rye New Hampshire Community Profile
Rye, NH
Community Contact Town of Rye
Alan Gould, Town Administrator
10 Central Road
Rye, NH 03870

Telephone (603) 964-5523
Fax (603) 964-1516
E-mail nancyw@town.rye.nh.us
Web Site www.town.rye.nh.us/

Municipal Office Hours Monday through Thursday, 8 am - 4:30 pm, and Friday, 8 am - 12 noon

County Rockingham
Labor Market Area Portsmouth NH-ME Metro-NECTA, NH Portion
Tourism Region Seacoast
Planning Commission Rockingham
Regional Development Coastal Economic Development Corp.

Election Districts
US Congress
 District 1
Executive Council
 District 3
State Senate
 District 24
State Representative
 Rockingham County District 18
Incorporated: 1726
Origin: Rye was the site of the first settlement in New Hampshire, established by David Thompson in 1623 at Odiorne's Point, which he called Pannaway. This township was originally part of Portsmouth called Sandy Beach, and it was incorporated as a parish of New Castle in 1693 when that town separated form Portsmouth. In 1726 it was separated from New Castle, and incorporated as Rye, after the borough of Rye, a flourishing English Channel town. Rye's eight-mile length of coastline is dotted with old names such as Wallis Sands, Jenness Beach, Locke's Neck, Ragged Neck, Rye Harbor, and Odiorne Point. In 1876, the thriving village of Gosport on Star Island in the Isles of Shoals was annexed to the town. Rye is the only New Hampshire town with Atlantic islands, having annexed four of the Isles of Shoals; the remaining five islands belong to Maine.
Villages and Place Names: Jenness Beach, Odiorne Point, Foyes Corner, Langs Corner, Rye Beach, Rye Harbor, Rye North Beach, Wallis Sands, West Rye, Foss Beach

Population, Year of the First Census Taken: 958 residents in 1790
Population Trends: Population change for Rye totaled 3,215 over 50 years, from 1,982 in 1950 to 5,197 in 2000. The largest decennial percent change was 64 percent increase between 1950 and 1960; the smallest, a decline of one percent between 1980 and 1990. The 2007 Census estimate for Rye was 5,174 residents, which ranked 62nd among New Hampshire's incorporated cities and towns.

Population Density, 2007: 410.4 persons per square mile of land area. Rye contains 12.6 square miles of land area and 0.5 square miles of inland water area.
MUNICIPAL SERVICES
Type of Government Selectmen
Budget: Municipal Appropriations, 2007 $7,321,369
Budget: School Appropriations, not available
Zoning Ordinance 1953/07
Master Plan 2006
Capitol Improvement Plan Yes
Industrial Plans Reviewed By Planning Board

Boards and Commissions
Elected:
 Selectmen; Planning; Budget
Appointed:
 Zoning; Conservation; Historic District; Mosquito

Public Library Rye Public

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

Nearest Hospital(s) Distance Staffed Beds
Portsmouth Regional, Portsmouth 6 miles 209

UTILITIES
Electric Supplier PSNH
Natural Gas Supplier None
Water Supplier Rye Water District; Acquarion Water

Sanitation Rye Sewer Commission & private septic
Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant No
Solid Waste Disposal
Curbside Trash Pickup
 none
Pay-As-You-Throw Program
 No
Recycling
 Mandatory

Telephone Company Bay Ring; Fairpoint
Cellular Telephone Access Yes
Cable Television Access Yes
Public Access Television Station No
High Speed Internet Service:  
Business
 Yes
Residential
 Yes

PROPERTY TAXES (NH Dept. of Revenue Adminstration) 
2007 Total Tax Rate (per $1000 of value) $8.91
2007 Equalization Ratio 90.7
2007 Full Value Tax Rate (per $1000 of value) $8.04

2007 Percent of Local Assessed Value by Property Type
Residential Land and Buildings
 95.0%
Commercial Land and Buildings
 4.6%
Public Utilities, Current Use, and Other
 0.4%

HOUSING (NH Office of Energy and Planning) 
2007 Total Housing Units 2,713
   
2007 Single-Family Units 2,281
Single-Family Permits Issued, Net Change of Units
 -2
2007 Multi-Family Units 357
Multi-Family Permits Issued, Net Change of Units
 0
2007 Manufactured Housing Units 75
   
DEMOGRAPHICS (US Census Bureau) 
Total Population Community County
2007 5,174 296,543
2000 5,197 278,748
1990 4,461 246,744
1980 4,508 190,345
1970 4,083 138,951

Census 2000 Demographics
Population by Gender
Male
 2,466
Female
 2,716

Population by Age Group
Under age 5
 247
Age 5 to 19
 971
Age 20 to 34
 535
Age 35 to 54
 1,812
Age 55 to 64
 631
Age 65 and over
 986
Median Age
 44.4 years

Educational Attainment, population 25 years and over
High school graduate or higher
 94.5%
Bachelor's degree or higher
 53.3%

ANNUAL INCOME, 1999 (US Census Bureau) 
Per capita income $36,746
Median 4-person family income $74,956
Median household income $63,152

Median Earnings, full-time, year-round workers
Male
 $51,131
Female
 $34,327

Families below the poverty level 1.6%

LABOR FORCE (NHES - ELMI) 
Annual Average 1997 2007
Civilian Labor Force
 2,752 2,724
Employed
 2,691 2,639
Unemployed
 61 85
Unemployment Rate
 2.2% 3.1%

EMPLOYMENT & WAGES (NHES - ELMI) 
Annual Average Covered Employment 1997 2007
Goods Producing Industries  
Average Employment
 59 n
Average Weekly Wage
 $628 n
   
Service Providing Industries  
Average Employment
 823 n
Average Weekly Wage
 $465 n
   
Total Private Industry  
Average Employment
 882 969
Average Weekly Wage
 $476 $595
   
Government (Federal, State, and Local)  
Average Employment
 282 269
Average Weekly Wage
 $453 $628
   
Total, Private plus Government  
Average Employment
 1,164 1,239
Average Weekly Wage
 $471 $602
n = indicates that the data does not meet disclosure standards

EDUCATION/CHILD CARE FACILITIES (NH Dept. of Education)
Schools students attend: Rye operates grades K-8; grades 9-12 are tuitioned to Portsmouth District: SAU 50
Career Technology Center(s): Portsmouth High School Region: 19

Educational Facilities Elementary Middle/Junior High High School Private/Parochial
Number of Schools
 1 1 1
Grade Levels
 K 1-5 6-8 4-12
Total Enrollment
 321 192 20
NH Licensed Child Care Facilities, 2008: Total Facilities: 2 Total Capacity: 159
Nearest Community/Technical College: Great Bay
Nearest Colleges or Universities: McIntosh; University of NH

LARGEST BUSINESSES PRODUCT/SERVICE EMPLOYEES ESTABLISHED
Town of Rye Municipal services 61 1726
Abenaqui Country Club Golf course
Ice House (seasonal) Restaurant
Petey's Restaurant (seasonal) Restaurant
Rye Airfield Skate park & BMX bikes
Rye Public Schools Education
Sagamore Veterinary Clinic Animal health care services
Saunders Restaurant Restaurant
TD Banknorth Banking services
Wentworth by the Sea Country Club Golf course

TRANSPORTATION  (Distance estimated from city / town hall)
Road Access US Routes 1
  State Routes 1A
Nearest Interstate, Exit I-95, Exit 3
         Distance 5 miles
Railroad No
Public Transportation No

Nearest Public Use Airport, General Aviation
Hampton Airfield
Runway
 2,100 ft. turf
Lighted?
 Yes  Navigational Aids? No
Nearest Airport with Scheduled Service
Manchester-Boston Regional Distance 44 miles
Number of Passsenger Airlines Serving Airport 8

Driving distance to selected cities:
Manchester, NH
 42 miles
Portland, ME
 58 miles
Boston, MA
 54 miles
New York City, NY
 265 miles
Montreal, Quebec
 296 miles

COMMUTING TO WORK (US Census)
Workers 16 years and over  
Drove alone, car/truck/van
 81.6%
Carpooled, car/truck/van
 3.7%
Public transportation
 0.4%
Walked
 2.2%
Other Means
 1.8%
Worked at home
 10.3%
Mean Travel Time to Work 30.2 minutes
Percent of Working Residents:
Working in community of residence
 25%
Commuting to another NH community
 55%
Commuting out-of-state
 20%
    
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 Faclity
Tennis Courts: Outdoor Facility
Ice Skating Rink: Indoor Facility
Bowling Facilities
X Museums
Cinemas
Performing Arts Facilities
X Tourists Attractions
X Youth Organizations (i.e., Scouts, 4-H)
X Youth Sports: Baseball
X Youth Sports: Soccer
Youth Sports: Football
X Youth Sports: Basketball
Youth Sports: Hockey
Campgrounds
X Fishing/Hunting
X Boating/Marinas
Snowmobile Trails
X Bicycle Trails
X Cross Country Skiing
X Beach or Waterfront Recreational Area
Overnight or Day Camps
   
Nearest Ski Area(s): McIntyre, Gunstock
   
Other: Whale Watches, Odiorne Point; Wallis Sands; Jenness & Rye State Parks; State Harbor

Economic & Labor Market Information Bureau, NH Employment Security, 2008. Community Response Received 08/18/08

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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