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Keene, NH


keene New Hampshire Community Profile Community Contact City of Keene
Helen Mattson, Administrative Assistant to the City Manager
3 Washington Street
Keene, NH 03431-3191
Telephone (603) 357-9804
Fax (603) 283-5650
E-mail hmattson@keenenh.gov
Web Site `

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

County Cheshire
Labor Market Area Keene, NH Micropolitan NECTA
Tourism Region Monadnock
Planning Commission Southwest Region
Regional Development Monadnock Economic Development Corp.

Election Districts
US Congress District District 2 (All Wards)
Executive Council District District 2
State Senate District District 10 (All Wards)
State Representative Cheshire County Districts 1 (Ward 1), 2 (Ward 3), 3 (Ward 5), 4 (Ward 4), 7 (Ward 2), 15 (Wards 1, 3-5), 16 (Ward 2)

Incorporated: 1753
Origin: This territory was first granted in 1735 as Upper Ashuelot to soldiers in the wars against Canada, and intended to be a fort town. Establishment of the Massachusetts-New Hampshire boundary in 1753 made it one of the largest towns in New England. Under regrant by the New Hampshire governor, the town was named in honor of Sir Benjamin Keene of England, an associate of Governor Wentworth in the Spanish West Indies trade. Keene was incorporated as a city in 1873. The Keene Normal School, now Keene State College, was founded here in 1909. The annual Keene Pumpkin Festival has set eight world records for the largest number of lit jack-o-lanterns, reaching 30,581 in 2013.
Villages and Place Names: North Swanzey, South Keene, Marlborough
Population, Year of the First Census Taken: 1,314 residents in 1790
Population Trends: Population change for Keene, including resident students, totaled 2,476 over 50 years, from 20,467 in 1970 to 22,943 in 2021. The 2022 Census estimate for Keene was 22,774 residents, which ranked 12th among New Hampshire's incorporated cities and towns.
Population Density and Land Area, 2022 (US Census Bureau): 614.7 persons per square mile of land area. Keene contains 37.0 square miles of land area and 0.2 square miles of inland water area.

Municipal Services
Type of Government Mayor, Council, & Manager
Budget: Municipal Appropriations, 2022-2023 $74,980,029
Budget: School Appropriations, 2022-2023 $36,902,208
Zoning Ordinance 1927/07
Master Plan 2010
Capitol Improvement Plan Yes
Industrial Plans Reviewed By Planning Board
Boards and Commissions
Elected:City Council
Appointed:Planning; Zoning; Library; Conservation; Cemetery
Public Library Keene Public

Emergency Services
Police Department Full-time
Fire Department Municipal
Emergency Medical Service Municipal
Nearest Hospital(s) Distance Staffed Beds
Cheshire Medical Center, Keene Local 94

Utilities
Electric Supplier Eversource Energy
Natural Gas Supplier Keene Gas Corp
Water Supplier Keene Water Department
Sanitation Municipal
Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant Yes
Solid Waste Disposal
Curbside Trash PickupNone
Pay-As-You-Throw ProgramNo
Recycling ProgramMandatory
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) $31.03
2022 Equalization Ratio 81.3
2022 Full Value Tax Rate (per $1,000 of value) $24.61
2022 Percent of Local Assessed Value by Property Type
Residential Land and Buildings60.6%
Commercial Land and Buildings34.1%
Public Utilities, Current Use, and Other5.3%

(ACS 2017-2021) Housing
Total Housing Units 10,228
Single-Family Units, Detached or Attached 5,613
Units in Multiple-Family Structures:  
Two to Four Units in Structure 1,663
Five or More Units in Structure 2,556
Mobile Homes and Other Housing Units 396
(US Census Bureau) Population
(1-Year Estimates/Decennial)
Total Population Community County
2022 22,774 77,350
2020 23,047 76,458
2010 23,409 77,117
2000 22,589 73,993
1990 23,081 70,223
1980 21,449 62,116
 
Demographics, American Community Survey (ACS) 2017-2021
Population by Gender
Male:   11,399 Female:   11,570
Population by Age Group
Under age 5 689
Age 5 to 19 4,511
Age 20 to 34 5,899
Age 35 to 54 5,224
Age 55 to 64 2,499
Age 65 and over 4,147
Median Age 36.9 years
Educational Attainment, population 25 years and over 14,878
High school graduate or higher 92.9%
Bachelor's degree or higher 42.0%

(ACS 2017-2021) Income, Inflation Adjusted $
Per capita income $33,958
Median family income $86,992
Median household income $63,490
Median Earnings, full-time, year-round workers
Male $56,649
Female $45,785
Individuals below the poverty level 11.6%

(NHES - ELMI) Labor Force
Annual Average 2012 2022
Civilian Labor Force 12,547 11,107
Employed 11,921 10,802
Unemployed 626 305
Unemployment Rate 5.0% 2.7%

(NHES - ELMI) Employment & Wages
Annual Average Covered Employment 2012 2022
Goods Producing Industries
Average Employment 2,693 2,167
Average Weekly Wage $1,032 $1,288
     
Service Providing Industries
Average Employment 13,565 11,981
Average Weekly Wage $807 $1,116
     
Total Private Industry
Average Employment 16,258 14,148
Average Weekly Wage $845 $1,143
     
Government (Federal, State, and Local)
Average Employment 2,566 2,223
Average Weekly Wage $882 $1,108
     
Total, Private plus Government
Average Employment 18,824 16,371
Average Weekly Wage $850 $1,138

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


(NH Dept. of Education) Education and Child Care
Schools students attend: Keene operates grades K-12 SAU 29
Career Technology Center(s): Cheshire Career Center (Keene); Fall Mountain RHS - CTE
Educational Facilities (includes Charter Schools) Elementary Middle/Junior High High School Private/Parochial
Number of Schools 5 1 2 5
Grade Levels P K 1-5 6-8 9-12 9-12
Total Enrollment 1,126 627 1,292 489
2022 NH Licensed Child Care Facilities (Bureau of Child Care Licensing): Total Facilities: 13 Total Capacity: 1,013
Nearest Community/Technical College: River Valley
Nearest Colleges or Universities: Keene State; Antioch New England; Franklin Pierce

Largest Businesses Product/Service Employees Established
Timken Super Precision Mini & precision bearings 267 1941
Cheshire Medical Center/Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinic-Keene Health care services 1,531 1892
Imaje Corporation Industrial marking equipment 400 1911
National Grange Mutual Insurance Insurance services 311 1923
Keene State College Education 687 1909
Smith Industrial Medical Systems Hospital supplies 350 1971
Keene School District Education 846
C & S Wholesale Grocers Wholesale foods 1,200 2004
Janos Technologies Precision infared optics 75 1970
Samson Manufacturing Firearms manufacturer 55 2013

Employer Information Supplied by Municipality


(Distance estimated from city/town hall) Transportation
Road Access US Routes
State Routes 9, 10, 12, 12A, 32, 101
Nearest Interstate, Exit I-91 (VT), Exit 3
Distance 17 miles
Railroad No
Public Transportation City Express
 
Nearest Public Use Airport, General Aviation
Dillant-Hopkins, SwanzeyRunway6,201 ft. asphalt
Lighted? Yes Navigational Aids? Yes
Nearest Airport with Scheduled Service
Manchester-Boston Regional Distance 57 miles
Number of Passenger Airlines Serving Airport 4
 
Driving distance to selected cities:
Manchester, NH 65 miles
Portland, ME 157 miles
Boston, MA 98 miles
New York City, NY 223 miles
Montreal, Quebec 243 miles

(ACS 2017-2021) Commuting to Work
Workers 16 years and over 11,695
Drove alone, car/truck/van 68.1%
Carpooled, car/truck/van 10.7%
Public transportation 0.2%
Walked 5.7%
Other Means 2.9%
Worked at home 12.4%
Mean Travel Time to Work 16.3 minutes
 
Percent of Working Residents: (ACS 2017-2021)
Working in community of residence 74.2%
Commuting to another NH community 20.3%
Commuting out-of-state 5.5%
Recreation, Attractions, and Events
X Municipal Parks
X YMCA/YWCA
Boys Club/Girls Club
X Golf Courses
X 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
X 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
Youth Sports: Basketball
X Youth Sports: Hockey
Campgrounds
X Fishing/Hunting
Boating/Marinas
X Snowmobile Trails
X Bicycle Trails
X Cross Country Skiing
Beach or Waterfront Recreational Area
Overnight or Day Camps
   
Nearest Ski Area(s): Mount Ascutney (VT)
   
Other: Hiking

Economic & Labor Market Information Bureau, NH Employment Security, October 2023. Community Response Received 7/12/23

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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