sunapee New Hampshire Community Profile
Sunapee, NH
Community Contact Town of Sunapee
Donna Nashawaty, Town Manager
PO Box 717
Sunapee, NH 03782

Telephone (603) 763-2212
Fax (603) 763-4925
E-mail donna@town.sunapee.nh.us
Web Site www.town.sunapee.nh.us

Municipal Office Hours Town Clerk/Tax Collector: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, 8 am - 5 pm, Wednesday, 8 am - 1 pm, and second and fourth Saturday of each month, 9 am - 12 noon

County Sullivan
Labor Market Area Newport NH LMA
Tourism Region Dartmouth-Lake Sunapee
Planning Commission Upper Valley/Lake Sunapee
Regional Development Capital Regional Development Council

Election Districts
US Congress
District 2
Executive Council
District 1
State Senate
District 8
State Representative
Sullivan County District 3
Incorporated: 1781

Origin: This territory was first settled by Oliver Corey and other soldiers from the French wars, and known as Corey's Town. Oliver Corey was a grantee on the 1768 charter naming the town Saville. Another grantee, John Wendell, became a principal landowner, and the town was renamed Wendell in 1781 upon petition of residents. The name Sunapee was substituted for Wendell by the Legislature in 1850. Town, lake, and mountain share the name Sunapee, which comes from the Algonquin Indian words suna, meaning goose, and apee, meaning lake. The Indians called the area Goose Lake because it was a favorite spot of wild geese.

Villages and Place Names: Burkehaven, Fernwood, Georges Mills, Granliden, Wendell

Population, Year of the First Census Taken: 267 residents in 1790

Population Trends: Population change for Sunapee totaled 1,961 over 50 years, from 1,108 in 1950 to 3,069 in 2000. The largest decennial percent change was an increase of 67 percent between 1970 and 1980; the smallest, five percent between 1950 and 1960. The 2007 Census estimate for Sunapee was 3,354 residents, which ranked 104th among New Hampshire's incorporated cities and towns.

Population Density, 2007: 154.0 persons per square mile of land area. Sunapee contains 21.1 square miles of land area and 4.1 square miles of inland water area.

MUNICIPAL SERVICES
Type of Government Selectmen/Town Manager
Budget: Municipal Appropriations, 2007 $6,207,140
Budget: School Appropriations, 2007 $8,473,572
Zoning Ordinance 1987/07
Master Plan 1998
Capitol Improvement Plan Yes
Industrial Plans Reviewed By Planning Board

Boards and Commissions
Elected:
Selectmen; Planning; Zoning; Library; Trust Funds; Water & Sewer
Appointed:
Conservation; Town Buildings; Budget

Public Library Abbott

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

Nearest Hospital(s) Distance Staffed Beds
New London Hospital, New London 8 miles 25

UTILITIES
Electric Supplier PSNH; NH Electric Coop
Natural Gas Supplier None
Water Supplier Municipal

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 Limited
Public Access Television Station No
High Speed Internet Service:  
Business
Limited
Residential
Limited

PROPERTY TAXES (NH Dept. of Revenue Adminstration) 
2007 Total Tax Rate (per $1000 of value) $13.50
2007 Equalization Ratio 82.4
2007 Full Value Tax Rate (per $1000 of value) $11.16

2007 Percent of Local Assessed Value by Property Type
Residential Land and Buildings
95.9%
Commercial Land and Buildings
3.1%
Public Utilities, Current Use, and Other
1.0%

HOUSING (NH Office of Energy and Planning) 
2007 Total Housing Units 2,385
   
2007 Single-Family Units 1,913
Single-Family Permits Issued, Net Change of Units
16
2007 Multi-Family Units 396
Multi-Family Permits Issued, Net Change of Units
4
2007 Manufactured Housing Units 76
   
DEMOGRAPHICS (US Census Bureau) 
Total Population Community County
2007 3,354 42,689
2000 3,069 40,560
1990 2,613 38,652
1980 2,312 36,063
1970 1,384 30,949

Census 2000 Demographics
Population by Gender
Male
1,544
Female
1,511

Population by Age Group
Under age 5
128
Age 5 to 19
642
Age 20 to 34
431
Age 35 to 54
996
Age 55 to 64
339
Age 65 and over
519
Median Age
41.7 years

Educational Attainment, population 25 years and over
High school graduate or higher
92.2%
Bachelor's degree or higher
37.1%

ANNUAL INCOME, 1999 (US Census Bureau) 
Per capita income $29,184
Median 4-person family income $55,909
Median household income $49,353

Median Earnings, full-time, year-round workers
Male
$40,720
Female
$27,237

Families below the poverty level 3.8%

LABOR FORCE (NHES - ELMI) 
Annual Average 1997 2007
Civilian Labor Force
1,535 1,706
Employed
1,506 1,655
Unemployed
29 51
Unemployment Rate
1.9% 3.0%

EMPLOYMENT & WAGES (NHES - ELMI) 
Annual Average Covered Employment 1997 2007
Goods Producing Industries  
Average Employment
145 177
Average Weekly Wage
$416 $678
   
Service Providing Industries  
Average Employment
300 284
Average Weekly Wage
$311 $559
   
Total Private Industry  
Average Employment
445 461
Average Weekly Wage
$345 $605
   
Government (Federal, State, and Local)  
Average Employment
275 188
Average Weekly Wage
$371 $660
   
Total, Private plus Government  
Average Employment
720 649
Average Weekly Wage
$355 $621
n = indicates that the data does not meet disclosure standards

EDUCATION/CHILD CARE FACILITIES (NH Dept. of Education)
Schools students attend: Sunapee operates grades K-12 District: SAU 43
Career Technology Center(s): Sugar River Valley Technical Center, Newport or Claremont Region: 10

Educational Facilities Elementary Middle/Junior High High School Private/Parochial
Number of Schools
1 1 1 1
Grade Levels
K 1-5 6-8 9-12 K 1-12
Total Enrollment
199 119 163 60
NH Licensed Child Care Facilities, 2008: Total Facilities: 3 Total Capacity: 44
Nearest Community/Technical College: River Valley
Nearest Colleges or Universities: Colby-Sawyer; Magdalen

LARGEST BUSINESSES PRODUCT/SERVICE EMPLOYEES ESTABLISHED
Sunapee School District Education 95
Micro-Precision, Inc. Machining 40 1961
Town of Sunapee Municipal services 33 FT/25 PT 1781
Sunapee Cove Assisted living 32 2003
Smith Machine Shop Machining 15 1990
All Terrain Skin products 12 1996
Borlind of Germany Skin products 12 1970
Sugar River Bank Banking services 8 1895
Lake Sunapee Bank Banking services 4 1868
Bonin Machine Shop Machine tools 2 1994

TRANSPORTATION  (Distance estimated from city / town hall)
Road Access US Routes
  State Routes 11, 103, 103B
Nearest Interstate, Exit I-89, Exit 12A
         Distance Local access
Railroad No
Public Transportation No

Nearest Public Use Airport, General Aviation
Parlin Field, Newport
Runway
3,450 ft. asphalt
Lighted?
No  Navigational Aids? No
Nearest Airport with Scheduled Service
Lebanon Municipal Distance 28 miles
Number of Passsenger Airlines Serving Airport 1

Driving distance to selected cities:
Manchester, NH
55 miles
Portland, ME
140 miles
Boston, MA
105 miles
New York City, NY
264 miles
Montreal, Quebec
212 miles

COMMUTING TO WORK (US Census)
Workers 16 years and over  
Drove alone, car/truck/van
84.9%
Carpooled, car/truck/van
6.6%
Public transportation
0.0%
Walked
1.4%
Other Means
0.7%
Worked at home
6.4%
Mean Travel Time to Work 24.4 minutes

Percent of Working Residents:
Working in community of residence
21%
Commuting to another NH community
72%
Commuting out-of-state
6%
   
RECREATION, ATTRACTIONS, AND EVENTS
X Municipal Parks
YMCA/YWCA
Boys Club/Girls Club
Golf Courses
Swimming: Indoor Facility
Swimming: Outdoor Facility
Tennis Courts: Indoor Faclity
X 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
X Snowmobile Trails
Bicycle Trails
X Cross Country Skiing
X Beach or Waterfront Recreational Area
Overnight or Day Camps
   
Nearest Ski Area(s): Mount Sunapee
   
Other: Lake Sunapee Cruises; Sunapee State Beach

Economic & Labor Market Information Bureau, NH Employment Security, 2008. Community Response Received 08/19/08

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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