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Durham, NH


durham New Hampshire Community Profile Community Contact Town of Durham
Michael Behrendt, Town Planner
8 Newmarket Road
Durham, NH 03824-2898
Telephone (603) 868-8064
Fax (603) 868-1858
E-mail mbehrendt@ci.durham.nh.us
Web Site www.ci.durham.nh.us

Municipal Office Hours Town Hall, Town Administrator: Monday to Friday, 8-5; Town Clerk/Tax Collector: Monday to Friday, 8-5, first Monday of the month, 8-6

County Strafford
Labor Market Area Dover-Durham, NH-ME Metropolitan NECTA
Tourism Region Seacoast
Planning Commission Strafford Regional
Regional Development Southeast Economic Development Corp.

Election Districts
US Congress District District 1
Executive Council District District 1
State Senate District District 21
State Representative Strafford County Districts 10, 20

Incorporated: 1732
Origin: Durham started as a parish of Dover called Oyster River Plantation, first settled in 1669. Durham was incorporated in 1732, probably to honor the first Puritan bishop, Richard Barnes, Bishop of Durham. Durham included what is now Lee until 1766, when that town was incorporated. Benjamin Thompson, descendent of an early settler, bequeathed the family estate, the Warner Farm, to be used for establishment of an agricultural college. The state agricultural school, originally set up in Hanover in 1866, was moved to Durham in 1890, becoming the University of New Hampshire in 1923.
Villages and Place Names: Oyster River
Population, Year of the First Census Taken: 1,247 residents in 1790
Population Trends: Population change for Durham, including resident students, totaled 6,536 over 50 years, from 8,869 in 1970 to 15,405 in 2020. The 2022 Census estimate for Durham was 14,473 residents, which ranked 22nd among New Hampshire's incorporated cities and towns.
Population Density and Land Area, 2022 (US Census Bureau): 646.1 persons per square mile of land area. Durham contains 22.4 square miles of land area and 2.4 square miles of inland water area.

Municipal Services
Type of Government Administrator & Council
Budget: Municipal Appropriations, 2022 $29,218,000
Budget: School Appropriations, 2021-2022 $48,707,995
Zoning Ordinance 1935/21
Master Plan 2015
Capitol Improvement Plan Yes
Industrial Plans Reviewed By Town Planner/Planning Board
Boards and Commissions
Elected:Town Council; Library
Appointed:Planning; Zoning; Conservation; Cemetery; Historic; Energy; Agriculture
Public Library Durham Public; UNH Library

Emergency Services
Police Department Full-time
Fire Department Full-time
Emergency Medical Service Private
Nearest Hospital(s) Distance Staffed Beds
Wentworth-Douglass, Dover 6 miles 173

Utilities
Electric Supplier Eversource Energy; NH Electric Coop
Natural Gas Supplier Unitil
Water Supplier UNH/Durham Water System
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 Yes
High Speed Internet Service:
BusinessYes
ResidentialYes

(NH Dept. of Revenue Administration) Property Taxes
2022 Total Tax Rate (per $1,000 of value) $29.04
2022 Equalization Ratio 70.1
2022 Full Value Tax Rate (per $1,000 of value) $20.09
2022 Percent of Local Assessed Value by Property Type
Residential Land and Buildings64.1%
Commercial Land and Buildings30.2%
Public Utilities, Current Use, and Other5.7%

(ACS 2017-2021) Housing
Total Housing Units 3,583
Single-Family Units, Detached or Attached 2,173
Units in Multiple-Family Structures:  
Two to Four Units in Structure 407
Five or More Units in Structure 1,003
Mobile Homes and Other Housing Units 0
(US Census Bureau) Population
(1-Year Estimates/Decennial)
Total Population Community County
2022 14,473 132,275
2020 15,490 130,889
2010 14,638 123,143
2000 12,684 112,676
1990 11,816 104,348
1980 10,652 85,324
 
Demographics, American Community Survey (ACS) 2017-2021
Population by Gender
Male:   7,304 Female:   8,106
Population by Age Group
Under age 5 250
Age 5 to 19 6,232
Age 20 to 34 5,558
Age 35 to 54 1,469
Age 55 to 64 675
Age 65 and over 1,226
Median Age 20.6 years
Educational Attainment, population 25 years and over 3,954
High school graduate or higher 98.4%
Bachelor's degree or higher 77.8%

(ACS 2017-2021) Income, Inflation Adjusted $
Per capita income $26,526
Median family income $144,886
Median household income $87,396
Median Earnings, full-time, year-round workers
Male $94,643
Female $56,656
Individuals below the poverty level 24.1%

(NHES - ELMI) Labor Force
Annual Average 2012 2022
Civilian Labor Force 8,394 9,046
Employed 7,949 8,806
Unemployed 445 240
Unemployment Rate 5.3% 2.7%

(NHES - ELMI) Employment & Wages
Annual Average Covered Employment 2012 2022
Goods Producing Industries
Average Employment n 179
Average Weekly Wage n $1,476
     
Service Providing Industries
Average Employment n 1,312
Average Weekly Wage n $979
     
Total Private Industry
Average Employment 1,812 1,491
Average Weekly Wage $867 $1,039
     
Government (Federal, State, and Local)
Average Employment 4,279 4,158
Average Weekly Wage $1,160 $1,423
     
Total, Private plus Government
Average Employment 6,091 5,649
Average Weekly Wage $1,073 $1,321

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 Oyster River Cooperative (Durham, Lee, Madbury) SAU 5
Career Technology Center(s): Dover Career Technical Center
Educational Facilities (includes Charter Schools) Elementary Middle/Junior High High School Private/Parochial
Number of Schools 1 1 1
Grade Levels P 5-8 9-12 9-12
Total Enrollment 30 643 843
2022 NH Licensed Child Care Facilities (Bureau of Child Care Licensing): Total Facilities: 3 Total Capacity: 147
Nearest Community/Technical College: Great Bay
Nearest Colleges or Universities: University of NH

Largest Businesses Product/Service Employees Established
University of New Hampshire Education 3,597 1893
Town of Durham Municipal services 87 1732
Oyster River Cooperative School District Education 273 1954
Riverwood Retirement Community Retirement community 145 2018

Employer Information Supplied by Municipality


(Distance estimated from city/town hall) Transportation
Road Access US Routes 4
State Routes 108, 155, 155A
Nearest Interstate, Exit I-95, Exit 5
Distance 8 miles
Railroad Amtrak Downeaster
Public Transportation COAST; Wildcat Transit
 
Nearest Public Use Airport, General Aviation
Pease InternationalRunway11,321 ft. asphalt/concrete
Lighted? Yes Navigational Aids? Yes
Nearest Airport with Scheduled Service
Manchester-Boston Regional Distance 39 miles
Number of Passenger Airlines Serving Airport 4
 
Driving distance to selected cities:
Manchester, NH 39 miles
Portland, ME 61 miles
Boston, MA 64 miles
New York City, NY 271 miles
Montreal, Quebec 283 miles

(ACS 2017-2021) Commuting to Work
Workers 16 years and over 6,326
Drove alone, car/truck/van 51.9%
Carpooled, car/truck/van 3.1%
Public transportation 4.5%
Walked 25.7%
Other Means 1.9%
Worked at home 12.8%
Mean Travel Time to Work 20.5 minutes
 
Percent of Working Residents: (ACS 2017-2021)
Working in community of residence 52.2%
Commuting to another NH community 40.0%
Commuting out-of-state 7.8%
Recreation, Attractions, and Events
X Municipal Parks
YMCA/YWCA
Boys Club/Girls Club
Golf Courses
Swimming: Indoor Facility
X Swimming: Outdoor Facility
Tennis Courts: Indoor Facility
X Tennis Courts: Outdoor Facility
X Ice Skating Rink: Indoor Facility
Bowling Facilities
X Museums
X 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
X Youth Sports: Hockey
Campgrounds
X Fishing/Hunting
X 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): Gunstock
   
Other: Great Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve

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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