Strafford, New Hampshire

Strafford, NH
Community Contact	Town of Strafford Stephen Leighton, Chairman PO Box 23 Center Strafford, NH 03815
Telephone	(603) 664-2192
Fax	(603) 664-7276
E-mail	www.strafford.nh.gov
Web Site	not available
Municipal Office Hours	Selectmen: Monday through Wednesday, 9 am - 12 noon; Town Clerk: Monday, 9 am - 1 pm, 4 pm - 7 pm, Tuesday, Wednesday, 9 am - 2:30 pm, and Thursday, 9 am - 12 noon
County	Strafford
Labor Market Area	Rochester-Dover NH-ME Metro-NECTA, NH Portion
Tourism Region	Lakes
Planning Commission	Strafford Regional
Regional Development	Southeast Economic Development Corp.
Election Districts
US Congress	District 1
Executive Council	District 2
State Senate	District 4
State Representative	Strafford County District 3

Incorporated: 1820

Origin: This territory was for a long time part of Barrington, and settled prior to the Revolution. It was incorporated as a separate town in 1820, taking its name from the county in which it is located. Earl of Strafford was a title of the Wentworth family in England. Strafford, Vermont is also named for the family. The name was also adopted by a state militia company in Dover, the Strafford Guards, who later became part of the New Hampshire National Guard. The company served as escort for the Marquis de Lafayette on his visit to America, and saw service in the Civil War.

Villages and Place Names: Berrys Corner, Bow Lake Village, Center Strafford, Hills Corner, Leighton Corners, Strafford Corner, Welshs Corner

Population, Year of the First Census Taken: 2,144 residents in 1820

Population Trends: Population change for Strafford totaled 2,879 over 50 years, from 770 in 1950 to 3,649 in 2000. The largest decennial percent change was a 77 percent increase between 1980 and 1990, which followed a 72 percent increase between 1970 and 1980. The 2006 Census estimate for Strafford was 4,025 residents, which ranked 94th among New Hampshire's incorporated cities and towns.

Population Density, 2006: 82.2 persons per square mile of land area. Strafford contains 49.0 square miles of land area and 2.2 square miles of inland water area.

Type of Government	Selectmen
Budget: Municipal Appropriations, 2006	$1,898,470
Budget: School Appropriations, 2006-2007	$9,429,180
Zoning Ordinance	1970/07
Master Plan	2002
Capitol Improvement Plan	Yes
Industrial Plans Reviewed By	Planning Board

Boards and Commissions
Elected:	Selectmen; Library
Appointed:	Planning; Conservation

Public Library

Hill

EMERGENCY SERVICES
Police Department	Full-time
Fire Department	Part-time
Town Fire Insurance Rating	9/10
Emergency Medical Service	Volunteer

Nearest Hospital(s)	Distance	Staffed Beds
Frisbie Memorial, Rochester	10 miles	112

UTILITIES
Electric Supplier	PSNH
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	Mandatory

Telephone Company	Verizon; Union
Cellular Telephone Access	Yes
Cable Television Access	Yes
Public Access Television Station	No
High Speed Internet Service:
Business	Limited
Residential	Limited

2006 Total Tax Rate (per $1000 of value)

$17.15

2006 Equalization Ratio

95.1

2006 Full Value Tax Rate (per $1000 of value)

$16.29

2006 Percent of Local Assessed Value by Property Type
Residential Land and Buildings	98.3%
Commercial Land and Buildings	0.7%
Public Utilities, Current Use, and Other	0.9%

2006 Total Housing Units

1,785

2006 Single-Family Units

1,600

Single-Family Permits Issued, Net Change of Units

2006 Multi-Family Units

Multi-Family Permits Issued, Net Change of Units

2006 Manufactured Housing Units

Total Population

Community

County

2006

4,025

119,990

2000

3,649

112,676

1990

2,936

104,348

1980

1,663

85,324

1970

965

70,431

Census 2000 Demographics
Population by Gender
Male	1,814	Female	1,812

Population by Age Group
Under age 5	212
Age 5 to 19	953
Age 20 to 34	486
Age 35 to 54	1,424
Age 55 to 64	272
Age 65 and over	279
Median Age	37.4 years

Educational Attainment, population 25 years and over
High school graduate or higher	92.8%
Bachelor's degree or higher	28.5%

Per capita income

$23,500

Median 4-person family income

$62,238

Median household income

$59,044

Median Earnings, full-time, year-round workers
Male	$40,423
Female	$30,524

Families below the poverty level

1.0%

Annual Average

1996

2006

Civilian Labor Force

1,690

2,347

Employed

1,645

2,283

Unemployed

Unemployment Rate

2.7%

Annual Average Covered Employment

1996

2006

Goods Producing Industries

Average Employment

137

Average Weekly Wage

$634

Service Providing Industries

Average Employment

Average Weekly Wage

$818

Total Private Industry

Average Employment

199

Average Weekly Wage

$692

Government (Federal, State, and Local)

Average Employment

119

155

Average Weekly Wage

$400

$446

Total, Private plus Government

Average Employment

354

Average Weekly Wage

$584

n = indicates that the data does not meet disclosure standards

Schools students attend:	Strafford operates grades K-8; grades 9-12 are tuitioned to Coe-Brown Academy (Northwood)	District: SAU 44
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	1
Grade Levels	K 1-8
Total Enrollment	487

NH Licensed Child Care Facilities, 2007:

Total Facilities: 1

Total Capacity: 15

Nearest Community/Technical College: Concord

Nearest Colleges or Universities: McIntosh; University of NH

LARGEST BUSINESSES	PRODUCT/SERVICE	EMPLOYEES	ESTABLISHED
David R. Whitcher, Builder	Building contractor	25	1971
Amusement Media, Inc.	Media & marketing	15	1997
Strafford Machine & Welding	Job machine shop	5	1974
Great Crates	Storage containers	3	2004
Isinglass Country Store	Country store	3	1985
Strafford Insulating Technologies	Insulation	1	1985

TRANSPORTATION (Distance estimated from city / town hall)
Road Access	US Routes
	State Routes	126, 202A
Nearest Interstate, Exit		Spaulding Tpk., Exit 16; I-95, Exit 5
	Distance	9 miles; 29 miles
Railroad	No
Public Transportation	No

Nearest Public Use Airport, General Aviation
Skyhaven, Rochester
Runway		4,001 ft. asphalt
Lighted?	Yes	Navigational Aids?	Yes
Nearest Airport with Scheduled Service
Pease International		Distance	30 miles
Number of Passsenger Airlines Serving Airport			2

Driving distance to selected cities:
Manchester, NH	37 miles
Portland, ME	62 miles
Boston, MA	77 miles
New York City, NY	294 miles
Montreal, Quebec	275 miles

COMMUTING TO WORK	(US Census)
Workers 16 years and over
Drove alone, car/truck/van	86.4%
Carpooled, car/truck/van	10.8%
Public transportation	0.0%
Walked	0.0%
Other Means	0.0%
Worked at home	2.8%
Mean Travel Time to Work	36.6 minutes

Percent of Working Residents:
Working in community of residence	9%
Commuting to another NH community	84%
Commuting out-of-state	7%

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
X	Performing Arts Facilities
	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
X	Campgrounds
X	Fishing/Hunting
X	Boating/Marinas
X	Snowmobile Trails
	Bicycle Trails
	Cross Country Skiing
X	Beach or Waterfront Recreational Area
	Overnight or Day Camps

	Nearest Ski Area(s): Gunstock

	Other:

Economic & Labor Market Information Bureau, NH Employment Security, 2007. Community Response Received 09/12/07

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