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By Geography >> City/Town >> Gorham

 Gorham, NH   
NH cities/towns
Community Contact Town of Gorham
Peter Gagnon,Town Manager
20 Park Street
  Gorham, NH 03581
 
Telephone (603) 466-3322
Fax (603) 466-9869
E-mail townmgr@gorhamnh.org
Web Site www.gorhamnh.org
 
Municipal Office Hours Town Manager: Monday to Friday, 8:30-4:30; Town Clerk/Tax Collector: Monday to Friday, 8:30-4:30, closed daily 12-12:45
 
County Coos County
Labor Market Area Berlin, NH Micropolitan NECTA
Tourism Region White Mountain Region
Planning Commission North Country Council
Regional Development Coos Economic Development Corp.
 
Election Districts
US Congress District 2
Executive Council District 1
State Senate District 1
State Representative Coos County District 6
Incorporated: 1836
 
Origin: This territory was first granted in 1770 as part of Shelburne called Shelburne Addition. Shelburne settlers petitioned the Legislature in 1786 for an ""addition"" of land because they felt a large portion of their grant was useless due to the mountains and rocks. It was incorporated as a separate town in 1836 and renamed Gorham at the suggestion of Sylvester Davis, a resident from Gorham, Maine, and a relative of the Gorham family who founded that town in 1764. The Gorham family has long been part of New England history, first settling in Barnstable, Massachusetts, in 1643.
 
Villages and Place Names: Mount Washington, Upper Village, Cascade, Lead Mines
 
Population, Year of the First Census Taken: 111 residents in 1830
 
Population Trends: Population change for Gorham totaled a negative 368 over 50 years, from 2,998 in 1970 down to 2,630 in 2020. The largest decennial percent change was an 11 percent increase from 1970 to 1980; population has decreased since. The town's population decreased by eight percent from 2010 to 2020.
 
Population Density and Land Area: 2023 (US Census Bureau): 84.0 persons per square mile of land area. Gorham contains 31.9 square miles of land area and 0.4 square miles of inland water area.
 
 
 


Municipal Services
Type of Government Selectmen
Budget:Municipal Appropriations,2021 $5,279,006
Budget:School Appropriations,2020-2021 $10,458,324
Zoning Ordinance 1988/21
Master Plan 2020
Capital Improvement Plan Yes
Industrial Plans Reviewed By Planning Board
 
Boards and Commissions
    Elected: Selectmen; Planning; Water & Sewer; Library; Budget
    Appointed: Zoning; Conservation; Town Forest
 
Public Library Gorham Public



Emergency Services
Police Department Full-time
Fire Department Full-time Chief & on-call
Emergency Medical Service 3 Full-time & on-call
 
Nearest Hospital(s) Distance Staffed Beds
Androscoggin Valley, Berlin 9 miles   25


 
Utilities
Electric Supplier Eversource Energy
Natural Gas Supplier PNGTS
Water Supplier Gorham Water Department
 
Sanitation Gorham Sewer Department
Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant Yes
Solid Waste Disposal
    Curbside Trash Pickup Municipal
    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 No
High Speed Internet Service: Business Yes
High Speed Internet Service: Resident Yes
 


Property Taxes (NH Dept. of Revenue Administration)
2023 Total Tax Rate $24.55
2023 Equalization Ratio 87.0
2023 Full Value Tax Rate (per $1000 of value) $21.11
 
2023 Percent of Local Assessed Valuation by Property Type
    Residential Land and Buildings 54.4%
    Commercial Land and Buildings 26.3%
    Public Utilities, Current Use, and Other 19.3%

 
Housing (ACS 2018-2022)
Total Housing Units 1,669
 
Single-Family Units,Detached or Attached 920
 
Units in Multiple-Family Structures:
    Two to Four Units in Structure 291
    Five or More Units in Structure 171
Mobile Homes and Other Housing Units 287




Population(1-Year Estimates/Decennial) (US Census Bureau)
Total Population Community County
   2023 2,680   31,372
   2020 2,630   31,268
   2010 2,840   33,055
   2000 2,902   33,111
   1990 3,204   34,828
   1980 3,322   35,147

 
Demographics American Community Survey (ACS 2018-2022)
Population by Gender
Male   1,318 Female   1,385
Population by Age Group
      Under Age 5 47
      Age 5 to 19 313
      Age 20 to 34 362
      Age 35 to 54 688
      Age 55 to 64 526
      Age 65 and over 767
            Median Age 53 years


Educational Attainment, population age 25 or older 2,224
      High school graduation or higher 95.2%
      Bachelor's degree or higher 26.1%
 
Income, Inflation Adjusted $   (ACS 2018-2022)
Per Capita Income $38,571
Median Family Income $84,744
Median Household Income $55,816
 
Median Earnings, full-time, year-round workers
      Male $53,646
      Female $48,491
 
Individuals below poverty level 5.3%
 
Labor Force   (NHES - ELMI)

Annual Average 2013 2023
    Civilian Labor Force 1,538   1,222
    Employed 1,442   1,190
    Unemploymed 96   32
    Unemployment rate 6.2%   2.6%

 
Employment & Wages   (NHES-ELMI)
Annual Average Covered Employment 2013 2023
Good-Producing Industries  
    Average Employment  269  145
    Average Weekly Wage  $980  $1,140
 
Service-Providing Industries  
    Average Employment  1,325  1,394
    Average Weekly Wage  $530  $787
 
Total Private  
    Average Employment  1,594  1,539
    Average Weekly Wage  $606  $820
 
Government(Federal, State, Local)  
    Average Employment  251  266
    Average Weekly Wage  $718  $821
 
Total, Private Industry plus Government  
    Average Employment  1,845  1,805
    Average Weekly Wage  $621  $820
 
If "n" appears, data do not meet disclosure standards.




Education and Child Care NH Department of Education, 2023
Schools Students Attend: Grades K-12 are part of Gorham-Randolph-Shelburne Cooperative District: SAU 20
Career Technology Center: Berlin Regional Career & Technical Center
 
Educational Facilities(includes Charter Schools) Elementary Middle/Junior High High School Private/Parochial
Number of Schools 1 1 1 1
Grade Levels K 1-5 6-8 9-12 P K 1-8
Total Enrollment 147 84 139 54
       
Nearest Community/Technical College: White Mountains
Nearest College or Universities: Plymouth State; Northern VT - Lyndon (VT)

2023 NH Licensed Child Care Facilities (DHHS-Bureau of Child Care Licensing)   Total Facilities:     3   Capacity:     160

Largest Businesses Product/Service Employees Established
Wal-Mart Retail store 210 1998
Berlin City Auto Group Car sales, service 156 1983
Quality Inn & Suites Health club, motel 18 2020
Town of Gorham Municipal services 78 1836
Family Resource Center Human services 71 1999
Mr. Pizza Restaurant 42 1986
Kelley Trucking Trucking & logging 32
Nucar Preowned Superstore, Inc. Car sales, service 17 2010
White Mountain Paper Co Manufacturing 65 2011
Yokohama Restaurant Restaurant 30 1964
 
Employer Information Supplied by Municipality
 
Transportation (distance estimated from city/town hall)
Road Access US Routes: 2
State Routes: 16
Nearest Interstate/Exit: I-93, Exit 35
Distance: 35 miles
 
Railroad St. Lawrence & Atlantic
Public Transportation NCT
 
Nearest Public Use Airport, General Aviation
    Gorham Airport Runway  2,800 ft. turf
    Lighted?  No Navigation Aids?  No
 
Nearest Airport With Scheduled Service
    Portland (ME) International Distance   92 miles
    Number of Passenger Airlines Serving Airport 8
 
Driving distance to select cities:
    Manchester, New Hampshire 127 miles
    Portland, Maine 94 miles
    Boston, Massachusetts 178 miles
    New York City, New York 377 miles
    Montreal, Quebec, Canada 179 miles
 
Commuting To Work (ACS 2018-2022)
Workers 16 years of age and over
  Drove alone, car/truck/van: 79.9%
  Carpooled, car/truck/van: 10.8%
  Used Public Transportation: 0.0%
  Walked: 2.8%
  Traveled by other means: 4.6%
  Worked at home: 2.0%
Mean Travel Time to Work: 25.2 minutes
 
Work in community of residence: 80.2%
Commute to other NH community: 17.1%
Commute out-of-state: 2.7%
Recreation, Attractions, Events
X Municipal Parks
YMCA/YWCA
Boys Club/Girls Club
X Golf Courses
Swimming: INDOOR FACILITY
X Swimming: OUTDOOR FACILITY
Tennis Courts: Indoor Facility
X Tennis Courts: Outdoor Facility
Ice Skating Rink: Indoor Facility
Bowling Facilities
X Museums
Cinemas
X Performing Arts Facilities
X Tourist Attractions
X Youth Organizations (ie Scouts and 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
X Bicycle Trails
X Cross Country Skiing
X Beach or Waterfront Recreation Areas
X Overnight or Day Camps

Nearest Ski Areas: Wildcat, Nansen Ski Club Trails
 
Other: Youth Softball; Co-Ed Adult Softball; Moose Tours; Mount Washington Auto Road; Moose Brook State Park; Summer Concert Series; 4th of July Celebration; ATV Trails; Hiking Trails; ATV Festival; Fitness Trails; Wildman Biathalon; Great Glen Outdoor Trails Center; White Mtn National Forest; Medallion Opera House; Gorham Historical Society & Railroad Museum; Ice Skating Rink: Outdoor Facility; Mountain Bike Trails; Androscoggin Valley Country Club; Summer Park Program; Outdoor Movie Nights; Farmers Market; Flea Market