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By Geography >> City/Town >> Gilford

 Gilford, NH   
NH cities/towns
Community Contact Town of Gilford
Scott Dunn, Town Administrator
47 Cherry Valley Road
  Gilford, NH 03249
 
Telephone (603) 527-4700
Fax (603) 527-4711
E-mail selectmen@gilfordnh.org
Web Site www.gilfordnh.org
 
Municipal Office Hours Town Hall: Monday to Friday 8-4:30; Town Clerk/Tax Collector: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday, 8-4:30, Thursdays, 8-6
 
County Belknap County
Labor Market Area Laconia, NH Micropolitan NECTA
Tourism Region Lakes Region
Planning Commission Lakes Region Planning Commission
Regional Development Belknap County Economic Development Council
 
Election Districts
US Congress District 1
Executive Council District 1
State Senate District 2
State Representative Belknap County District 6
Incorporated: 1812
 
Origin: Once a part of Gilmanton called Gunstock Parish, this town was named for a key battle at the end of the revolution, the Battle of Guilford Court House, North Carolina. The American forces managed to deplete Cornwallis's army so they were forced to retreat, leading to the surrender at Yorktown. Sargent Lemuel B. Mason, who had fought in that battle, had retired to Gunstock Parish. As the town's oldest citizen when it was incorporated in 1812, Sargent Mason had the honor of selecting a name, and he chose Gilford. North Carolina's Guilford Court House has long since been renamed Martinsville.
 
Villages and Place Names: Ames, Dockham Shore, Glendale, Lake Shore Park, Belknap Point
 
Population, Year of the First Census Taken: 1816 residents in 1820
 
Population Trends: Population change for Gilford totaled 4,474 over 50 years, from 3,219 in 1970 to 7,693 in 2020. The largest decennial percent change was a 50 percent increase from 1970 to 1980. The town's population increased by eight percent from 2010 to 2020.
 
Population Density and Land Area: 2023 (US Census Bureau): 203.0 persons per square mile of land area. Gilford contains 38.8 square miles of land area and 14.7 square miles of inland water area.
 
 
 


Municipal Services
Type of Government Selectmen
Budget:Municipal Appropriations,2024 $19,681,211
Budget:School Appropriations,2024-2025 $30,346,342
Zoning Ordinance 1962/23
Master Plan 2017
Capital Improvement Plan Yes
Industrial Plans Reviewed By Planning Board
 
Boards and Commissions
    Elected: Selectmen; Fire Engineers; School; Library; Budget; Cemetery; Checklist; Trust Funds
    Appointed: Planning; Conservation; Zoning; Recreation; Historic
 
Public Library Gilford Public



Emergency Services
Police Department Full-time
Fire Department Full-time
Emergency Medical Service Municipal
 
Nearest Hospital(s) Distance Staffed Beds
Concord Hospital - Laconia 4 miles   72


 
Utilities
Electric Supplier Eversource Energy; NH Electric Coop
Natural Gas Supplier Liberty Utilities
Water Supplier Gilford Village District; Gunstock Acres Village District
 
Sanitation Municipal
Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant No
Solid Waste Disposal
    Curbside Trash Pickup Private
    Pay-As-You-Throw Program No
    Recycling Program Mandatory
 
Telephone Company Consolidated Communications
Cellular Telephone Access Yes
Cable Television Access Yes
Public Access Television Station Yes
High Speed Internet Service: Business Yes
High Speed Internet Service: Resident Yes
 


Property Taxes (NH Dept. of Revenue Administration)
2023 Total Tax Rate $10.30
2023 Equalization Ratio 96.0
2023 Full Value Tax Rate (per $1000 of value) $9.87
 
2023 Percent of Local Assessed Valuation by Property Type
    Residential Land and Buildings 91.0%
    Commercial Land and Buildings 8.3%
    Public Utilities, Current Use, and Other 0.7%

 
Housing (ACS 2018-2022)
Total Housing Units 5,168
 
Single-Family Units,Detached or Attached 4,243
 
Units in Multiple-Family Structures:
    Two to Four Units in Structure 101
    Five or More Units in Structure 351
Mobile Homes and Other Housing Units 473




Population(1-Year Estimates/Decennial) (US Census Bureau)
Total Population Community County
   2023 7,875   65,027
   2020 7,693   63,705
   2010 7,097   60,088
   2000 6,832   56,325
   1990 6,016   49,216
   1980 4,841   42,884

 
Demographics American Community Survey (ACS 2018-2022)
Population by Gender
Male   3,749 Female   3,976
Population by Age Group
      Under Age 5 499
      Age 5 to 19 1,231
      Age 20 to 34 1,018
      Age 35 to 54 2,078
      Age 55 to 64 1,343
      Age 65 and over 1,556
            Median Age 46.8 years


Educational Attainment, population age 25 or older 5,665
      High school graduation or higher 96.8%
      Bachelor's degree or higher 43.2%
 
Income, Inflation Adjusted $   (ACS 2018-2022)
Per Capita Income $53,036
Median Family Income $122,827
Median Household Income $112,522
 
Median Earnings, full-time, year-round workers
      Male $94,709
      Female $55,685
 
Individuals below poverty level 6.6%
 
Labor Force   (NHES - ELMI)

Annual Average 2013 2023
    Civilian Labor Force 3,839   3,666
    Employed 3,651   3,584
    Unemploymed 188   82
    Unemployment rate 4.9%   2.2%

 
Employment & Wages   (NHES-ELMI)
Annual Average Covered Employment 2013 2023
Good-Producing Industries  
    Average Employment  286  352
    Average Weekly Wage  $868  $1,707
 
Service-Providing Industries  
    Average Employment  2,167  2,701
    Average Weekly Wage  $667  $949
 
Total Private  
    Average Employment  2,453  3,053
    Average Weekly Wage  $691  $1,037
 
Government(Federal, State, Local)  
    Average Employment  668  707
    Average Weekly Wage  $627  $804
 
Total, Private Industry plus Government  
    Average Employment  3,121  3,760
    Average Weekly Wage  $677  $993
 
If "n" appears, data do not meet disclosure standards.




Education and Child Care NH Department of Education, 2023
Schools Students Attend: Gilford operates grades K-12 District: SAU 73
Career Technology Center: J. Oliva Huot Technical Center (Laconia) Winnisquam Agricultural Programs
 
Educational Facilities(includes Charter Schools) Elementary Middle/Junior High High School Private/Parochial
Number of Schools 1 1 1 —
Grade Levels K 1-4 5-8 9-12 —
Total Enrollment 309 294 489 —
       
Nearest Community/Technical College: Lakes Region; NHTI-Concord
Nearest College or Universities: Plymouth State; Granite State; UNH School of Law

2023 NH Licensed Child Care Facilities (DHHS-Bureau of Child Care Licensing)   Total Facilities:     5   Capacity:     340

Largest Businesses Product/Service Employees Established
Gunstock Recreation Area Ski, recreation area 550
Gilford School District Education 260
Hannaford Brothers Supermarket 200 1991
Wal-Mart Retail store 200 1998
Town of Gilford Municipal services 126 1812
Bank of New Hampshire Banking services 115 2002
Shaws Supermarket Supermarket 113 2001
Orthopedic Professional Association Medical services 50 1999
WLNH/WLKZ/WEMJ Radio stations 33
 
Employer Information Supplied by Municipality
 
Transportation (distance estimated from city/town hall)
Road Access US Routes:
State Routes: 11, 11A, 11B, 11C
Nearest Interstate/Exit: I-93, Exit 20
Distance: 12 miles
 
Railroad No
Public Transportation WTS
 
Nearest Public Use Airport, General Aviation
    Laconia Municipal Runway  5,286 ft. asphalt
    Lighted?  Yes Navigation Aids?  Yes
 
Nearest Airport With Scheduled Service
    Manchester-Boston Regional Distance   54 miles
    Number of Passenger Airlines Serving Airport 4
 
Driving distance to select cities:
    Manchester, New Hampshire 48 miles
    Portland, Maine 81 miles
    Boston, Massachusetts 99 miles
    New York City, New York 298 miles
    Montreal, Quebec, Canada 239 miles
 
Commuting To Work (ACS 2018-2022)
Workers 16 years of age and over
  Drove alone, car/truck/van: 80.0%
  Carpooled, car/truck/van: 4.5%
  Used Public Transportation: 0.0%
  Walked: 0.5%
  Traveled by other means: 0.0%
  Worked at home: 15.0%
Mean Travel Time to Work: 21.7 minutes
 
Work in community of residence: 74.4%
Commute to other NH community: 21.4%
Commute out-of-state: 4.2%
Recreation, Attractions, Events
X Municipal Parks
YMCA/YWCA
Boys Club/Girls Club
X Golf Courses
X Swimming: INDOOR FACILITY
X Swimming: OUTDOOR FACILITY
X Tennis Courts: Indoor Facility
X Tennis Courts: Outdoor Facility
Ice Skating Rink: Indoor Facility
Bowling Facilities
X Museums
X Cinemas
X Performing Arts Facilities
X Tourist Attractions
X Youth Organizations (ie Scouts and 4-H)
X Youth Sports: Baseball
X Youth Sports: Soccer
X Youth Sports: Football
X Youth Sports: Basketball
X Youth Sports: Hockey
X Campgrounds
X Fishing/Hunting
X Boating/Marinas
X Snowmobile Trails
X Bicycle Trails
X Cross Country Skiing
X Beach or Waterfront Recreation Areas
X Overnight or Day Camps

Nearest Ski Areas: Gunstock
 
Other: Meadowbrook Musical Arts Center; Ellacoya State Beach; Outdoor skating rink