merrimack New Hampshire Community Profile
Merrimack, NH
Community Contact Town of Merrimack
Walter Warren, Community Development Director
6 Baboosic Lake Road
Merrimack, NH 03054

Telephone (603) 424-3531
Fax (603) 424-1408
E-mail wwarren@ci.merrimacknh.gov
Web Site www.merrimacknh.gov

Municipal Office Hours Monday through Friday, 8:30 am - 4:30 pm

County Hillsborough
Labor Market Area Nashua NH-MA NECTA Division, NH Portion
Tourism Region Merrimack Valley
Planning Commission Nashua Regional
Regional Development Rockingham Economic Development Corp.

Election Districts
US Congress
 District 1
Executive Council
 District 5
State Senate
 District 9
State Representative
 Hillsborough County District 19
Incorporated: 1746
Origin: This territory was part of the 1673 charter of Dunstable, a large Massachusetts grant that was divided nearly in half with the establishment of the New Hampshire-Massachusetts border in 1741. Though the first log cabin was built here about 1665, settlement did not begin until the 1720s. When the town was separated from Dunstable (Nashua) in 1746, it was incorporated as Merrimack, after the river. In 1766, a ferry concession was granted to Edward Lutwyche, to facilitate trade and traffic between Litchfield and Merrimack. In 1784, the ferry was granted to Revolutionary War patriot Matthew Thornton, an area still known as Thornton's Ferry. Matthew Thornton was a resident of Merrimack until his death in 1803.
Villages and Place Names: Reeds Ferry, Souhegan Village, South Merrimack, Thorntons Ferry

Population, Year of the First Census Taken: 819 residents in 1790
Population Trends: Merrimack ranked fifth in both numeric and percent of population increase over 50 years, growing over 13 times larger. Population change totaled 23,359, from 1,908 in 1950 to 25,267 in 2000. The largest decennial percent change was 188 percent between 1960 and 1970. The 2007 Census estimate for Merrimack was 26,558 residents, which ranked eighth among New Hampshire's incorporated cities and towns.

Population Density, 2007: 806.7 persons per square mile of land area. Merrimack contains 32.6 square miles of land area and 0.8 square miles of inland water area.
MUNICIPAL SERVICES
Type of Government Town Council/Town Manager
Budget: Municipal Appropriations, 2007 $28,461,192
Budget: School Appropriations, 2006-2007 $63,115,891
Zoning Ordinance 1953/06
Master Plan 2002
Capitol Improvement Plan Yes
Industrial Plans Reviewed By Planning Board

Boards and Commissions
Elected:
 Town Council; Library; Ethics; School
Appointed:
 Planning; Zoning; Parks & Recreation; Conservation; Heritage

Public Library Merrimack Public

EMERGENCY SERVICES
Police Department Full-time
Fire Department Full-time
Town Fire Insurance Rating 5/9
Emergency Medical Service Municipal

Nearest Hospital(s) Distance Staffed Beds
Southern NH Medical Center, Nashua 8 miles 188
St. Joseph Hospital, Nashua 9 miles 208
Catholic Medical Center, Manchester 10 miles 330

UTILITIES
Electric Supplier PSNH
Natural Gas Supplier National Grid
Water Supplier Pennichuck Water Works;
Merrimack Village District

Sanitation Municipal
Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant Yes
Solid Waste Disposal
Curbside Trash Pickup
 none
Pay-As-You-Throw Program
 No
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) $17.64
2007 Equalization Ratio 100
2007 Full Value Tax Rate (per $1000 of value) $17.50

2007 Percent of Local Assessed Value by Property Type
Residential Land and Buildings
 80.3%
Commercial Land and Buildings
 18.8%
Public Utilities, Current Use, and Other
 1.0%

HOUSING (NH Office of Energy and Planning) 
2007 Total Housing Units 9,822
   
2007 Single-Family Units 6,925
Single-Family Permits Issued, Net Change of Units
 13
2007 Multi-Family Units 2,677
Multi-Family Permits Issued, Net Change of Units
 4
2007 Manufactured Housing Units 220
   
DEMOGRAPHICS (US Census Bureau) 
Total Population Community County
2007 26,558 402,302
2000 25,267 382,384
1990 22,234 336,549
1980 15,406 276,608
1970 8,595 223,941

Census 2000 Demographics
Population by Gender
Male
 12,514
Female
 12,605

Population by Age Group
Under age 5
 1,731
Age 5 to 19
 6,110
Age 20 to 34
 4,219
Age 35 to 54
 9,183
Age 55 to 64
 2,275
Age 65 and over
 1,601
Median Age
 36 years

Educational Attainment, population 25 years and over
High school graduate or higher
 92.9%
Bachelor's degree or higher
 35.0%

ANNUAL INCOME, 1999 (US Census Bureau) 
Per capita income $27,748
Median 4-person family income $72,011
Median household income $68,817

Median Earnings, full-time, year-round workers
Male
 $51,725
Female
 $31,528

Families below the poverty level 1.2%

LABOR FORCE (NHES - ELMI) 
Annual Average 1997 2007
Civilian Labor Force
 14,250 16,608
Employed
 13,866 16,109
Unemployed
 384 499
Unemployment Rate
 2.7% 3.0%

EMPLOYMENT & WAGES (NHES - ELMI) 
Annual Average Covered Employment 1997 2007
Goods Producing Industries  
Average Employment
 4,115 3,373
Average Weekly Wage
 $994 $1,520
   
Service Providing Industries  
Average Employment
 5,560 12,733
Average Weekly Wage
 $675 $1,378
   
Total Private Industry  
Average Employment
 9,675 16,106
Average Weekly Wage
 $811 $1,408
   
Government (Federal, State, and Local)  
Average Employment
 865 1,080
Average Weekly Wage
 $591 $786
   
Total, Private plus Government  
Average Employment
 10,541 17,186
Average Weekly Wage
 $793 $1,369
n = indicates that the data does not meet disclosure standards

EDUCATION/CHILD CARE FACILITIES (NH Dept. of Education)
Schools students attend: Merrimack operates grades 1-12 District: SAU 26
Career Technology Center(s): Wilbur Palmer Voc. Tech. Center, Hudson; Milford HS; Nashua HS North Region: 16

Educational Facilities Elementary Middle/Junior High High School Private/Parochial
Number of Schools
 4 1 1 2
Grade Levels
 P K 1-6 7-8 9-12 K 1-12
Total Enrollment
 2,254 767 1,555 285
NH Licensed Child Care Facilities, 2008: Total Facilities: 17 Total Capacity: 1,062
Nearest Community/Technical College: Nashua
Nearest Colleges or Universities: Thomas More; Rivier; St. Anselm; Daniel Webster; Hesser

LARGEST BUSINESSES PRODUCT/SERVICE EMPLOYEES ESTABLISHED
Fidelity Investments Financial services 6,000 1996
PC Connections, Inc. Computer resale 1,077 1998
BAE Systems Defense systems 816 1988
Merrimack School District Education 800
Anheuser-Busch, Inc. Brewery, distribution 531 1991
Kollsman Instrument Company Electra optics 500 1991
Brookstone, Inc. Mail order marketer, retailer 256
St. Gobain PTFE coated fabrics 253 1984
Town of Merrimack Municipal services 215 1746
GT Solar, Inc. Equipment for photovoltaic & semiconductor industries 150 1995

TRANSPORTATION  (Distance estimated from city / town hall)
Road Access US Routes 3
  State Routes 101A
Nearest Interstate, Exit Everett Tpk., Exit 11; I-293, Exit 3
         Distance 2 miles; 7 miles
Railroad Boston & Maine
Public Transportation No

Nearest Public Use Airport, General Aviation
Boire Field, Nashua
Runway
 5,501 ft. asphalt
Lighted?
 Yes  Navigational Aids? Yes
Nearest Airport with Scheduled Service
Manchester-Boston Regional Distance 10 miles
Number of Passsenger Airlines Serving Airport 8

Driving distance to selected cities:
Manchester, NH
 11 miles
Portland, ME
 105 miles
Boston, MA
 51 miles
New York City, NY
 242 miles
Montreal, Quebec
 269 miles

COMMUTING TO WORK (US Census)
Workers 16 years and over  
Drove alone, car/truck/van
 87.5%
Carpooled, car/truck/van
 7.8%
Public transportation
 0.2%
Walked
 0.5%
Other Means
 0.5%
Worked at home
 3.5%
Mean Travel Time to Work 25.6 minutes
Percent of Working Residents:
Working in community of residence
 24%
Commuting to another NH community
 61%
Commuting out-of-state
 16%
    
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
X Ice Skating Rink: Indoor Facility
X Bowling Facilities
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
Youth Sports: Hockey
Campgrounds
X Fishing/Hunting
X Boating/Marinas
X Snowmobile Trails
X Bicycle Trails
X Cross Country Skiing
X Beach or Waterfront Recreational Area
Overnight or Day Camps
   
Nearest Ski Area(s): McIntyre
   
Other: Anheuser-Busch Brewery & Tours

Economic & Labor Market Information Bureau, NH Employment Security, 2008. Community Response Received 10/22/08

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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