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By Geography >> City/Town >> Stark

 Stark, NH   
NH cities/towns
Community Contact Stark Board of Selectmen
Douglas Shannon, Chair
1189 Stark Highway
  Stark, NH 03582
 
Telephone (603) 636-2118
Fax (603) 636-6199
E-mail patty@townofstark.com
Web Site http://townofstark.com
 
Municipal Office Hours Selectmen: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, 8-4, Wednesday, Friday, 8-12; Town Clerk: Tuesday, Thursday, 8-3:45; Tax Collector: Thursday, 9-4
 
County Coos County
Labor Market Area Berlin, NH Micropolitan NECTA
Tourism Region Great North Woods 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 2
Incorporated: 1795
 
Origin: This town was chartered in 1774 as Percy, the family name of the Duke of Northumberland. At the time of the charter, a member of that family, Thomas Percy, was the king's chaplain. The town was incorporated as Piercy in 1795. In 1832 the name was changed to Stark in honor of General John Stark, hero of Bunker Hill and the Battle of Bennington. New Hampshire owes its motto, ""Live Free or Die,"" to General Stark, who was the first to carry the new thirteen-star American flag into battle. He wrote those words in July 1809, in commemoration of the Battle of Bennington. Stark is the location of the Stark Bridge, one of New Hampshire's scenic covered bridges, built in 1862.
 
Villages and Place Names: Crystal, Percy
 
Population, Year of the First Census Taken: 48 residents in 1790
 
Population Trends: Population change for Stark totaled 121 over 50 years, from 343 in 1970 to 464 in 2020. The largest decennial percent change was a 37 percent increase from 1970 to 1980. The town's population decreased by 17 percent from 2010 to 2020, the largest percent loss among the cities and towns.
 
Population Density and Land Area: 2023 (US Census Bureau): 7.9 persons per square mile of land area. Stark contains 59.2 square miles of land area and 0.5 square miles of inland water area.
 
 
 


Municipal Services
Type of Government Selectmen
Budget:Municipal Appropriations,2023 $641,345
Budget:School Appropriations,2022-2023 $771,199
Zoning Ordinance No Board
Master Plan No
Capital Improvement Plan No
Industrial Plans Reviewed By Planning Board
 
Boards and Commissions
    Elected: Selectmen; Planning
    Appointed: None
 
Public Library Stark Public



Emergency Services
Police Department No
Fire Department Volunteer
Emergency Medical Service Groveton Ambulance
 
Nearest Hospital(s) Distance Staffed Beds
Weeks Medical Center, Lancaster 19 miles   25


 
Utilities
Electric Supplier Eversource Energy
Natural Gas Supplier None
Water Supplier Private wells
 
Sanitation Private septic
Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant No
Solid Waste Disposal
    Curbside Trash Pickup None
    Pay-As-You-Throw Program No
    Recycling Program Mandatory
 
Telephone Company Consolidated Communications
Cellular Telephone Access Limited
Cable Television Access No
Public Access Television Station No
High Speed Internet Service: Business Yes
High Speed Internet Service: Resident Limited
 


Property Taxes (NH Dept. of Revenue Administration)
2023 Total Tax Rate $20.72
2023 Equalization Ratio 48.0
2023 Full Value Tax Rate (per $1000 of value) $9.81
 
2023 Percent of Local Assessed Valuation by Property Type
    Residential Land and Buildings 79.6%
    Commercial Land and Buildings 3.0%
    Public Utilities, Current Use, and Other 17.4%

 
Housing (ACS 2018-2022)
Total Housing Units 427
 
Single-Family Units,Detached or Attached 359
 
Units in Multiple-Family Structures:
    Two to Four Units in Structure 6
    Five or More Units in Structure 9
Mobile Homes and Other Housing Units 53




Population(1-Year Estimates/Decennial) (US Census Bureau)
Total Population Community County
   2023 468   31,372
   2020 464   31,268
   2010 547   33,055
   2000 513   33,111
   1990 519   34,828
   1980 470   35,147

 
Demographics American Community Survey (ACS 2018-2022)
Population by Gender
Male   223 Female   285
Population by Age Group
      Under Age 5 42
      Age 5 to 19 82
      Age 20 to 34 37
      Age 35 to 54 71
      Age 55 to 64 134
      Age 65 and over 142
            Median Age 58.6 years


Educational Attainment, population age 25 or older 365
      High school graduation or higher 94.5%
      Bachelor's degree or higher 10.7%
 
Income, Inflation Adjusted $   (ACS 2018-2022)
Per Capita Income $27,048
Median Family Income $78,750
Median Household Income $55,500
 
Median Earnings, full-time, year-round workers
      Male $60,000
      Female $36,250
 
Individuals below poverty level 14.6%
 
Labor Force   (NHES - ELMI)

Annual Average 2013 2023
    Civilian Labor Force 253   192
    Employed 228   185
    Unemploymed 25   7
    Unemployment rate 9.9%   3.6%

 
Employment & Wages   (NHES-ELMI)
Annual Average Covered Employment 2013 2023
Good-Producing Industries  
    Average Employment  n  n
    Average Weekly Wage  n  n
 
Service-Providing Industries  
    Average Employment  n  n
    Average Weekly Wage  n  n
 
Total Private  
    Average Employment  n  4
    Average Weekly Wage  n  $567
 
Government(Federal, State, Local)  
    Average Employment  12  10
    Average Weekly Wage  $108  $200
 
Total, Private Industry plus Government  
    Average Employment  n  14
    Average Weekly Wage  n  $303
 
If "n" appears, data do not meet disclosure standards.




Education and Child Care NH Department of Education, 2023
Schools Students Attend: Stark operates grades K-6; grades 7-12 are tuitioned to Northumberland District: SAU 58
Career Technology Center: Hugh J. Gallen Career & Technical Center; White Mountains RHS
 
Educational Facilities(includes Charter Schools) Elementary Middle/Junior High High School Private/Parochial
Number of Schools 1 — — —
Grade Levels K 1-6 — — —
Total Enrollment 29 — — —
       
Nearest Community/Technical College: White Mountains
 

2023 NH Licensed Child Care Facilities (DHHS-Bureau of Child Care Licensing)   Total Facilities:     0   Capacity:     0

Largest Businesses Product/Service Employees Established
Town of Stark Municipal services 23
 
Employer Information Supplied by Municipality
 
Transportation (distance estimated from city/town hall)
Road Access US Routes:
State Routes: 110
Nearest Interstate/Exit: I-93, Exit 41
Distance: 35 miles
 
Railroad St. Lawrence & Atlantic
Public Transportation No
 
Nearest Public Use Airport, General Aviation
    Berlin Municipal Runway  5,200 ft. asphalt
    Lighted?  Yes Navigation Aids?  Yes
 
Nearest Airport With Scheduled Service
    Lebanon Municipal Distance   104 miles
    Number of Passenger Airlines Serving Airport 1
 
Driving distance to select cities:
    Manchester, New Hampshire 131 miles
    Portland, Maine 120 miles
    Boston, Massachusetts 181 miles
    New York City, New York 364 miles
    Montreal, Quebec, Canada 154 miles
 
Commuting To Work (ACS 2018-2022)
Workers 16 years of age and over
  Drove alone, car/truck/van: 78.0%
  Carpooled, car/truck/van: 11.9%
  Used Public Transportation: 0.0%
  Walked: 0.6%
  Traveled by other means: 0.6%
  Worked at home: 9.0%
Mean Travel Time to Work: 37.6 minutes
 
Work in community of residence: 74.0%
Commute to other NH community: 8.5%
Commute out-of-state: 17.5%
Recreation, Attractions, Events
X Municipal Parks
YMCA/YWCA
Boys Club/Girls Club
Golf Courses
Swimming: INDOOR FACILITY
Swimming: OUTDOOR FACILITY
Tennis Courts: Indoor Facility
Tennis Courts: Outdoor Facility
Ice Skating Rink: Indoor Facility
Bowling Facilities
Museums
Cinemas
Performing Arts Facilities
X Tourist Attractions
X Youth Organizations (ie Scouts and 4-H)
Youth Sports: Baseball
Youth Sports: Soccer
Youth Sports: Football
Youth Sports: Basketball
Youth Sports: Hockey
Campgrounds
X Fishing/Hunting
X Boating/Marinas
X Snowmobile Trails
X Bicycle Trails
Cross Country Skiing
X Beach or Waterfront Recreation Areas
Overnight or Day Camps

Nearest Ski Areas: Wildcat
 
Other: Covered Bridge; Nash Stream Forest; John Stark Statue; Heritage Center