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Rochester, NH


rochester New Hampshire Community Profile Community Contact Rochester Department of Economic Development
Michael Scala, Director Economic Development
31 Wakefield Street, City Hall
Rochester, NH 03867-1917
Telephone (603) 335-7522
Fax (603) 330-0027
E-mail michael.scala@rochesternh.gov
Web Site www.rochesternh.gov

Municipal Office Hours City Hall, City Manager, City Clerk: Monday to Friday, 8-5; Tax Collector: Monday to Friday, 8-4:30

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

Election Districts
US Congress District District 1 (All Wards)
Executive Council District District 1
State Senate District District 6 (All Wards)
State Representative Strafford County Districts 2 (Ward 5), 5 (Ward 1), 6 (Ward 2), 7 (Ward 3), 8 (Ward 4), 9 (Ward 6), 19 (Wards 1-4, 6)

Incorporated: 1722
Origin: This town was one of four granted by Samuel Shute during his brief term as Governor of Massachusetts, which at the time included the New Hampshire province. The 1722 grant included what is now Farmington and Milton, and was named for a close friend of Governor Shute, Laurence Hyde, Earl of Rochester, a brother-in-law to King James II. The first settlers arrived in 1728, but due to trouble with Indians, the settlement didn't experience any growth until about 1760. Rochester was incorporated as a city in 1891. It includes the village of Gonic, named for the Indian Squamanagona, meaning day and water.
Villages and Place Names: East Rochester, Gonic
Population, Year of the First Census Taken: 2,857 residents in 1790
Population Trends: Population change for RocThester totaled 14,580 over 50 years, from 17,938 in 1970 to 32,518 in 2020. The 2022 Census estimate for RocThester was 33,169 residents, which ranked sixth among New Hampshire's incorporated cities and towns.
Population Density and Land Area, 2022 (US Census Bureau): 739.9 persons per square mile of land area. Rochester contains 44.8 square miles of land area and 0.6 square miles of inland water area.

Municipal Services
Type of Government Council/Manager
Budget: Municipal Appropriations, 2023 $46,466,946
Budget: School Appropriations, 2022-2023 $71,954,485
Zoning Ordinance 1984/14
Master Plan 2018
Capitol Improvement Plan Yes
Industrial Plans Reviewed By Planning Board
Boards and Commissions
Elected:City Council; Police; School
Appointed:Planning; Zoning; Library; Conservation; Economic Development; Industrial Development; Arena; Historic; Utility; Arts & Culture
Public Library East Rochester Public; Rochester Public

Emergency Services
Police Department Full-time
Fire Department Municipal
Emergency Medical Service Municipal
Nearest Hospital(s) Distance Staffed Beds
Frisbie Memorial, Rochester Local 27

Utilities
Electric Supplier Eversource Energy
Natural Gas Supplier Unitil
Water Supplier Municipal
Sanitation Municipal
Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant Yes
Solid Waste Disposal
Curbside Trash PickupMunicipal
Pay-As-You-Throw ProgramNo
Recycling ProgramVoluntary
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) $25.28
2022 Equalization Ratio 61.7
2022 Full Value Tax Rate (per $1,000 of value) $15.12
2022 Percent of Local Assessed Value by Property Type
Residential Land and Buildings70.2%
Commercial Land and Buildings25.4%
Public Utilities, Current Use, and Other4.4%

(ACS 2017-2021) Housing
Total Housing Units 14,192
Single-Family Units, Detached or Attached 7,512
Units in Multiple-Family Structures:  
Two to Four Units in Structure 2,265
Five or More Units in Structure 2,113
Mobile Homes and Other Housing Units 2,302
(US Census Bureau) Population
(1-Year Estimates/Decennial)
Total Population Community County
2022 33,169 132,275
2020 32,492 130,889
2010 29,752 123,143
2000 28,563 112,676
1990 26,722 104,348
1980 21,560 85,408
 
Demographics, American Community Survey (ACS) 2017-2021
Population by Gender
Male:   16,347 Female:   15,970
Population by Age Group
Under age 5 1,389
Age 5 to 19 6,262
Age 20 to 34 5,684
Age 35 to 54 8,342
Age 55 to 64 5,019
Age 65 and over 5,621
Median Age 42.6 years
Educational Attainment, population 25 years and over 22,865
High school graduate or higher 92.1%
Bachelor's degree or higher 24.4%

(ACS 2017-2021) Income, Inflation Adjusted $
Per capita income $36,475
Median family income $82,719
Median household income $70,582
Median Earnings, full-time, year-round workers
Male $53,306
Female $49,408
Individuals below the poverty level 9.3%

(NHES - ELMI) Labor Force
Annual Average 2012 2022
Civilian Labor Force 16,840 17,851
Employed 15,863 17,434
Unemployed 977 417
Unemployment Rate 5.8% 2.3%

(NHES - ELMI) Employment & Wages
Annual Average Covered Employment 2012 2022
Goods Producing Industries
Average Employment 1,559 2,349
Average Weekly Wage $1,164 $1,433
     
Service Providing Industries
Average Employment 7,760 8,227
Average Weekly Wage $670 $938
     
Total Private Industry
Average Employment 9,318 10,576
Average Weekly Wage $753 $1,048
     
Government (Federal, State, and Local)
Average Employment 1,413 1,276
Average Weekly Wage $737 $995
     
Total, Private plus Government
Average Employment 10,732 11,852
Average Weekly Wage $751 $1,042

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


(NH Dept. of Education) Education and Child Care
Schools students attend: Rochester operates grades K-12 SAU 54
Career Technology Center(s): R.W. Creteau Regional Technology Ctr (Rochester)
Educational Facilities (includes Charter Schools) Elementary Middle/Junior High High School Private/Parochial
Number of Schools 8 1 2 4
Grade Levels P K 1-5 6-8 9-12 9-12
Total Enrollment 1,667 847 1,359 127
2022 NH Licensed Child Care Facilities (Bureau of Child Care Licensing): Total Facilities: 18 Total Capacity: 1,085
Nearest Community/Technical College: Great Bay
Nearest Colleges or Universities: University of NH

Largest Businesses Product/Service Employees Established
City of Rochester Municipal services 387 1891
Frisbie Memorial Hospital Health care services 1,048 1919
Albany/SAFRAN Engineered Composites Aerospace engineered products 750 1985
Hannaford Brothers - 2 locations Supermarket 264 1963
Wal-Mart Supercenter Retail store, supermarket 300 1970
Market Basket - 2 locations Supermarket 450 1996
Next Phase Medical (fka Phase 2 Medical) Medical device manufacturing 220 1995
Laars Technologies Boilers & water heaters 165 1984
City of Rochester - Schools Education 821 1751
Sig Sauer Firearms manufacturer 250 1985

Employer Information Supplied by Municipality


(Distance estimated from city/town hall) Transportation
Road Access US Routes 202
State Routes 11, 16, 108, 125, 202A
Nearest Interstate, Exit Spaulding Tpk., Exits 12-16; I-95, Exit 5
Distance Local access; 21 miles
Railroad NH Northcoast
Public Transportation COAST
 
Nearest Public Use Airport, General Aviation
Skyhaven, RochesterRunway4,200 ft. asphalt
Lighted? Yes Navigational Aids? Yes
Nearest Airport with Scheduled Service
Manchester-Boston Regional Distance 46 miles
Number of Passenger Airlines Serving Airport 4
 
Driving distance to selected cities:
Manchester, NH 43 miles
Portland, ME 53 miles
Boston, MA 75 miles
New York City, NY 285 miles
Montreal, Quebec 271 miles

(ACS 2017-2021) Commuting to Work
Workers 16 years and over 16,731
Drove alone, car/truck/van 77.0%
Carpooled, car/truck/van 9.8%
Public transportation 1.0%
Walked 1.2%
Other Means 2.4%
Worked at home 8.7%
Mean Travel Time to Work 26.8 minutes
 
Percent of Working Residents: (ACS 2017-2021)
Working in community of residence 34.1%
Commuting to another NH community 55.2%
Commuting out-of-state 10.7%
Recreation, Attractions, and Events
X Municipal Parks
X YMCA/YWCA
Boys Club/Girls Club
X 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
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
X Bicycle Trails
X Cross Country Skiing
X Beach or Waterfront Recreational Area
X Overnight or Day Camps
   
Nearest Ski Area(s): Gunstock
   
Other: Rochester Opera House; Skyhaven Airport; Rochester Farmer's Market; History Museum; Public Art Downtown; Concerts on the Common; Comic Book Day; Wings & Wheels; Historic Homes & Inns; Rochester Museum of Art (RMFA); Roger Allen Park; Walking Trails; Rochester Performing Arts Center; Trick or Treat/Zombie Walk; Dinner Theater Events; River Walk; Kayaking

Economic & Labor Market Information Bureau, NH Employment Security, October 2023. Community Response Received 6/16/23

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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