keene New Hampshire Community Profile
Keene, NH
Community Contact City of Keene
Helen Mattson, Administrative Assistant to the City Manager
3 Washington Street
Keene, NH 03431-3191

Telephone (603) 357-9804
Fax (603) 357-9847
E-mail infodesk@ci.keene.nh.us
Web Site www.ci.keene.nh.us

Municipal Office Hours Monday through Friday, 8 am - 5 pm

County Cheshire
Labor Market Area Keene NH Micro-NECTA
Tourism Region Monadnock
Planning Commission Southwest Region
Regional Development Monadnock Economic Development Corp.

Election Districts
US Congress
 District 2 (All Wards)
Executive Council
 District 5 (All Wards)
State Senate
 District 10 (All Wards)
State Representative
 Cheshire County District 3 (All Wards)
Incorporated: 1753
Origin: This territory was first granted in 1735 as Upper Ashuelot to soldiers in the wars against Canada, and intended to be a fort town. Establishment of the Massachusetts-New Hampshire boundary in 1753 made it one of the largest towns in New England. Under regrant by the New Hampshire governor, the town was named in honor of Sir Benjamin Keene of England, an associate of Governor Wentworth in the Spanish West Indies trade. Keene was incorporated as a city in 1873. The Keene Normal School, now Keene State College, was founded here in 1909. The annual Keene Pumpkin Festival has set eight world records for the largest number of lit jack-o-lanterns, reaching 28,952 in 2003.
Villages and Place Names: North Swanzey, South Keene, Marlborough

Population, Year of the First Census Taken: 1,314 residents in 1790
Population Trends: Population change for Keene, including resident students, totaled 6,951 over 50 years, from 15,638 in 1950 to 22,589 in 2000. The largest decennial percent change was 17 percent between 1960 and 1970; the city decreased in population between 1990 and 2000. The 2007 Census estimate for Keene was 22,893 residents, which ranked 11th among New Hampshire's incorporated cities and towns.

Population Density, 2007: 615.5 persons per square mile of land area. Keene contains 37.1 square miles of land area and 0.2 square miles of inland water area.
MUNICIPAL SERVICES
Type of Government Mayor, Council, & Manager
Budget: Municipal Appropriations, 2008-2009 $51,589,841
Budget: School Appropriations, 2008-2009 $56,168,421
Zoning Ordinance 1927/07
Master Plan 2005
Capitol Improvement Plan Yes
Industrial Plans Reviewed By Planning Board

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

Public Library Keene Public

EMERGENCY SERVICES
Police Department Full-time
Fire Department Full-time
Town Fire Insurance Rating 4
Emergency Medical Service Municipal

Nearest Hospital(s) Distance Staffed Beds
Cheshire Medical Center, Keene Local 169

UTILITIES
Electric Supplier PSNH
Natural Gas Supplier Keene Gas Corp
Water Supplier Keene Water Department

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

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) $25.79
2007 Equalization Ratio 98.7
2007 Full Value Tax Rate (per $1000 of value) $25.46

2007 Percent of Local Assessed Value by Property Type
Residential Land and Buildings
 65.7%
Commercial Land and Buildings
 33.0%
Public Utilities, Current Use, and Other
 1.3%

HOUSING (NH Office of Energy and Planning) 
2007 Total Housing Units 9,579
   
2007 Single-Family Units 4,715
Single-Family Permits Issued, Net Change of Units
 12
2007 Multi-Family Units 4,376
Multi-Family Permits Issued, Net Change of Units
 -2
2007 Manufactured Housing Units 488
   
DEMOGRAPHICS (US Census Bureau) 
Total Population Community County
2007 22,893 77,725
2000 22,589 73,993
1990 23,081 70,223
1980 21,449 62,116
1970 20,467 52,364

Census 2000 Demographics
Population by Gender
Male
 10,572
Female
 11,991

Population by Age Group
Under age 5
 944
Age 5 to 19
 5,001
Age 20 to 34
 5,240
Age 35 to 54
 6,053
Age 55 to 64
 1,900
Age 65 and over
 3,425
Median Age
 35.3 years

Educational Attainment, population 25 years and over
High school graduate or higher
 87.3%
Bachelor's degree or higher
 31.9%

ANNUAL INCOME, 1999 (US Census Bureau) 
Per capita income $20,544
Median 4-person family income $49,935
Median household income $37,033

Median Earnings, full-time, year-round workers
Male
 $32,720
Female
 $25,488

Families below the poverty level 5.2%

LABOR FORCE (NHES - ELMI) 
Annual Average 1997 2007
Civilian Labor Force
 11,865 12,205
Employed
 11,543 11,808
Unemployed
 322 397
Unemployment Rate
 2.7% 3.3%

EMPLOYMENT & WAGES (NHES - ELMI) 
Annual Average Covered Employment 1997 2007
Goods Producing Industries  
Average Employment
 3,914 3,491
Average Weekly Wage
 $651 $937
   
Service Providing Industries  
Average Employment
 12,890 13,945
Average Weekly Wage
 $453 $711
   
Total Private Industry  
Average Employment
 16,804 17,436
Average Weekly Wage
 $499 $756
   
Government (Federal, State, and Local)  
Average Employment
 2,107 2,504
Average Weekly Wage
 $538 $722
   
Total, Private plus Government  
Average Employment
 18,912 19,939
Average Weekly Wage
 $503 $752
n = indicates that the data does not meet disclosure standards

EDUCATION/CHILD CARE FACILITIES (NH Dept. of Education)
Schools students attend: Keene operates grades K-12 District: SAU 29
Career Technology Center(s): Cheshire Center of Applied Science, Keene; Fall Mountain High School, Langdon Region: 13

Educational Facilities Elementary Middle/Junior High High School Private/Parochial
Number of Schools
 5 1 1 4
Grade Levels
 P K 1-5 6-8 9-12 K 1-8
Total Enrollment
 1,199 727 1,738 456
NH Licensed Child Care Facilities, 2008: Total Facilities: 28 Total Capacity: 1,025
Nearest Community/Technical College: River Valley
Nearest Colleges or Universities: Keene State; Antioch New England; Franklin Pierce University

LARGEST BUSINESSES PRODUCT/SERVICE EMPLOYEES ESTABLISHED
Cheshire Medical Center/Dartmouth Hitchcock-Keene Health care services 1,500 1892
C & S Wholesale Grocers Wholesale foods 755 2004
Keene State College Education 707 1909
Keene School District Education 690
Smith Industrial Medical Systems Hospital supplies 600 1971
National Grange Mutual Insurance Insurance services 540 1923
TimKen Super Precision Mini & precision bearings 532 1941
Liberty Mutual/Peerless Insurance Company Insurance services 522 1901
Markem Corporation Industrial marking equipment 495 1911
Janos Technologies Precision optical products 110 1970

TRANSPORTATION  (Distance estimated from city / town hall)
Road Access US Routes
  State Routes 9, 10, 12, 12A, 32, 101
Nearest Interstate, Exit I-91 (VT), Exit 3
         Distance 17 miles
Railroad No
Public Transportation Yes

Nearest Public Use Airport, General Aviation
Dillant-Hopkins, Keene
Runway
 6,201 ft. asphalt
Lighted?
 Yes  Navigational Aids? Yes
Nearest Airport with Scheduled Service
Manchester-Boston Regional Distance 57 miles
Number of Passsenger Airlines Serving Airport 8

Driving distance to selected cities:
Manchester, NH
 55 miles
Portland, ME
 150 miles
Boston, MA
 92 miles
New York City, NY
 221 miles
Montreal, Quebec
 243 miles

COMMUTING TO WORK (US Census)
Workers 16 years and over  
Drove alone, car/truck/van
 76.0%
Carpooled, car/truck/van
 11.5%
Public transportation
 0.6%
Walked
 7.9%
Other Means
 0.6%
Worked at home
 3.3%
Mean Travel Time to Work 16.4 minutes
Percent of Working Residents:
Working in community of residence
 75%
Commuting to another NH community
 18%
Commuting out-of-state
 8%
    
RECREATION, ATTRACTIONS, AND EVENTS
X Municipal Parks
X YMCA/YWCA
Boys Club/Girls Club
X Golf Courses
X Swimming: Indoor Facility
X Swimming: Outdoor Facility
X Tennis Courts: Indoor Faclity
X Tennis Courts: Outdoor Facility
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
Youth Sports: Basketball
X Youth Sports: Hockey
X Campgrounds
X Fishing/Hunting
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): Mount Ascutney (VT)
   
Other: Hiking

Economic & Labor Market Information Bureau, NH Employment Security, 2008. Community Response Received 09/05/08

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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