohl's Department store 70
Freshmarket Grocery store 92

(Distance estimated from city/town hall)TRANSPORTATION
Road Access US Routes 3
State Routes 101, 114
Nearest Interstate, Exit I-293, Exit 3
Distance Local access
Railroad Boston & Maine
Public Transportation MTA
 
Nearest Public Use Airport, General Aviation
Manchester-Boston Regional
Runway 9,250 ft. asphalt
Lighted? Yes Navigational Aids? Yes
Nearest Airport with Scheduled Service
Manchester-Boston Regional Distance 7 miles
Number of Passsenger Airlines Serving Airport 4
 
Driving distance to selected cities:
Manchester, NH 5 miles
Portland, ME 101 miles
Boston, MA 55 miles
New York City, NY 253 miles
Montreal, Quebec 263 miles

(ACS 2007-2011)COMMUTING TO WORK
Workers 16 years and over
Drove alone, car/truck/van 86.7%
Carpooled, car/truck/van 4.6%
Public transportation 0.7%
Walked 0.7%
Other Means 1.2%
Worked at home 6.2%
Mean Travel Time to Work 25.6 minutes
 
Percent of Working Residents: (ACS 2007-2011)
Working in community of residence 71.0%
Commuting to another NH community 16.8%
Commuting out-of-state 12.2%
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
X Tennis Courts: Outdoor Facility
Ice Skating Rink: Indoor Facility
Bowling Facilities
X Museums
Cinemas
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
Youth Sports: Hockey
Campgrounds
Fishing/Hunting
Boating/Marinas
Snowmobile Trails
Bicycle Trails
X Cross Country Skiing
Beach or Waterfront Recreational Area
X Overnight or Day Camps
   
Nearest Ski Area(s): McIntyre, Pat's Peak
   
Other:

Economic & Labor Market Information Bureau, NH Employment Security, 2013.
Community Response Received 07/23/12

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.

 

New Hampshire Employment Security (NHES)
32 South Main Street  |  Concord NH 03301  |  603-224-3311  |  1-800-852-3400
TDD Access: Relay NH 1-800-735-2964
webmaster@nhes.nh.gov for web page related issues only