benton New Hampshire Community Profile
Benton, NH
Community Contact Town of Benton
Sarah Davis, Chair
221 Coventry Road
Benton, NH 03785

Telephone (603) 787-6541
Fax not available
E-mail not available
Web Site not available

Municipal Office Hours Monday, 6:30 pm - 8:30 pm

County Grafton
Labor Market Area Haverhill NH LMA
Tourism Region White Mountains
Planning Commission North Country Council
Regional Development Grafton County Economic Development Council

Election Districts
US Congress
 District 2
Executive Council
 District 1
State Senate
 District 2
State Representative
 Grafton County District 5
Incorporated: 1764
Origin: This community was first granted in 1764 as Coventry after the Connecticut home of many settlers, holding the name for over 75 years. In 1839, Governor Isaac Hill proposed renaming the town Benton in honor of Thomas Hart Benton, senator from Missouri. The town was incorporated as such in 1840. Senator Benton was known for championing Western expansion through establishment of express, railroad, navigation and telegraph interests. A prominent natural feature in Benton is Mount Moosilauke, a popular site for hikers.
Villages and Place Names: Boutin Corner, Coventry

Population, Year of the First Census Taken: 88 residents in 1790
Population Trends: Only four towns had a smaller numeric population change than Benton, which had a total population change of 67, from 247 in 1950 to 314 in 2000. The largest decennial percent change was 72 percent between 1970 and 1980, a numeric increase of 139. The 2007 Census estimate for Benton was 344 residents, which ranked 221st among New Hampshire's incorporated cities and towns.

Population Density, 2007: 6.9 persons per square mile of land area,the ninth lowest among the cities and towns. Benton contains 48.5 square miles of land area and 0.2 square miles of inland water area.
MUNICIPAL SERVICES
Type of Government Selectmen
Budget: Municipal Appropriations, 2005 $82,000
Budget: School Appropriations, 2005 $394,000
Zoning Ordinance 1976/86
Master Plan Update in progress
Capitol Improvement Plan No
Industrial Plans Reviewed By

Boards and Commissions
Elected:
 Selectmen; Planning
Appointed:

Public Library No Library

EMERGENCY SERVICES
Police Department Part-time
Fire Department Contracted out
Town Fire Insurance Rating 10
Emergency Medical Service Private

Nearest Hospital(s) Distance Staffed Beds
Cottage Hospital, Woodsville 12 miles 25

UTILITIES
Electric Supplier PSNH; NH Electric Coop
Natural Gas Supplier None
Water Supplier Private wells

Sanitation Private septic
Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant No
Solid Waste Disposal
Curbside Trash Pickup
 none
Pay-As-You-Throw Program
 No
Recycling
 none

Telephone Company Fairpoint
Cellular Telephone Access Limited
Cable Television Access No
Public Access Television Station No
High Speed Internet Service:  
Business
 Limited
Residential
 Limited

PROPERTY TAXES (NH Dept. of Revenue Adminstration) 
2007 Total Tax Rate (per $1000 of value) $13.80
2007 Equalization Ratio 58.6
2007 Full Value Tax Rate (per $1000 of value) $7.69

2007 Percent of Local Assessed Value by Property Type
Residential Land and Buildings
 92.6%
Commercial Land and Buildings
 0.4%
Public Utilities, Current Use, and Other
 7.0%

HOUSING (NH Office of Energy and Planning) 
2007 Total Housing Units 165
   
2007 Single-Family Units 127
Single-Family Permits Issued, Net Change of Units
 5
2007 Multi-Family Units 2
Multi-Family Permits Issued, Net Change of Units
 0
2007 Manufactured Housing Units 36
   
DEMOGRAPHICS (US Census Bureau) 
Total Population Community County
2007 344 85,514
2000 314 81,826
1990 330 74,998
1980 333 65,806
1970 194 54,914

Census 2000 Demographics
Population by Gender
Male
 138
Female
 176

Population by Age Group
Under age 5
 15
Age 5 to 19
 48
Age 20 to 34
 42
Age 35 to 54
 70
Age 55 to 64
 37
Age 65 and over
 102
Median Age
 48 years

Educational Attainment, population 25 years and over
High school graduate or higher
 57.7%
Bachelor's degree or higher
 8.8%

ANNUAL INCOME, 1999 (US Census Bureau) 
Per capita income $13,219
Median 4-person family income $40,417
Median household income $34,167

Median Earnings, full-time, year-round workers
Male
 $28,125
Female
 $22,188

Families below the poverty level 3.8%

LABOR FORCE (NHES - ELMI) 
Annual Average 1997 2007
Civilian Labor Force
 110 111
Employed
 107 106
Unemployed
 3 5
Unemployment Rate
 2.7% 4.5%

EMPLOYMENT & WAGES (NHES - ELMI) 
Annual Average Covered Employment 1997 2007
Goods Producing Industries  
Average Employment
 0 n
Average Weekly Wage
 $0 n
   
Service Providing Industries  
Average Employment
 0 0
Average Weekly Wage
 $0 $0
   
Total Private Industry  
Average Employment
 0 n
Average Weekly Wage
 $0 n
   
Government (Federal, State, and Local)  
Average Employment
 0 201
Average Weekly Wage
 $0 $653
   
Total, Private plus Government  
Average Employment
 0 n
Average Weekly Wage
 $0 n
n = indicates that the data does not meet disclosure standards

EDUCATION/CHILD CARE FACILITIES (NH Dept. of Education)
Schools students attend: Grades K-12 are tuitioned to Haverhill Cooperative (Bath, Benton, Haverhill, Piermont, Warren) District: SAU 23
Career Technology Center(s): River Bend Career and Technical Center, Bradford VT Region: 04

Educational Facilities Elementary Middle/Junior High High School Private/Parochial
Number of Schools
Grade Levels
Total Enrollment
NH Licensed Child Care Facilities, 2008: Total Facilities: 0 Total Capacity: 0
Nearest Community/Technical College: Lakes Region; White Mountains
Nearest Colleges or Universities: Granite State College-Littleton, Woodsville; Plymouth State University

LARGEST BUSINESSES PRODUCT/SERVICE EMPLOYEES ESTABLISHED
Glenncliff Home for the Elderly Nursing home 200 1971
Joe Boutin, Jr & Son Logging & excavation 2
Coventry Garage Garage 1 1989
Elliott Construction Construction 1

TRANSPORTATION  (Distance estimated from city / town hall)
Road Access US Routes
  State Routes 112, 116
Nearest Interstate, Exit I-91 (VT), Exit 17
         Distance 13 miles
Railroad No
Public Transportation No

Nearest Public Use Airport, General Aviation
Dean Memorial, Haverhill
Runway
 2,500 ft. asphalt
Lighted?
 Yes  Navigational Aids? No
Nearest Airport with Scheduled Service
Lebanon Municipal Distance 47 miles
Number of Passsenger Airlines Serving Airport 1

Driving distance to selected cities:
Manchester, NH
 95 miles
Portland, ME
 113 miles
Boston, MA
 145 miles
New York City, NY
 307 miles
Montreal, Quebec
 179 miles

COMMUTING TO WORK (US Census)
Workers 16 years and over  
Drove alone, car/truck/van
 83.6%
Carpooled, car/truck/van
 8.2%
Public transportation
 0.0%
Walked
 1.8%
Other Means
 1.8%
Worked at home
 4.5%
Mean Travel Time to Work 27.1 minutes
Percent of Working Residents:
Working in community of residence
 12%
Commuting to another NH community
 76%
Commuting out-of-state
 12%
    
RECREATION, ATTRACTIONS, AND EVENTS
Municipal Parks
YMCA/YWCA
Boys Club/Girls Club
Golf Courses
Swimming: Indoor Facility
Swimming: Outdoor Facility
Tennis Courts: Indoor Faclity
Tennis Courts: Outdoor Facility
Ice Skating Rink: Indoor Facility
Bowling Facilities
Museums
Cinemas
Performing Arts Facilities
Tourists Attractions
Youth Organizations (i.e., Scouts, 4-H)
Youth Sports: Baseball
Youth Sports: Soccer
Youth Sports: Football
Youth Sports: Basketball
Youth Sports: Hockey
Campgrounds
X Fishing/Hunting
X Boating/Marinas
X Snowmobile Trails
Bicycle Trails
Cross Country Skiing
Beach or Waterfront Recreational Area
Overnight or Day Camps
   
Nearest Ski Area(s): Loon & Cannon Mountains
   
Other: Hiking; White Mountain National Forest

Economic & Labor Market Information Bureau, NH Employment Security, 2008. Community Response Received 08/12/08

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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