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Community Profiles

Sunapee, NH


sunapee New Hampshire Community Profile Community Contact Town of Sunapee
Shannon Martinez, Town Manager
23 Edgemont Road
Sunapee, NH 03782
Telephone (603) 763-2212
Fax (603) 763-4925
E-mail manager@town.sunapee.nh.us
Web Site www.town.sunapee.nh.us

Municipal Office Hours Town Manager: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, 8-5, Wednesday, 8-1; Town Clerk/Tax Collector: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, 8-4:30, Wednesday, 8-12:30

County Sullivan
Labor Market Area Newport, NH LMA
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 8
State Representative Sullivan County Districts 5, 8

Incorporated: 1781
Origin: This territory was first settled by Oliver Corey and other soldiers from the French wars, and known as Corey's Town. Oliver Corey was a grantee on the 1768 charter naming the town Saville. Another grantee, John Wendell, became a principal landowner, and the town was renamed Wendell in 1781 upon petition of residents. The name Sunapee was substituted for Wendell by the Legislature in 1850. Town, lake, and mountain share the name Sunapee, which comes from the Algonquin words suna, meaning goose, and apee, meaning lake. The Algonquin called the area Goose Lake because it was a favorite spot of wild geese.
Villages and Place Names: Burkehaven, Fernwood, Georges Mills, Granliden, Wendell
Population, Year of the First Census Taken: 267 residents in 1790
Population Trends: Population change for Sunapee totaled 1,964 over 50 years, from 1,384 in 1970 to 3,348 in 2020. The 2022 Census estimate for Sunapee was 3,434 residents, which ranked 106th among New Hampshire's incorporated cities and towns.
Population Density and Land Area, 2022 (US Census Bureau): 163.0 persons per square mile of land area. Sunapee contains 21.1 square miles of land area and 4.1 square miles of inland water area.

Municipal Services
Type of Government Selectmen/Town Manager
Budget: Municipal Appropriations, 2023 $9,545,063
Budget: School Appropriations, 2023-2024 $14,146,920
Zoning Ordinance 1987/23
Master Plan 2010
Capitol Improvement Plan Yes
Industrial Plans Reviewed By Planning Board
Boards and Commissions
Elected:Selectmen; Planning; Zoning; Library; Trust Funds; Water & Sewer; Cemetery
Appointed:Conservation; Budget; Recreation; Capital Improvement; Firewards
Public Library Abbott

Emergency Services
Police Department Full-time
Fire Department Volunteer
Emergency Medical Service Volunteer
Nearest Hospital(s) Distance Staffed Beds
New London Hospital, New London 8 miles 25

Utilities
Electric Supplier Eversource Energy; NH Electric Coop
Natural Gas Supplier None
Water Supplier Municipal
Sanitation Municipal
Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant Yes
Solid Waste Disposal
Curbside Trash PickupNone
Pay-As-You-Throw ProgramNo
Recycling ProgramMandatory
Telephone Company Key Communications
Cellular Telephone Access Yes
Cable Television Access Limited
Public Access Television Station No
High Speed Internet Service:
BusinessLimited
ResidentialLimited

(NH Dept. of Revenue Administration) Property Taxes
2022 Total Tax Rate (per $1,000 of value) $13.99
2022 Equalization Ratio 55.0
2022 Full Value Tax Rate (per $1,000 of value) $7.68
2022 Percent of Local Assessed Value by Property Type
Residential Land and Buildings95.1%
Commercial Land and Buildings3.2%
Public Utilities, Current Use, and Other1.7%

(ACS 2017-2021) Housing
Total Housing Units 2,335
Single-Family Units, Detached or Attached 1,879
Units in Multiple-Family Structures:  
Two to Four Units in Structure 208
Five or More Units in Structure 198
Mobile Homes and Other Housing Units 50
(US Census Bureau) Population
(1-Year Estimates/Decennial)
Total Population Community County
2022 3,434 43,958
2020 3,342 43,063
2010 3,365 43,742
2000 3,069 40,560
1990 2,613 38,652
1980 2,312 36,063
 
Demographics, American Community Survey (ACS) 2017-2021
Population by Gender
Male:   1,902 Female:   1,446
Population by Age Group
Under age 5 96
Age 5 to 19 427
Age 20 to 34 553
Age 35 to 54 686
Age 55 to 64 668
Age 65 and over 918
Median Age 52.9 years
Educational Attainment, population 25 years and over 2,702
High school graduate or higher 86.7%
Bachelor's degree or higher 41.2%

(ACS 2017-2021) Income, Inflation Adjusted $
Per capita income $44,109
Median family income $99,702
Median household income $92,762
Median Earnings, full-time, year-round workers
Male $57,052
Female $60,536
Individuals below the poverty level 14.2%

(NHES - ELMI) Labor Force
Annual Average 2012 2022
Civilian Labor Force 1,705 1,689
Employed 1,636 1,647
Unemployed 69 42
Unemployment Rate 4.0% 2.5%

(NHES - ELMI) Employment & Wages
Annual Average Covered Employment 2012 2022
Goods Producing Industries
Average Employment 137 105
Average Weekly Wage $825 $1,295
     
Service Providing Industries
Average Employment 260 352
Average Weekly Wage $479 $890
     
Total Private Industry
Average Employment 397 456
Average Weekly Wage $598 $983
     
Government (Federal, State, and Local)
Average Employment 208 212
Average Weekly Wage $720 $960
     
Total, Private plus Government
Average Employment 605 669
Average Weekly Wage $640 $976

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


(NH Dept. of Education) Education and Child Care
Schools students attend: Sunapee operates grades K-12 SAU 85
Career Technology Center(s): Sugar River Valley RTC (Claremont)
Educational Facilities (includes Charter Schools) Elementary Middle/Junior High High School Private/Parochial
Number of Schools 1 1 1 1
Grade Levels K 1-5 6-8 9-12 9-12
Total Enrollment 159 85 129 215
2022 NH Licensed Child Care Facilities (Bureau of Child Care Licensing): Total Facilities: 1 Total Capacity: 9
Nearest Community/Technical College: River Valley
Nearest Colleges or Universities: Colby-Sawyer; Magdalen College; Franklin Pierce-Lebanon; Upper Valley Educators Institute

Largest Businesses Product/Service Employees Established
Micro-Precision, Inc. Machining 40 1961
Town of Sunapee Municipal services 96 1781
Bonin Machine Shop Machine tools 2 1994
Bar Harbor Bank Banking services 4 1868
Sugar River Bank Banking services 8 1895
Sunapee School District Education 95
Smith Machine Shop Machining 15 1990
Sunapee Cove Assisted Living 25 2014

Employer Information Supplied by Municipality


(Distance estimated from city/town hall) Transportation
Road Access US Routes
State Routes 11, 103, 103B
Nearest Interstate, Exit I-89, Exit 12A
Distance Local access
Railroad No
Public Transportation No
 
Nearest Public Use Airport, General Aviation
Parlin Field, NewportRunway3,450 ft. asphalt
Lighted? No Navigational Aids? No
Nearest Airport with Scheduled Service
Lebanon Municipal Distance 28 miles
Number of Passenger Airlines Serving Airport 1
 
Driving distance to selected cities:
Manchester, NH 55 miles
Portland, ME 148 miles
Boston, MA 105 miles
New York City, NY 259 miles
Montreal, Quebec 211 miles

(ACS 2017-2021) Commuting to Work
Workers 16 years and over 1,577
Drove alone, car/truck/van 84.9%
Carpooled, car/truck/van 3.0%
Public transportation 0.0%
Walked 4.2%
Other Means 0.0%
Worked at home 7.9%
Mean Travel Time to Work 27.2 minutes
 
Percent of Working Residents: (ACS 2017-2021)
Working in community of residence 21.5%
Commuting to another NH community 76.3%
Commuting out-of-state 2.2%
Recreation, Attractions, and Events
X Municipal Parks
YMCA/YWCA
Boys Club/Girls Club
X 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
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
Campgrounds
X Fishing/Hunting
X Boating/Marinas
X Snowmobile Trails
Bicycle Trails
X Cross Country Skiing
X Beach or Waterfront Recreational Area
X Overnight or Day Camps
   
Nearest Ski Area(s): Mount Sunapee
   
Other: Lake Sunapee Cruises; Sunapee State Beach

Economic & Labor Market Information Bureau, NH Employment Security, October 2023. Community Response Received 7/8/23

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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