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Canterbury, NH


canterbury New Hampshire Community Profile Community Contact Town of Canterbury
Jan Stout, Administrative Assistant
PO Box 500
Canterbury, NH 03224
Telephone (603) 783-9955
Fax (603) 783-0501
E-mail jstout@canterbury-nh.org
Web Site www.canterbury-nh.org

Municipal Office Hours Selectmen: Monday and Wednesday, 9-1, Thursday, 10-2; Town Clerk/Tax Collector: Monday and Wednesday, 9-3, Tuesday and Thursday, 12-7

County Merrimack
Labor Market Area Concord, NH Micropolitan NECTA
Tourism Region Merrimack Valley
Planning Commission Central NH Regional
Regional Development Capital Regional Development Council

Election Districts
US Congress District District 2
Executive Council District District 2
State Senate District District 17
State Representative Merrimack County Districts 4, 26

Incorporated: 1741
Origin: First granted in 1727, the town was named for William Wake, Archbishop of Canterbury. Canterbury in England is famous for its cathedral, and for being the center of English Christianity since 597 AD. The town was originally a fort or trading post where the Penacook Indians came to trade. Canterbury Shaker Village was first established in 1792, a self-contained community of the United Society of Believers, known as the Shaking Quakers or Shakers, because of their use of dance in worship. Today, the Canterbury Shaker Village is an outdoor museum and designated National Historic Landmark.
Villages and Place Names: Boyce, Canterbury Station, Canterbury Center, Hills Corner, Kezer Seminary, Shaker Village
Population, Year of the First Census Taken: 1,038 residents in 1790
Population Trends: Population change for Canterbury totaled 1,517 over 50 years, from 895 in 1970 to 2,412 in 2020. The 2022 Census estimate for Canterbury was 2,457 residents, which ranked 126th among New Hampshire's incorporated cities and towns.
Population Density and Land Area, 2022 (US Census Bureau): 55.9 persons per square mile of land area. Canterbury contains 43.9 square miles of land area and 0.9 square miles of inland water area.

Municipal Services
Type of Government Selectmen
Budget: Municipal Appropriations, 2021 $3,401,752
Budget: School Appropriations, 2020-2021 $5,147,993
Zoning Ordinance 1956/22
Master Plan 2010
Capitol Improvement Plan Yes
Industrial Plans Reviewed By Planning Board
Boards and Commissions
Elected:Selectmen; Planning; Library
Appointed:Zoning; Conservation; Recreation; Recycling; Agriculture
Public Library Elkins Public

Emergency Services
Police Department Full-time
Fire Department Volunteer
Emergency Medical Service Full-time
Nearest Hospital(s) Distance Staffed Beds
Concord Hospital, Concord 14 miles 236

Utilities
Electric Supplier Eversource Energy; NH Electric Coop; Unitil
Natural Gas Supplier Liberty Utilities
Water Supplier Private wells
Sanitation Private septic
Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant No
Solid Waste Disposal
Curbside Trash PickupPrivate
Pay-As-You-Throw ProgramYes
Recycling ProgramMandatory
Telephone Company Consolidated Communications
Cellular Telephone Access Yes
Cable Television Access Yes
Public Access Television Station No
High Speed Internet Service:
BusinessLimited
ResidentialLimited

(NH Dept. of Revenue Administration) Property Taxes
2022 Total Tax Rate (per $1,000 of value) $20.80
2022 Equalization Ratio 73.2
2022 Full Value Tax Rate (per $1,000 of value) $15.15
2022 Percent of Local Assessed Value by Property Type
Residential Land and Buildings92.5%
Commercial Land and Buildings4.8%
Public Utilities, Current Use, and Other2.7%

(ACS 2017-2021) Housing
Total Housing Units 1,000
Single-Family Units, Detached or Attached 892
Units in Multiple-Family Structures:  
Two to Four Units in Structure 50
Five or More Units in Structure 0
Mobile Homes and Other Housing Units 58
(US Census Bureau) Population
(1-Year Estimates/Decennial)
Total Population Community County
2022 2,457 156,020
2020 2,389 153,808
2010 2,352 146,445
2000 1,991 136,716
1990 1,692 120,618
1980 1,410 98,302
 
Demographics, American Community Survey (ACS) 2017-2021
Population by Gender
Male:   1,068 Female:   1,212
Population by Age Group
Under age 5 90
Age 5 to 19 340
Age 20 to 34 374
Age 35 to 54 621
Age 55 to 64 408
Age 65 and over 447
Median Age 47.8 years
Educational Attainment, population 25 years and over 1,708
High school graduate or higher 94.2%
Bachelor's degree or higher 46.7%

(ACS 2017-2021) Income, Inflation Adjusted $
Per capita income $47,533
Median family income $134,659
Median household income $101,429
Median Earnings, full-time, year-round workers
Male $78,173
Female $63,018
Individuals below the poverty level 4.4%

(NHES - ELMI) Labor Force
Annual Average 2012 2022
Civilian Labor Force 1,448 1,473
Employed 1,392 1,442
Unemployed 56 31
Unemployment Rate 3.9% 2.1%

(NHES - ELMI) Employment & Wages
Annual Average Covered Employment 2012 2022
Goods Producing Industries
Average Employment 23 59
Average Weekly Wage $556 $696
     
Service Providing Industries
Average Employment 193 240
Average Weekly Wage $675 $1,117
     
Total Private Industry
Average Employment 216 298
Average Weekly Wage $662 $1,034
     
Government (Federal, State, and Local)
Average Employment 67 78
Average Weekly Wage $603 $720
     
Total, Private plus Government
Average Employment 283 376
Average Weekly Wage $648 $969

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


(NH Dept. of Education) Education and Child Care
Schools students attend: Grades K-12 are part of Shaker Regional (Belmont, Canterbury) SAU 80
Career Technology Center(s): J. Oliva Huot Technical Center (Laconia); Winnisquam Agricultural Programs
Educational Facilities (includes Charter Schools) Elementary Middle/Junior High High School Private/Parochial
Number of Schools 1
Grade Levels K 1-5 9-12
Total Enrollment 116
2022 NH Licensed Child Care Facilities (Bureau of Child Care Licensing): Total Facilities: 3 Total Capacity: 82
Nearest Community/Technical College: NHTI-Concord
Nearest Colleges or Universities: UNH School of Law; Granite State; Magdalen; Southern NH University

Largest Businesses Product/Service Employees Established
Canterbury Shaker Village Tours, restaurant 15
Canterbury Elementary School Education 25
Dumpster Depot Garbage collection

Employer Information Supplied by Municipality


(Distance estimated from city/town hall) Transportation
Road Access US Routes
State Routes 106, 132
Nearest Interstate, Exit I-93, Exit 18
Distance Local access
Railroad State owned line
Public Transportation No
 
Nearest Public Use Airport, General Aviation
Concord MunicipalRunway6,005 ft. asphalt
Lighted? Yes Navigational Aids? Yes
Nearest Airport with Scheduled Service
Manchester-Boston Regional Distance 35 miles
Number of Passenger Airlines Serving Airport 4
 
Driving distance to selected cities:
Manchester, NH 28 miles
Portland, ME 120 miles
Boston, MA 70 miles
New York City, NY 275 miles
Montreal, Quebec 246 miles

(ACS 2017-2021) Commuting to Work
Workers 16 years and over 1,173
Drove alone, car/truck/van 72.5%
Carpooled, car/truck/van 7.3%
Public transportation 0.0%
Walked 3.9%
Other Means 2.3%
Worked at home 13.9%
Mean Travel Time to Work 31.8 minutes
 
Percent of Working Residents: (ACS 2017-2021)
Working in community of residence 25.3%
Commuting to another NH community 72.1%
Commuting out-of-state 2.6%
Recreation, Attractions, and Events
Municipal Parks
YMCA/YWCA
Boys Club/Girls Club
X Golf Courses
Swimming: Indoor Facility
Swimming: Outdoor Facility
Tennis Courts: Indoor Facility
Tennis Courts: Outdoor Facility
Ice Skating Rink: Indoor Facility
Bowling Facilities
Museums
Cinemas
Performing Arts Facilities
Tourist Attractions
X Youth Organizations (i.e., Scouts, 4-H)
Youth Sports: Baseball
Youth Sports: Soccer
Youth Sports: Football
Youth Sports: Basketball
Youth Sports: Hockey
Campgrounds
Fishing/Hunting
Boating/Marinas
Snowmobile Trails
Bicycle Trails
Cross Country Skiing
Beach or Waterfront Recreational Area
Overnight or Day Camps
   
Nearest Ski Area(s): Gunstock
   
Other: Shaker Village

Economic & Labor Market Information Bureau, NH Employment Security, October 2023. Community Response Received 7/5/23

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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