dover New Hampshire Community Profile
Dover, NH
Community Contact Dover City Clerk's Office
Karen Lavertu, City Clerk/Tax Collector
288 Central Avenue
Dover, NH 03820-4169

Telephone (603) 516-6020
Fax (603) 516-6666
E-mail k.lavertu@ci.dover.nh.us
Web Site www.ci.dover.nh.us/

Municipal Office Hours Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, 8 am - 4 pm, Wednesday, 8 am - 6 pm

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

Election Districts
US Congress
 District 1 (All Wards)
Executive Council
 District 3 (All Wards)
State Senate
 District 21 (All Wards)
State Representative
 Strafford County Districts 4 (Wards 1 & 2), 5 (Wards 3 & 4), and 6 (Wards 5 & 6)
Incorporated: 1623
Origin: For the first fifty years of New Hampshire history, Dover was one of only three communities established in what is now New Hampshire. Settled in 1623 on the banks of the Piscataqua River, Dover was first called Hilton's Point, named after Edward Hilton, who procured for himself the Dover and Squamscot Patent in 1629. The town was also known by the Indian names of Newichwannock (place of wigwams) and Cocheco; and briefly called Bristol and North-ham before permanently becoming Dover. The settlement was an independent government until 1641, when residents agreed to be annexed to Massachusetts; the town returned to New Hampshire when provincial status was restored by King George II in 1741. Dover's location on the Piscataqua and Cocheco Rivers made it a thriving center of trading and manufacturing. Dover was incorporated as a city in 1855.
Villages and Place Names: Bellamy, Cocheco, Gates Corner, Sawyers, Wentworth Terrace

Population, Year of the First Census Taken: 1,998 residents in 1790
Population Trends: Population change for Dover totaled 11,119 over 50 years, from 15,874 in 1950 to 26,993 in 2000. The largest decennial percent change was a 21 percent increase between 1950 and 1960, and the population has grown less than 15 percent each decade since. The 2007 Census estimate for Dover was 28,775 residents, which ranked seventh among New Hampshire's incorporated cities and towns.

Population Density, 2007: 1,075.0 persons per square mile of land area, the eighth highest among the cities and towns. Dover contains 26.7 square miles of land area and 2.3 square miles of inland water area.
MUNICIPAL SERVICES
Type of Government Manager & Council
Budget: Municipal Appropriations, 2009 $30,148,109
Budget: School Appropriations, 2009 $42,978,335
Zoning Ordinance 1948/08
Master Plan 2007
Capitol Improvement Plan Yes
Industrial Plans Reviewed By Planning Board

Boards and Commissions
Elected:
 City Council
Appointed:
 Planning; Zoning; Conservation; Library; Cemetery

Public Library Dover Public

EMERGENCY SERVICES
Police Department Full-time
Fire Department Full-time
Town Fire Insurance Rating 3/9
Emergency Medical Service Municipal

Nearest Hospital(s) Distance Staffed Beds
Wentworth-Douglass, Dover Local 178

UTILITIES
Electric Supplier PSNH
Natural Gas Supplier Northern Utilities
Water Supplier City of Dover

Sanitation Municipal
Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant Yes
Solid Waste Disposal
Curbside Trash Pickup
 Municipal
Pay-As-You-Throw Program
 Yes
Recycling
 Yes

Telephone Company Fairpoint
Cellular Telephone Access Yes
Cable Television Access Yes
Public Access Television Station Yes
High Speed Internet Service:  
Business
 Yes
Residential
 Yes

PROPERTY TAXES (NH Dept. of Revenue Adminstration) 
2007 Total Tax Rate (per $1000 of value) $19.63
2007 Equalization Ratio 94.7
2007 Full Value Tax Rate (per $1000 of value) $18.33

2007 Percent of Local Assessed Value by Property Type
Residential Land and Buildings
 76.0%
Commercial Land and Buildings
 22.7%
Public Utilities, Current Use, and Other
 1.3%

HOUSING (NH Office of Energy and Planning) 
2007 Total Housing Units 13,161
   
2007 Single-Family Units 5,960
Single-Family Permits Issued, Net Change of Units
 37
2007 Multi-Family Units 6,760
Multi-Family Permits Issued, Net Change of Units
 28
2007 Manufactured Housing Units 441
   
DEMOGRAPHICS (US Census Bureau) 
Total Population Community County
2007 28,775 121,581
2000 26,993 112,676
1990 25,420 104,348
1980 22,377 85,324
1970 20,850 70,431

Census 2000 Demographics
Population by Gender
Male
 12,914
Female
 13,970

Population by Age Group
Under age 5
 1,527
Age 5 to 19
 4,653
Age 20 to 34
 7,055
Age 35 to 54
 7,880
Age 55 to 64
 2,077
Age 65 and over
 3,692
Median Age
 35.5 years

Educational Attainment, population 25 years and over
High school graduate or higher
 88.1%
Bachelor's degree or higher
 32.4%

ANNUAL INCOME, 1999 (US Census Bureau) 
Per capita income $23,459
Median 4-person family income $57,050
Median household income $43,873

Median Earnings, full-time, year-round workers
Male
 $37,876
Female
 $27,329

Families below the poverty level 4.8%

LABOR FORCE (NHES - ELMI) 
Annual Average 1997 2007
Civilian Labor Force
 14,771 17,175
Employed
 14,390 16,672
Unemployed
 381 503
Unemployment Rate
 2.6% 2.9%

EMPLOYMENT & WAGES (NHES - ELMI) 
Annual Average Covered Employment 1997 2007
Goods Producing Industries  
Average Employment
 2,731 2,298
Average Weekly Wage
 $675 $935
   
Service Providing Industries  
Average Employment
 9,808 12,612
Average Weekly Wage
 $469 $797
   
Total Private Industry  
Average Employment
 12,539 14,911
Average Weekly Wage
 $514 $818
   
Government (Federal, State, and Local)  
Average Employment
 1,584 1,844
Average Weekly Wage
 $500 $714
   
Total, Private plus Government  
Average Employment
 14,123 16,755
Average Weekly Wage
 $512 $807
n = indicates that the data does not meet disclosure standards

EDUCATION/CHILD CARE FACILITIES (NH Dept. of Education)
Schools students attend: Dover operates grades K-12 District: SAU 11
Career Technology Center(s): Dover Voc. Center; Somersworth Reg. Voc. Center; Creteau Voc. Center, Rochester Region: 12

Educational Facilities Elementary Middle/Junior High High School Private/Parochial
Number of Schools
 3 1 1 4
Grade Levels
 P K 1-4 5-8 9-12 K 1-12
Total Enrollment
 1,337 1,109 1,707 1845
NH Licensed Child Care Facilities, 2008: Total Facilities: 26 Total Capacity: 995
Nearest Community/Technical College: Great Bay; NHTI-Concord
Nearest Colleges or Universities: McIntosh; University of NH; Southern NH University

LARGEST BUSINESSES PRODUCT/SERVICE EMPLOYEES ESTABLISHED
Liberty Mutual Insurance services 3,500
City of Dover Municipal services 1,139 1855
Wentworth-Douglass Hospital Health care services 1,048
Heidelberg Harris, Inc. Web offset presses 900
Foster's Daily Democrat Newspaper 220 1873
Cambridge Tool North Die casting 190
EAD Motors Electric motors 172
DT Magnetics High frequency transformers 105
Moore Business Equipment Business equipment & parts 80 1885

TRANSPORTATION  (Distance estimated from city / town hall)
Road Access US Routes 4
  State Routes 4, 9, 16, 16A, 16B, 108, 155
Nearest Interstate, Exit Spaulding Tpk., Exits 6-9; I-95, Exit 5
         Distance Local access; 10 miles
Railroad Boston & Maine
Public Transportation Yes

Nearest Public Use Airport, General Aviation
Skyhaven, Rochester
Runway
 4,001 ft. asphalt
Lighted?
 Yes  Navigational Aids? Yes
Nearest Airport with Scheduled Service
Manchester-Boston Regional Distance 43 miles
Number of Passsenger Airlines Serving Airport 8

Driving distance to selected cities:
Manchester, NH
 40 miles
Portland, ME
 50 miles
Boston, MA
 66 miles
New York City, NY
 277 miles
Montreal, Quebec
 285 miles

COMMUTING TO WORK (US Census)
Workers 16 years and over  
Drove alone, car/truck/van
 82.8%
Carpooled, car/truck/van
 10.2%
Public transportation
 1.0%
Walked
 2.5%
Other Means
 0.8%
Worked at home
 2.8%
Mean Travel Time to Work 21.4 minutes
Percent of Working Residents:
Working in community of residence
 33%
Commuting to another NH community
 57%
Commuting out-of-state
 10%
    
RECREATION, ATTRACTIONS, AND EVENTS
X Municipal Parks
YMCA/YWCA
X Boys Club/Girls Club
X Golf Courses
X Swimming: Indoor Facility
X Swimming: Outdoor Facility
Tennis Courts: Indoor Faclity
X Tennis Courts: Outdoor Facility
X Ice Skating Rink: Indoor Facility
X Bowling Facilities
X Museums
X Cinemas
X Performing Arts Facilities
X Tourists 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: Woodman Institute; Bellamy River Sanctuary

Economic & Labor Market Information Bureau, NH Employment Security, 2008. Community Response Received 11/03/08

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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