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Plainfield, NH


plainfield New Hampshire Community Profile Community Contact Town of Plainfield
Steve Halleran, Town Administrator
PO Box 380
Meriden, NH 03770
Telephone (603) 469-3201
Fax (603) 469-3642
E-mail plainfield.ta@plainfieldnh.org
Web Site www.plainfieldnh.org

Municipal Office Hours Town Administrator, Town Clerk: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, 8-4, Wednesday, 8-6, Friday, 7-12; Tax Collector: Monday, 8-4, Wednesday, 2-6

County Sullivan
Labor Market Area Lebanon, NH-VT Micropolitan NECTA, NH part
Tourism Region Dartmouth-Lake Sunapee
Planning Commission Upper Valley Lake Sunapee
Regional Development Capital Regional Development Council

Election Districts
US Congress District District 2
Executive Council District District 2
State Senate District District 5
State Representative Sullivan County Districts 2, 7

Incorporated: 1761
Origin: Settled by a group from Plainfield, Connecticut, Plainfield is one of the towns chartered by Governor Benning Wentworth in 1761 at the beginning of the reign of King George III. A part of Plainfield with a portion of Grantham was separated into Meriden Parish in 1780. Meriden became the site of Kimball Union Academy, established in 1813. Daniel Kimball donated a large collection of books to the town for a library in 1797, along with $6,000 for a school, to which his widow added $40,000. The entire Meriden Parish was annexed to Plainfield in 1856.
Villages and Place Names: East Plainfield, Hell Hollow, Meriden, Mill Village, Coryville, Plainfield Village
Population, Year of the First Census Taken: 1,024 residents in 1790
Population Trends: Population change for Plainfield totaled 1,107 over 50 years, from 1,323 in 1970 to 2,430 in 2020. The 2022 Census estimate for Plainfield was 2,541 residents, which ranked 124th among New Hampshire's incorporated cities and towns.
Population Density and Land Area, 2022 (US Census Bureau): 48.7 persons per square mile of land area. Plainfield contains 52.2 square miles of land area and 0.8 square miles of inland water area.

Municipal Services
Type of Government Selectmen
Budget: Municipal Appropriations, 2021 $2,630,252
Budget: School Appropriations, 2021-2022 $7,394,647
Zoning Ordinance 1959/16
Master Plan 2013
Capitol Improvement Plan Yes
Industrial Plans Reviewed By Planning Board
Boards and Commissions
Elected:Selectmen; Library
Appointed:Planning; Zoning; Conservation
Public Library Meriden; Philip Read Memorial

Emergency Services
Police Department Full-time
Fire Department Volunteer
Emergency Medical Service Volunteer
Nearest Hospital(s) Distance Staffed Beds
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Med Ctr, Lebanon 13 miles 419
Alice Peck Day Memorial, Lebanon 10 miles 23

Utilities
Electric Supplier Eversource Energy; Granite State; NH Electric Coop
Natural Gas Supplier None
Water Supplier Plainfield/Meriden Village District
Sanitation Private septic
Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant Yes
Solid Waste Disposal
Curbside Trash PickupMunicipal
Pay-As-You-Throw ProgramYes
Recycling ProgramVoluntary
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) $24.90
2022 Equalization Ratio 65.4
2022 Full Value Tax Rate (per $1,000 of value) $16.04
2022 Percent of Local Assessed Value by Property Type
Residential Land and Buildings92.2%
Commercial Land and Buildings4.9%
Public Utilities, Current Use, and Other3.0%

(ACS 2017-2021) Housing
Total Housing Units 1,078
Single-Family Units, Detached or Attached 964
Units in Multiple-Family Structures:  
Two to Four Units in Structure 66
Five or More Units in Structure 19
Mobile Homes and Other Housing Units 29
(US Census Bureau) Population
(1-Year Estimates/Decennial)
Total Population Community County
2022 2,541 43,958
2020 2,459 43,063
2010 2,364 43,742
2000 2,254 40,560
1990 2,059 38,652
1980 1,749 36,063
 
Demographics, American Community Survey (ACS) 2017-2021
Population by Gender
Male:   1,317 Female:   1,377
Population by Age Group
Under age 5 204
Age 5 to 19 466
Age 20 to 34 540
Age 35 to 54 534
Age 55 to 64 412
Age 65 and over 538
Median Age 41.2 years
Educational Attainment, population 25 years and over 1,873
High school graduate or higher 97.5%
Bachelor's degree or higher 46.9%

(ACS 2017-2021) Income, Inflation Adjusted $
Per capita income $48,028
Median family income $108,953
Median household income $105,057
Median Earnings, full-time, year-round workers
Male $65,224
Female $63,479
Individuals below the poverty level 5.3%

(NHES - ELMI) Labor Force
Annual Average 2012 2022
Civilian Labor Force 1,422 1,417
Employed 1,378 1,392
Unemployed 44 25
Unemployment Rate 3.1% 1.8%

(NHES - ELMI) Employment & Wages
Annual Average Covered Employment 2012 2022
Goods Producing Industries
Average Employment 86 137
Average Weekly Wage $471 $918
     
Service Providing Industries
Average Employment 300 406
Average Weekly Wage $703 $1,060
     
Total Private Industry
Average Employment 386 543
Average Weekly Wage $651 $1,024
     
Government (Federal, State, and Local)
Average Employment 35 34
Average Weekly Wage $459 $831
     
Total, Private plus Government
Average Employment 421 577
Average Weekly Wage $635 $1,013

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


(NH Dept. of Education) Education and Child Care
Schools students attend: Plainfield operates grades K-8; grades 9-12 are tuitioned to Lebanon SAU 32
Career Technology Center(s): Hartford Area Career & Technology Center (VT)
Educational Facilities (includes Charter Schools) Elementary Middle/Junior High High School Private/Parochial
Number of Schools 1 1
Grade Levels K 1-8 9-12
Total Enrollment 206 336
2022 NH Licensed Child Care Facilities (Bureau of Child Care Licensing): Total Facilities: 1 Total Capacity: 19
Nearest Community/Technical College: River Valley
Nearest Colleges or Universities: Dartmouth; Franklin Pierce-Lebanon; Upper Valley Educators Institute

Largest Businesses Product/Service Employees Established
Kimball Union Academy Private school
North Country Door Cabinet, door manufacturing
Town Line Equipment Heavy equipment dealer
McNamara Dairy Glass bottle milk
Taylor Farm Maple & cheese products
Garfield's Smokehouse Smoked products
Edgewater Farm Farmstand, greenhouses, & PYO strawberries
Riverview Farm PYO apples & berries
Olde Village Haunt Restaurant
Poor Thoms Tavern Pub restaurant

Employer Information Supplied by Municipality


(Distance estimated from city/town hall) Transportation
Road Access US Routes
State Routes 12A, 120
Nearest Interstate, Exit I-89, Exit 15
Distance 7 miles
Railroad No
Public Transportation No
 
Nearest Public Use Airport, General Aviation
Lebanon MunicipalRunway5,496 ft. asphalt
Lighted? Yes Navigational Aids? Yes
Nearest Airport with Scheduled Service
Lebanon Municipal Distance 10 miles
Number of Passenger Airlines Serving Airport 1
 
Driving distance to selected cities:
Manchester, NH 74 miles
Portland, ME 166 miles
Boston, MA 124 miles
New York City, NY 262 miles
Montreal, Quebec 191 miles

(ACS 2017-2021) Commuting to Work
Workers 16 years and over 1,256
Drove alone, car/truck/van 72.0%
Carpooled, car/truck/van 8.4%
Public transportation 0.0%
Walked 3.5%
Other Means 0.6%
Worked at home 15.6%
Mean Travel Time to Work 22.3 minutes
 
Percent of Working Residents: (ACS 2017-2021)
Working in community of residence 33.7%
Commuting to another NH community 55.6%
Commuting out-of-state 10.7%
Recreation, Attractions, and Events
X Municipal Parks
YMCA/YWCA
Boys Club/Girls Club
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)
X Youth Sports: Baseball
X Youth Sports: Soccer
Youth Sports: Football
X Youth Sports: Basketball
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 Sunapee, Whaleback
   
Other: Meriden Covered Bridge; Annual 4th of July Parade; Maxfield Parrish Stage Set

Economic & Labor Market Information Bureau, NH Employment Security, October 2023. Community Response Received 6/3/23

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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