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Community Profiles

Plaistow, NH


plaistow New Hampshire Community Profile Community Contact Town of Plaistow
Gregory A. Colby, Town Manager
145 Main Street
Plaistow, NH 03865
Telephone (603) 382-5200 x261
Fax (603) 382-7183
E-mail gcolby@plaistow.com
Web Site www.plaistow.com

Municipal Office Hours Selectmen: Monday to Thursday, 8-4; Town Clerk: Monday, 7-5, Tuesday to Thursday, 8-4, closed daily 12:30-2; Tax Collector: Monday to Wednesday, 9-4

County Rockingham
Labor Market Area Haverhill-Newburyport-Amesbury Town, MA-NH NECTA Division
Tourism Region Seacoast
Planning Commission Rockingham
Regional Development Regional Economic Development Corp.

Election Districts
US Congress District District 1
Executive Council District District 3
State Senate District District 22
State Representative Rockingham County Districts 20, 36

Incorporated: 1749
Origin: This territory was part of the 1642 land purchase that was Haverhill, Massachusetts. When the New Hampshire-Massachusetts boundary was established in 1741, the portion north of the border became the Haverhill District. The town was incorporated as Plastow in 1749, and included Atkinson, which was separated in 1767. The spelling was changed later. The name may have come from the English plaistowe, meaning an open space or greenwood, near the center of a village where the maypole stood and where sports at holiday times were carried on.
Villages and Place Names: Westville
Population, Year of the First Census Taken: 521 residents in 1790
Population Trends: Population change for Plaistow totaled 3,117 over 50 years, from 4,712 in 1970 to 7,829 in 2020. The 2022 Census estimate for Plaistow was 7,862 residents, which ranked 40th among New Hampshire's incorporated cities and towns.
Population Density and Land Area, 2022 (US Census Bureau): 741.0 persons per square mile of land area. Plaistow contains 10.6 square miles of land area and 0 square miles of inland water area.

Municipal Services
Type of Government Selectmen/Manager
Budget: Municipal Appropriations, 2021 $11,856,290
Budget: School Appropriations, 2020-2021 $20,491,262
Zoning Ordinance 1956/21
Master Plan 2019
Capitol Improvement Plan Yes
Industrial Plans Reviewed By Planning Board
Boards and Commissions
Elected:Selectmen; Planning; Library; Budget; Trust Funds; Conflict of Interest
Appointed:Conservation; Zoning; Cable; Recreation; Elder Affairs; Energy
Public Library Plaistow Public

Emergency Services
Police Department Full & part-time
Fire Department Full, part-time, volunteer
Emergency Medical Service Full, part-time, volunteer
Nearest Hospital(s) Distance Staffed Beds
Merrimack Valley Campus - Holy Family Hospital, Haverhill MA 7 miles 122
Parkland Medical Center, Derry 15 miles 50
Exeter Hospital, Exeter 16 miles 99

Utilities
Electric Supplier Unitil
Natural Gas Supplier Unitil; Northern Utilities
Water Supplier Pennichuck; Private wells
Sanitation Private septic
Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant No
Solid Waste Disposal
Curbside Trash PickupMunicipal
Pay-As-You-Throw ProgramNo
Recycling ProgramVoluntary
Telephone Company Earthlink Business; Xfinity, Wirefly; 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) $19.01
2022 Equalization Ratio 78.0
2022 Full Value Tax Rate (per $1,000 of value) $14.68
2022 Percent of Local Assessed Value by Property Type
Residential Land and Buildings72.3%
Commercial Land and Buildings24.8%
Public Utilities, Current Use, and Other2.9%

(ACS 2017-2021) Housing
Total Housing Units 3,324
Single-Family Units, Detached or Attached 2,532
Units in Multiple-Family Structures:  
Two to Four Units in Structure 402
Five or More Units in Structure 328
Mobile Homes and Other Housing Units 62
(US Census Bureau) Population
(1-Year Estimates/Decennial)
Total Population Community County
2022 7,862 319,424
2020 7,830 314,176
2010 7,609 295,223
2000 7,763 278,748
1990 7,284 246,744
1980 5,609 190,345
 
Demographics, American Community Survey (ACS) 2017-2021
Population by Gender
Male:   3,793 Female:   4,019
Population by Age Group
Under age 5 365
Age 5 to 19 1,365
Age 20 to 34 1,248
Age 35 to 54 2,327
Age 55 to 64 1,167
Age 65 and over 1,340
Median Age 44.3 years
Educational Attainment, population 25 years and over 5,644
High school graduate or higher 97.5%
Bachelor's degree or higher 31.4%

(ACS 2017-2021) Income, Inflation Adjusted $
Per capita income $45,384
Median family income $121,848
Median household income $90,508
Median Earnings, full-time, year-round workers
Male $77,626
Female $62,321
Individuals below the poverty level 3.8%

(NHES - ELMI) Labor Force
Annual Average 2012 2022
Civilian Labor Force 4,090 4,260
Employed 3,785 4,107
Unemployed 305 153
Unemployment Rate 7.5% 3.6%

(NHES - ELMI) Employment & Wages
Annual Average Covered Employment 2012 2022
Goods Producing Industries
Average Employment 487 550
Average Weekly Wage $1,019 $1,405
     
Service Providing Industries
Average Employment 3,115 3,360
Average Weekly Wage $561 $840
     
Total Private Industry
Average Employment 3,602 3,910
Average Weekly Wage $623 $919
     
Government (Federal, State, and Local)
Average Employment 1,065 934
Average Weekly Wage $848 $1,087
     
Total, Private plus Government
Average Employment 4,667 4,844
Average Weekly Wage $674 $951

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 Timberlane Regional (Atkinson, Danville, Plaistow, Sandown) SAU 55
Career Technology Center(s): Pinkerton Academy Center for CTE
Educational Facilities (includes Charter Schools) Elementary Middle/Junior High High School Private/Parochial
Number of Schools 1 1 1
Grade Levels P K 1-5 6-8 9-12 9-12
Total Enrollment 469 735 995
2022 NH Licensed Child Care Facilities (Bureau of Child Care Licensing): Total Facilities: 6 Total Capacity: 359
Nearest Community/Technical College: Nashua; Great Bay
Nearest Colleges or Universities: Rivier; University of NH; Northern Essex (MA)

Largest Businesses Product/Service Employees Established
Timberlane Regional School District Education 784 1963
Market Basket Supermarket 342 1978
Wal-Mart Retail store 200 1993
Kohl's Department store 90 2003
Home Depot Home improvement center 185 2004
Shaw's Supermarket 120 1992
Scandia Plastics Custom plastic extrusions 47 1971
T J Maxx Department store 70 1992
Methuen Construction Industrial construction 133 2016
CVS Pharmacy 25 1990

Employer Information Supplied by Municipality


(Distance estimated from city/town hall) Transportation
Road Access US Routes
State Routes 108, 121A, 125
Nearest Interstate, Exit I-495 (MA), Exit 51
Distance 3 miles
Railroad Boston & Maine
Public Transportation CART
 
Nearest Public Use Airport, General Aviation
Lawrence (MA) MunicipalRunway5,000 ft. asphalt
Lighted? Yes Navigational Aids? Yes
Nearest Airport with Scheduled Service
Manchester-Boston Regional Distance 36 miles
Number of Passenger Airlines Serving Airport 4
 
Driving distance to selected cities:
Manchester, NH 38 miles
Portland, ME 83 miles
Boston, MA 39 miles
New York City, NY 241 miles
Montreal, Quebec 291 miles

(ACS 2017-2021) Commuting to Work
Workers 16 years and over 4,447
Drove alone, car/truck/van 80.8%
Carpooled, car/truck/van 4.9%
Public transportation 2.2%
Walked 0.0%
Other Means 1.2%
Worked at home 10.9%
Mean Travel Time to Work 28.4 minutes
 
Percent of Working Residents: (ACS 2017-2021)
Working in community of residence 24.7%
Commuting to another NH community 23.8%
Commuting out-of-state 51.5%
Recreation, Attractions, and Events
X Municipal Parks
X YMCA/YWCA
Boys Club/Girls Club
Golf Courses
Swimming: Indoor Facility
Swimming: Outdoor Facility
Tennis Courts: Indoor Facility
X Tennis Courts: Outdoor Facility
Ice Skating Rink: Indoor Facility
Bowling Facilities
X Museums
Cinemas
X Performing Arts Facilities
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
Youth Sports: Hockey
Campgrounds
X Fishing/Hunting
Boating/Marinas
Snowmobile Trails
X Bicycle Trails
Cross Country Skiing
Beach or Waterfront Recreational Area
X Overnight or Day Camps
   
Nearest Ski Area(s): Bradford (MA)
   
Other: Hiking Trails; Band Concerts; Summer Concerts

Economic & Labor Market Information Bureau, NH Employment Security, October 2023. Community Response Received 6/28/23

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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