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Berlin, NH


berlin New Hampshire Community Profile Community Contact City of Berlin
Phillip L. Warren, Jr., City Manager
168 Main Street, City Hall
Berlin, NH 03570
Telephone (603) 752-7532
Fax (603) 752-8550
E-mail info@berlinnh.gov
Web Site www.berlinnh.gov

Municipal Office Hours City Hall, City Manager, City Clerk, and Tax Collector: Monday to Friday, 8:30-4:30

County Coos
Labor Market Area Berlin, NH Micropolitan NECTA
Tourism Region Great North Woods
Planning Commission North Country Council
Regional Development Coos Economic Development Corp.

Election Districts
US Congress District District 2 (All Wards)
Executive Council District District 1
State Senate District District 1 (All Wards)
State Representative Coos County Districts 5, 7

Incorporated: 1829
Origin: This community was first granted in 1771 as Maynesborough in honor of Sir William Mayne, an associate of Governor John Wentworth in the West Indies trade. The area was not settled by the original grantees, and the town was renamed Berlin in 1829 by new settlers originally from Berlin, Massachusetts. According to historical information from the City of Berlin website, the first attempt at building a sawmill powered by the river was in the early 1820s. This was the start of a booming lumber and paper business in Berlin, and at one time it was the largest newsprint supplier in the world. Berlin was incorporated as a city in 1897, and is the northernmost city in New Hampshire.
Villages and Place Names: Cascade, Berlin Mills
Population, Year of the First Census Taken: 73 residents in 1830
Population Trends: Population change for Berlin totaled a negative 5,530 over 50 years, declining from 15,256 in 1970 to 9,726 in 2020. The 2022 Census estimate for Berlin was 9,518 residents, which ranked 30th among New Hampshire's incorporated cities and towns.
Population Density and Land Area, 2022 (US Census Bureau): 154.8 persons per square mile of land area. Berlin contains 61.5 square miles of land area and 0.7 square miles of inland water area.

Municipal Services
Type of Government Manager & Council
Budget: Municipal Appropriations, 2020-2021 $16,530,130
Budget: School Appropriations, 2020-2021 $22,538,967
Zoning Ordinance 1964/09
Master Plan 2023
Capitol Improvement Plan Yes
Industrial Plans Reviewed By Planning Board
Boards and Commissions
Elected:City Council; School; Library; Trust Funds
Appointed:Planning; Zoning; Berlin Industrial Development Park Authority; Water
Public Library Berlin Public

Emergency Services
Police Department Full-time
Fire Department Full-time
Emergency Medical Service Private
Nearest Hospital(s) Distance Staffed Beds
Androscoggin Valley, Berlin Local 25

Utilities
Electric Supplier Eversource Energy
Natural Gas Supplier TransCanada
Water Supplier Berlin Water Works
Sanitation Municipal
Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant Yes
Solid Waste Disposal
Curbside Trash PickupMunicipal
Pay-As-You-Throw ProgramNo
Recycling ProgramMandatory
Telephone Company Consolidated Communications
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) $27.26
2022 Equalization Ratio 100.4
2022 Full Value Tax Rate (per $1,000 of value) $27.09
2022 Percent of Local Assessed Value by Property Type
Residential Land and Buildings67.5%
Commercial Land and Buildings7.7%
Public Utilities, Current Use, and Other24.8%

(ACS 2017-2021) Housing
Total Housing Units 4,352
Single-Family Units, Detached or Attached 2,532
Units in Multiple-Family Structures:  
Two to Four Units in Structure 1,278
Five or More Units in Structure 514
Mobile Homes and Other Housing Units 28
(US Census Bureau) Population
(1-Year Estimates/Decennial)
Total Population Community County
2022 9,518 31,504
2020 9,425 31,268
2010 10,051 33,055
2000 10,331 33,156
1990 11,889 34,879
1980 13,084 35,014
 
Demographics, American Community Survey (ACS) 2017-2021
Population by Gender
Male:   5,917 Female:   3,793
Population by Age Group
Under age 5 405
Age 5 to 19 1,339
Age 20 to 34 1,935
Age 35 to 54 2,876
Age 55 to 64 1,331
Age 65 and over 1,824
Median Age 43.9 years
Educational Attainment, population 25 years and over 7,571
High school graduate or higher 86.5%
Bachelor's degree or higher 15.0%

(ACS 2017-2021) Income, Inflation Adjusted $
Per capita income $24,569
Median family income $63,887
Median household income $39,479
Median Earnings, full-time, year-round workers
Male $46,445
Female $40,661
Individuals below the poverty level 13.9%

(NHES - ELMI) Labor Force
Annual Average 2012 2022
Civilian Labor Force 4,321 3,713
Employed 3,936 3,583
Unemployed 385 130
Unemployment Rate 8.9% 3.5%

(NHES - ELMI) Employment & Wages
Annual Average Covered Employment 2012 2022
Goods Producing Industries
Average Employment 573 240
Average Weekly Wage $926 $1,234
     
Service Providing Industries
Average Employment 1,882 1,586
Average Weekly Wage $691 $1,043
     
Total Private Industry
Average Employment 2,455 1,826
Average Weekly Wage $746 $1,068
     
Government (Federal, State, and Local)
Average Employment 1,117 1,101
Average Weekly Wage $813 $1,243
     
Total, Private plus Government
Average Employment 3,572 2,927
Average Weekly Wage $767 $1,134

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


(NH Dept. of Education) Education and Child Care
Schools students attend: Berlin operates grades K-12 SAU 3
Career Technology Center(s): Berlin Regional Career & Technical Center
Educational Facilities (includes Charter Schools) Elementary Middle/Junior High High School Private/Parochial
Number of Schools 1 1 1 2
Grade Levels K 1-5 6-8 9-12 K 1-12
Total Enrollment 422 220 368 38
2022 NH Licensed Child Care Facilities (Bureau of Child Care Licensing): Total Facilities: 1 Total Capacity: 77
Nearest Community/Technical College: White Mountains
Nearest Colleges or Universities: Plymouth State; Northern VT - Lyndon (VT)

Largest Businesses Product/Service Employees Established
Northern NH Correctional Facility Correctional facility 171 2001
Androscoggin Valley Hospital Health care services 341 1971
City of Berlin Municipal services 107 1825
City of Berlin School System - SAU #3 Education 132
Androscoggin Valley Home Care Services Home care 83 1975
Health services 88
Northern Human Services Behavioral health services 96
Northway Bank Banking services 67
Federal Correctional Institution (FCI Berlin) Federal prison 229 2013

Employer Information Supplied by Municipality


(Distance estimated from city/town hall) Transportation
Road Access US Routes
State Routes 16, 110
Nearest Interstate, Exit I-93, Exit 35
Distance 43 miles
Railroad Canadian National/B&M
Public Transportation NCT
 
Nearest Public Use Airport, General Aviation
Berlin MunicipalRunway5,200 ft. asphalt
Lighted? Yes Navigational Aids? Yes
Nearest Airport with Scheduled Service
Portland (ME) International Distance 99 miles
Number of Passenger Airlines Serving Airport 8
 
Driving distance to selected cities:
Manchester, NH 132 miles
Portland, ME 101 miles
Boston, MA 182 miles
New York City, NY 378 miles
Montreal, Quebec 173 miles

(ACS 2017-2021) Commuting to Work
Workers 16 years and over 3,833
Drove alone, car/truck/van 77.2%
Carpooled, car/truck/van 12.3%
Public transportation 0.0%
Walked 0.7%
Other Means 5.3%
Worked at home 4.5%
Mean Travel Time to Work 17.5 minutes
 
Percent of Working Residents: (ACS 2017-2021)
Working in community of residence 60.4%
Commuting to another NH community 36.9%
Commuting out-of-state 2.7%
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 Facility
X Tennis Courts: Outdoor Facility
X Ice Skating Rink: Indoor Facility
X Bowling Facilities
X Museums
Cinemas
X Performing Arts Facilities
X 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
X Youth Sports: Hockey
X Campgrounds
X Fishing/Hunting
X Boating/Marinas
X Snowmobile Trails
X Bicycle Trails
X Cross Country Skiing
X Beach or Waterfront Recreational Area
Overnight or Day Camps
   
Nearest Ski Area(s): Wildcat, Sunday River
   
Other: Northern Forest Heritage Park; Nansen Ski Jump; Historic Churches; Moose Tours; Hiking; Canoe/Kayak; ATV Trails; Boom Piers; River Fire; Jericho Park; Jericho ATV Festival

Economic & Labor Market Information Bureau, NH Employment Security, October 2023. Community Response Received 5/10/22

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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