Wakefield, New Hampshire

Wakefield, NH
Community Contact	Town of Wakefield Robin Frost, Town Administrator 2 High Street, Town Hall Sanbornville, NH 03872
Telephone	(603) 522-6205
Fax	(603) 522-6794
E-mail	townadmin@wakefieldnh.com
Web Site	www.wakefieldnh.com
Municipal Office Hours	Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, 8 am - 4 pm, and Wednesday, 8 am - 12 noon
County	Carroll
Labor Market Area	Rochester-Dover NH-ME Metro-NECTA, NH Portion
Tourism Region	Lakes
Planning Commission	Strafford Regional
Regional Development	Wentworth Economic Development Corp.
Election Districts
US Congress	District 1
Executive Council	District 1
State Senate	District 3
State Representative	Carroll County District 5

Incorporated: 1774

Origin: This territory was settled by colonists from Dover and Somersworth who received a charter from the Masonian Proprietors in 1749. The settlement was known variously as Ham's-town, East-town, and Watertown. In 1774, residents petitioned the Proprietors for incorporation with township powers and privileges, and it was incorporated as Wakefield by Governor John Wentworth. Wakefield in Yorkshire, England, was the location of Wentworth Castle, the home of Wentworth ancestors. In 2002, the Wakefield Town Hall was listed on the New Hampshire State Register of Historic Places.

Villages and Place Names: East Wakefield, North Wakefield, Sanbornville, Union, Woodman, Province Lake

Population, Year of the First Census Taken: 646 residents in 1790

Population Trends: Population change for Wakefield totaled 3,009 over 50 years, from 1,267 in 1950 to 4,276 in 2000. The largest decennial percent change was an increase of 58 percent between 1970 and 1980, followed by increases of 37 percent and 40 percent over the next two decades. The 2007 Census estimate for Wakefield was 4,749 residents, which ranked 74th among New Hampshire's incorporated cities and towns.

Population Density, 2007: 122.4 persons per square mile of land area. Wakefield contains 39.5 square miles of land area and 5.3 square miles of inland water area.

Type of Government	Selectmen
Budget: Municipal Appropriations, 2008	$4,633,852
Budget: School Appropriations, 2008-2009	$8,633,926
Zoning Ordinance	1986/08
Master Plan	2003
Capitol Improvement Plan	Yes
Industrial Plans Reviewed By	Planning Board

Boards and Commissions
Elected:	Selectmen; Planning
Appointed:	Conservation; Cemetery; Zoning; Heritage; Parks & Recreation

Public Library

Gafney Library, Inc.; Wakefield Library Association

EMERGENCY SERVICES
Police Department	Full-time
Fire Department	Full & part-time
Town Fire Insurance Rating	6/9
Emergency Medical Service	Full & part-time

Nearest Hospital(s)	Distance	Staffed Beds
Huggins Hospital, Wolfeboro	13 miles	25

UTILITIES
Electric Supplier	PSNH; NH Electric Coop
Natural Gas Supplier	None
Water Supplier	Sanbornville Water Department

Sanitation	Private septic & municipal
Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant	Yes
Solid Waste Disposal
Curbside Trash Pickup	Private
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

2007 Total Tax Rate (per $1000 of value)

$9.37

2007 Equalization Ratio

96.8

2007 Full Value Tax Rate (per $1000 of value)

$9.03

2007 Percent of Local Assessed Value by Property Type
Residential Land and Buildings	97.1%
Commercial Land and Buildings	2.5%
Public Utilities, Current Use, and Other	0.5%

2007 Total Housing Units

3,892

2007 Single-Family Units

3,368

Single-Family Permits Issued, Net Change of Units

2007 Multi-Family Units

234

Multi-Family Permits Issued, Net Change of Units

2007 Manufactured Housing Units

290

Total Population

Community

County

2007

4,749

47,380

2000

4,276

43,918

1990

3,064

35,526

1980

2,237

27,929

1970

1,420

18,548

Census 2000 Demographics
Population by Gender
Male	2,103	Female	2,149

Population by Age Group
Under age 5	250
Age 5 to 19	923
Age 20 to 34	600
Age 35 to 54	1,378
Age 55 to 64	464
Age 65 and over	637
Median Age	40.1 years

Educational Attainment, population 25 years and over
High school graduate or higher	85.9%
Bachelor's degree or higher	17.5%

Per capita income

$21,507

Median 4-person family income

$45,774

Median household income

$42,500

Median Earnings, full-time, year-round workers
Male	$35,804
Female	$24,898

Families below the poverty level

5.1%

Annual Average

1997

2007

Civilian Labor Force

1,751

2,449

Employed

1,688

2,349

Unemployed

100

Unemployment Rate

3.6%

4.1%

Annual Average Covered Employment

1997

2007

Goods Producing Industries

Average Employment

117

Average Weekly Wage

$423

$579

Service Providing Industries

Average Employment

252

328

Average Weekly Wage

$231

$391

Total Private Industry

Average Employment

368

404

Average Weekly Wage

$291

$426

Government (Federal, State, and Local)

Average Employment

166

316

Average Weekly Wage

$399

$593

Total, Private plus Government

Average Employment

534

720

Average Weekly Wage

$325

$500

n = indicates that the data does not meet disclosure standards

Schools students attend:	Wakefield operates grades K-8; grades 9-12 are tuitioned to Rochester	District: SAU 64
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	2			1
Grade Levels	K 1-8			P
Total Enrollment	505			18

NH Licensed Child Care Facilities, 2008:

Total Facilities: 4

Total Capacity: 127

Nearest Community/Technical College: Lakes Region

Nearest Colleges or Universities: McIntosh; University of NH; Nasson (ME)

LARGEST BUSINESSES	PRODUCT/SERVICE	EMPLOYEES	ESTABLISHED
Lovell Lake Food Center	Convenience store	35
Poor Peoples Pub	Restaurant	35
Longmeadow Hardware	Hardware	18
Badman Family Practice	Health care services	7	1993

TRANSPORTATION (Distance estimated from city / town hall)
Road Access	US Routes
	State Routes	16, 109, 110, 153
Nearest Interstate, Exit		Spaulding Tpk., Exit 18; I-95, Exit 5
	Distance	6 miles; 40 miles
Railroad	NH Northcoast
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
Portland (ME) International Jetport		Distance	48 miles
Number of Passsenger Airlines Serving Airport			7

Driving distance to selected cities:
Manchester, NH	62 miles
Portland, ME	52 miles
Boston, MA	94 miles
New York City, NY	305 miles
Montreal, Quebec	259 miles

COMMUTING TO WORK	(US Census)
Workers 16 years and over
Drove alone, car/truck/van	78.8%
Carpooled, car/truck/van	13.5%
Public transportation	0.4%
Walked	2.1%
Other Means	0.7%
Worked at home	4.5%
Mean Travel Time to Work	38.7 minutes

Percent of Working Residents:
Working in community of residence	21%
Commuting to another NH community	68%
Commuting out-of-state	11%

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
	Tennis Courts: Outdoor Facility
	Ice Skating Rink: Indoor Facility
	Bowling Facilities
X	Museums
	Cinemas
	Performing Arts Facilities
	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
X	Campgrounds
X	Fishing/Hunting
X	Boating/Marinas
X	Snowmobile Trails
X	Bicycle Trails
	Cross Country Skiing
X	Beach or Waterfront Recreational Area
X	Overnight or Day Camps

	Nearest Ski Area(s): Gunstock, King Pine

	Other:

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

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