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By Geography >> City/Town >> Keene

 Keene, NH   
NH cities/towns
Community Contact City of Keene
Helen Mattson, Administrative Assistant to the City Manager
3 Washington Street
  Keene, NH 03431-3191
 
Telephone (603) 357-9804
Fax (603) 283-5650
E-mail hmattson@keenenh.gov
Web Site `
 
Municipal Office Hours City Hall, City Manager, and City Clerk: Monday to Friday, 8-4:30; Tax Collector: Monday to Friday, 8-4
 
County Cheshire County
Labor Market Area Keene, NH Micropolitan NECTA
Tourism Region Monadnock Region
Planning Commission Southwest Region Planning
Regional Development Monadnock Economic Development Corp.
 
Election Districts
US Congress District 2 (All Wards)
Executive Council District 2
State Senate District 10 (All Wards)
State Representative Cheshire County Districts 1 (Ward 1), 2 (Ward 3), 3 (Ward 5), 4 (Ward 4), 7 (Ward 2), 15 (Wards 1, 3-5), 16 (Ward 2)
Incorporated: 1753
 
Origin: This territory was first granted in 1735 as Upper Ashuelot to soldiers in the wars against Canada, and intended to be a fort town. Establishment of the Massachusetts-New Hampshire boundary in 1753 made it one of the largest towns in New England. Under regrant by the New Hampshire governor, the town was named in honor of Sir Benjamin Keene of England, an associate of Governor Wentworth in the Spanish West Indies trade. Keene was incorporated as a city in 1873. The Keene Normal School, now Keene State College, was founded here in 1909. The annual Keene Pumpkin Festival has set eight world records for the largest number of lit jack-o-lanterns, reaching 28,952 in 2003.
 
Villages and Place Names: North Swanzey, South Keene, Marlborough
 
Population, Year of the First Census Taken: 1314 residents in 1790
 
Population Trends: Population change for Keene, including resident students, totaled 2,476 over 50 years, from 20,467 in 1970 to 22,943 in 2021. The largest decennial percent change was an eight percent increase from 1980 to 1990. The city's population decreased by two percent from 2010 to 2020. The 2023 Census estimate for Keene was 22,917 residents, which ranked 12th among New Hampshire's incorporated cities and towns.
 
Population Density and Land Area: 2023 (US Census Bureau): 619.4 persons per square mile of land area. Keene contains 37 square miles of land area and 0.2 square miles of inland water area.
 
 
 


Municipal Services
Type of Government Mayor, Council, & Manager
Budget:Municipal Appropriations,2022-2023 $74,980,029
Budget:School Appropriations,2022-2023 $36,902,208
Zoning Ordinance 1927/07
Master Plan 2010
Capital Improvement Plan Yes
Industrial Plans Reviewed By Planning Board
 
Boards and Commissions
    Elected: City Council
    Appointed: Planning; Zoning; Library; Conservation; Cemetery
 
Public Library Keene Public



Emergency Services
Police Department Full-time
Fire Department Municipal
Emergency Medical Service Municipal
 
Nearest Hospital(s) Distance Staffed Beds
Cheshire Medical Center, Keene Local   94


 
Utilities
Electric Supplier Eversource Energy
Natural Gas Supplier Keene Gas Corp
Water Supplier Keene Water Department
 
Sanitation Municipal
Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant Yes
Solid Waste Disposal
    Curbside Trash Pickup None
    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 $31.89
2023 Equalization Ratio 73.4
2023 Full Value Tax Rate (per $1000 of value) $22.87
 
2023 Percent of Local Assessed Valuation by Property Type
    Residential Land and Buildings 60.7%
    Commercial Land and Buildings 34.3%
    Public Utilities, Current Use, and Other 5.0%

 
Housing (ACS 2018-2022)
Total Housing Units 10,313
 
Single-Family Units,Detached or Attached 5,362
 
Units in Multiple-Family Structures:
    Two to Four Units in Structure 1,904
    Five or More Units in Structure 2,655
Mobile Homes and Other Housing Units 392




Population(1-Year Estimates/Decennial) (US Census Bureau)
Total Population Community County
   2023 22,917   77,703
   2020 22,943   76,458
   2010 23,526   77,117
   2000 22,569   73,825
   1990 23,081   70,121
   1980 21,449   62,116

 
Demographics American Community Survey (ACS 2018-2022)
Population by Gender
Male   11,235 Female   11,672
Population by Age Group
      Under Age 5 872
      Age 5 to 19 4,087
      Age 20 to 34 6,161
      Age 35 to 54 5,057
      Age 55 to 64 2,563
      Age 65 and over 4,167
            Median Age 36.1 years


Educational Attainment, population age 25 or older 15,145
      High school graduation or higher 93.3%
      Bachelor's degree or higher 44.1%
 
Income, Inflation Adjusted $   (ACS 2018-2022)
Per Capita Income $37,968
Median Family Income $93,196
Median Household Income $69,381
 
Median Earnings, full-time, year-round workers
      Male $59,735
      Female $46,166
 
Individuals below poverty level 11.2%
 
Labor Force   (NHES - ELMI)

Annual Average 2013 2023
    Civilian Labor Force 12,359   10,855
    Employed 11,748   10,599
    Unemploymed 611   256
    Unemployment rate 4.9%   2.4%

 
Employment & Wages   (NHES-ELMI)
Annual Average Covered Employment 2012 2022
Good-Producing Industries  
    Average Employment  2,693  2,167
    Average Weekly Wage  $1,032  $1,288
 
Service-Providing Industries  
    Average Employment  13,565  11,981
    Average Weekly Wage  $807  $1,116
 
Total Private  
    Average Employment  16,258  14,148
    Average Weekly Wage  $845  $1,143
 
Government(Federal, State, Local)  
    Average Employment  2,566  2,224
    Average Weekly Wage  $882  $0
 
Total, Private Industry plus Government  
    Average Employment  18,824  16,371
    Average Weekly Wage  $850  $1,138
 
If "n" appears, data do not meet disclosure standards.




Education and Child Care
Schools Students Attend: Keene operates grades K-12 District: SAU 29
Career Technology Center: Cheshire Career Center (Keene) Fall Mountain RHS - CTE
 
Educational Facilities(includes Charter Schools) Elementary Middle/Junior High High School Private/Parochial
Number of Schools 6 2 2 5
Grade Levels P K 1-5 6-8 9-12 P K 1-12
Total Enrollment 1,237 669 1,450 493
       
Nearest Community/Technical College: River Valley
Nearest College or Universities: Keene State; Antioch New England; Franklin Pierce

2023 NH Licensed Child Care Facilities (DHHS-Bureau of Child Care Licensing)   Total Facilities:     14   Capacity:     1,063

Largest Businesses Product/Service Employees Established
Timken Super Precision Mini & precision bearings 267 1941
Cheshire Medical Center/Dartmouth Hitchcock Clinic-Keene Health care services 1531 1892
Imaje Corporation Industrial marking equipment 400 1911
National Grange Mutual Insurance Insurance services 311 1923
Keene State College Education 687 1909
Smith Industrial Medical Systems Hospital supplies 350 1971
Keene School District Education 846
C & S Wholesale Grocers Wholesale foods 1200 2004
Janos Technologies Precision infared optics 75 1970
Samson Manufacturing Firearms manufacturer 55 2013
 
Employer Information Supplied by Municipality
 
Transportation (distance estimated from city/town hall)
Road Access US Routes:
State Routes: 9, 10, 12, 12A, 32, 101
Nearest Interstate/Exit: I-91 (VT), Exit 3
Distance: 17 miles
 
Railroad No
Public Transportation City Express
 
Nearest Public Use Airport, General Aviation
    Dillant-Hopkins, Swanzey Runway  6,201 ft. asphalt
    Lighted?  Yes Navigation Aids?  Yes
 
Nearest Airport With Scheduled Service
    Manchester-Boston Regional Distance   57 miles
    Number of Passenger Airlines Serving Airport 4
 
Driving distance to select cities:
    Manchester, New Hampshire 65 miles
    Portland, Maine 157 miles
    Boston, Massachusetts 98 miles
    New York City, New York 223 miles
    Montreal, Quebec, Canada 243 miles
 
Commuting To Work (ACS 2018-2022)
Workers 16 years of age and over
  Drove alone, car/truck/van: 68.3%
  Carpooled, car/truck/van: 10.3%
  Used Public Transportation: 0.2%
  Walked: 4.0%
  Traveled by other means: 3.1%
  Worked at home: 14.1%
Mean Travel Time to Work: 16.4 minutes
 
Work in community of residence: 89.4%
Commute to other NH community: 5.0%
Commute out-of-state: 5.6%
Recreation, Attractions, Events
X Municipal Parks
X YMCA/YWCA
Boys Club/Girls Club
X Golf Courses
X Swimming: INDOOR FACILITY
X Swimming: OUTDOOR FACILITY
Tennis Courts: Indoor Facility
X Tennis Courts: Outdoor Facility
X Ice Skating Rink: Indoor Facility
X 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
Youth Sports: Basketball
X Youth Sports: Hockey
Campgrounds
X Fishing/Hunting
Boating/Marinas
X Snowmobile Trails
X Bicycle Trails
X Cross Country Skiing
Beach or Waterfront Recreation Areas
Overnight or Day Camps

Nearest Ski Areas: Mount Ascutney (VT)
 
Other: Hiking