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Community Profiles

Lancaster, NH


lancaster New Hampshire Community Profile Community Contact Town of Lancaster
Benjamin Gaetjens-Oleson, Town Manager
25 Main Street
Lancaster, NH 03584
Telephone (603) 788-3391
Fax (603) 788-2114
E-mail info@lancasternh.org
Web Site www.lancasternh.org

Municipal Office Hours Town Offices, Town Manager, Town Clerk, and Tax Collector: Monday to Thursday, 8:30-5, Friday, 8:30-4:30

County Coos
Labor Market Area Littleton, NH-VT LMA, NH part
Tourism Region Great North Woods
Planning Commission North Country Council
Regional Development Coos Economic Development Corp.

Election Districts
US Congress District District 2
Executive Council District District 1
State Senate District District 1
State Representative Coos County District 1

Incorporated: 1763
Origin: Lancaster was first granted to Captain David Page and others in 1763, an early settlement on the northern portion of the Connecticut River. The town was subject to many Indian troubles, and a grant renewal was issued in 1769. The town was named for Lancaster, Massachusetts, hometown of Joseph Wilder, an early settler. Reverend Joshua Weeks, also a grantee, was among the group of explorers who named the mountains in the Presidential Range. Another resident was Benjamin Sawyer, who, with Timothy Nash, discovered the White Mountain Notch, making a shorter route to Portland possible.
Villages and Place Names: Coos Junction, Grange, Lost Nation, South Lancaster
Population, Year of the First Census Taken: 161 residents in 1790
Population Trends: Population change for Lancaster totaled 27 over 50 years, from 3,166 in 1970 to 3,193 in 2020. The 2022 Census estimate for Lancaster was 3,241 residents, which ranked 109th among New Hampshire's incorporated cities and towns.
Population Density and Land Area, 2022 (US Census Bureau): 64.6 persons per square mile of land area. Lancaster contains 50.2 square miles of land area and 1.0 square miles of inland water area.

Municipal Services
Type of Government Selectmen
Budget: Municipal Appropriations, 2022 $8,592,866
Budget: School Appropriations, 2022-2023 $25,321,224
Zoning Ordinance 1908/15
Master Plan 2011
Capitol Improvement Plan No
Industrial Plans Reviewed By Planning Board
Boards and Commissions
Elected:Selectmen; Library; Town Clerk
Appointed:Planning; Zoning; Conservation; Tax Collector
Public Library Weeks Memorial

Emergency Services
Police Department Full-time
Fire Department Municipal
Emergency Medical Service Municipal
Nearest Hospital(s) Distance Staffed Beds
Weeks Medical Center, Lancaster Local 25

Utilities
Electric Supplier Eversource Energy
Natural Gas Supplier None
Water Supplier Lancaster Water Department
Sanitation Municipal
Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant Yes
Solid Waste Disposal
Curbside Trash PickupMunicipal & private
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) $24.29
2022 Equalization Ratio 67.8
2022 Full Value Tax Rate (per $1,000 of value) $16.40
2022 Percent of Local Assessed Value by Property Type
Residential Land and Buildings70.5%
Commercial Land and Buildings23.7%
Public Utilities, Current Use, and Other5.7%

(ACS 2017-2021) Housing
Total Housing Units 1,489
Single-Family Units, Detached or Attached 1,032
Units in Multiple-Family Structures:  
Two to Four Units in Structure 238
Five or More Units in Structure 86
Mobile Homes and Other Housing Units 133
(US Census Bureau) Population
(1-Year Estimates/Decennial)
Total Population Community County
2022 3,241 31,504
2020 3,218 31,268
2010 3,507 33,055
2000 3,285 33,156
1990 3,532 34,879
1980 3,401 35,014
 
Demographics, American Community Survey (ACS) 2017-2021
Population by Gender
Male:   1,602 Female:   1,613
Population by Age Group
Under age 5 176
Age 5 to 19 687
Age 20 to 34 625
Age 35 to 54 690
Age 55 to 64 366
Age 65 and over 671
Median Age 38.3 years
Educational Attainment, population 25 years and over 2,116
High school graduate or higher 92.1%
Bachelor's degree or higher 23.4%

(ACS 2017-2021) Income, Inflation Adjusted $
Per capita income $31,484
Median family income $83,393
Median household income $61,953
Median Earnings, full-time, year-round workers
Male $60,806
Female $41,667
Individuals below the poverty level 8.7%

(NHES - ELMI) Labor Force
Annual Average 2012 2022
Civilian Labor Force 1,813 1,725
Employed 1,716 1,682
Unemployed 97 43
Unemployment Rate 5.4% 2.5%

(NHES - ELMI) Employment & Wages
Annual Average Covered Employment 2012 2022
Goods Producing Industries
Average Employment 225 304
Average Weekly Wage $672 $860
     
Service Providing Industries
Average Employment 1,227 1,149
Average Weekly Wage $716 $1,085
     
Total Private Industry
Average Employment 1,452 1,452
Average Weekly Wage $709 $1,038
     
Government (Federal, State, and Local)
Average Employment 243 281
Average Weekly Wage $665 $820
     
Total, Private plus Government
Average Employment 1,695 1,734
Average Weekly Wage $703 $1,002

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 White Mountains Regional (Carroll, Dalton, Jefferson, Lancaster, Whitefield) SAU 36
Career Technology Center(s): Hugh J. Gallen Career & Technical Center (Littleton); White Mountains RHS (Whitefield)
Educational Facilities (includes Charter Schools) Elementary Middle/Junior High High School Private/Parochial
Number of Schools 1 2
Grade Levels P K 1-8 9-12
Total Enrollment 351 82
2022 NH Licensed Child Care Facilities (Bureau of Child Care Licensing): Total Facilities: 2 Total Capacity: 73
Nearest Community/Technical College: White Mountains
Nearest Colleges or Universities: Plymouth State; Northern VT - Lyndon (VT)

Largest Businesses Product/Service Employees Established
Weeks Memorial Hospital Health care services 320
Country Village Health Care Health care services 112
Lancaster School Education 70
Pak Solutions Four color shopping bags 53 1987
Shaw's Supermarket Supermarket 48
Town of Lancaster Municipal services 40
North Country Ford Sales & Service Car dealership 21
Trividia Pharmaceutical 30 1868
Eversource Energy Utility 25
Salmon Press, LLC Newspaper 6

Employer Information Supplied by Municipality


(Distance estimated from city/town hall) Transportation
Road Access US Routes 2, 3
State Routes
Nearest Interstate, Exit I-93, Exit 41
Distance 20 miles
Railroad Boston & Maine
Public Transportation NCT
 
Nearest Public Use Airport, General Aviation
Mt Washington Reg, WhitefieldRunway4,001 ft. asphalt
Lighted? Yes Navigational Aids? Yes
Nearest Airport with Scheduled Service
Lebanon Municipal Distance 82 miles
Number of Passenger Airlines Serving Airport 1
 
Driving distance to selected cities:
Manchester, NH 116 miles
Portland, ME 19 miles
Boston, MA 166 miles
New York City, NY 350 miles
Montreal, Quebec 170 miles

(ACS 2017-2021) Commuting to Work
Workers 16 years and over 1,531
Drove alone, car/truck/van 76.9%
Carpooled, car/truck/van 5.2%
Public transportation 0.3%
Walked 1.2%
Other Means 5.2%
Worked at home 11.3%
Mean Travel Time to Work 20.4 minutes
 
Percent of Working Residents: (ACS 2017-2021)
Working in community of residence 43.1%
Commuting to another NH community 50.6%
Commuting out-of-state 6.3%
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
Ice Skating Rink: Indoor Facility
Bowling Facilities
Museums
X Cinemas
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
X Youth Sports: Basketball
X Youth Sports: Hockey
X Campgrounds
X Fishing/Hunting
X Boating/Marinas
X Snowmobile Trails
Bicycle Trails
Cross Country Skiing
X Beach or Waterfront Recreational Area
Overnight or Day Camps
   
Nearest Ski Area(s): Bretton Woods
   
Other: Outdoor Ice Skating Rink; Lancaster Fair; Weeks Historic Site; Farmers Market

Economic & Labor Market Information Bureau, NH Employment Security, October 2023. Community Response Received 6/5/23

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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