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By Geography >> City/Town >> Benton

 Benton, NH   
NH cities/towns
Community Contact Benton Board of Selectmen
William Darcy, Chairman
221 Coventry Road
  Benton, NH 03785
 
Telephone (603) 787-6541
Fax Not Available
E-mail bentonnhselectmen@gmail.com
Web Site www.tobentonnh.org
 
Municipal Office Hours By appointment only
 
County Grafton County
Labor Market Area Haverhill, NH LMA
Tourism Region White Mountain Region
Planning Commission North Country Council
Regional Development Grafton County Economic Development Council
 
Election Districts
US Congress District 2
Executive Council District 2
State Senate District 1
State Representative Grafton County District 5
Incorporated: 1764
 
Origin: This community was first granted in 1764 as Coventry after the Connecticut home of many settlers, holding the name for over 75 years. In 1839, Governor Isaac Hill proposed renaming the town Benton in honor of Thomas Hart Benton, senator from Missouri. The town was incorporated as such in 1840. Senator Benton was known for championing Western expansion through establishment of express, railroad, navigation and telegraph interests. A prominent natural feature in Benton is Mount Moosilauke, a popular site for hikers.
 
Villages and Place Names: Boutin Corner, Coventry
 
Population, Year of the First Census Taken: 88 residents in 1790
 
Population Trends: Population change for Benton totaled 171 over 50 years, from 194 in 1970 to 365 in 2020. The largest decennial percent change was a 72 percent increase from 1970 to 1980; the town lost population over the next two decades. The town's population was unchanged from 2010 to 2020.
 
Population Density and Land Area: 2023 (US Census Bureau): 7.2 persons per square mile of land area. Benton contains 48.5 square miles of land area and 0.2 square miles of inland water area.
 
 
 


Municipal Services
Type of Government Selectmen
Budget:Municipal Appropriations,2023 $127,475
Budget:School Appropriations,2022-2023 $614,173
Zoning Ordinance 2021
Master Plan No
Capital Improvement Plan No
 
Boards and Commissions
    Elected: Selectmen; Planning
 
Public Library No Library



Emergency Services
Police Department State Police
Fire Department Contracted out
Emergency Medical Service Woodsville Ambulance
 
Nearest Hospital(s) Distance Staffed Beds
Cottage Hospital, Woodsville 12 miles   35


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


Property Taxes (NH Dept. of Revenue Administration)
2023 Total Tax Rate $8.36
2023 Equalization Ratio 104.5
2023 Full Value Tax Rate (per $1000 of value) $8.69
 
2023 Percent of Local Assessed Valuation by Property Type
    Residential Land and Buildings 93.5%
    Commercial Land and Buildings 2.3%
    Public Utilities, Current Use, and Other 4.2%

 
Housing (ACS 2018-2022)
Total Housing Units 153
 
Single-Family Units,Detached or Attached 143
 
Units in Multiple-Family Structures:
    Two to Four Units in Structure 0
    Five or More Units in Structure 0
Mobile Homes and Other Housing Units 10




Population(1-Year Estimates/Decennial) (US Census Bureau)
Total Population Community County
   2023 349   93,146
   2020 365   91,118
   2010 365   89,118
   2000 315   81,743
   1990 330   74,929
   1980 333   65,806

 
Demographics American Community Survey (ACS 2018-2022)
Population by Gender
Male   198 Female   194
Population by Age Group
      Under Age 5 1
      Age 5 to 19 33
      Age 20 to 34 25
      Age 35 to 54 51
      Age 55 to 64 140
      Age 65 and over 142
            Median Age 62.1 years


Educational Attainment, population age 25 or older 350
      High school graduation or higher 78.9%
      Bachelor's degree or higher 17.1%
 
Income, Inflation Adjusted $   (ACS 2018-2022)
Per Capita Income $26,221
Median Family Income $82,813
Median Household Income $64,167
 
Median Earnings, full-time, year-round workers
      Male $36,250
      Female $34,375
 
Individuals below poverty level 12.3%
 
Labor Force   (NHES - ELMI)

Annual Average 2013 2023
    Civilian Labor Force 143   141
    Employed 138   138
    Unemploymed 5   3
    Unemployment rate 3.5%   2.1%

 
Employment & Wages   (NHES-ELMI)
Annual Average Covered Employment 2013 2023
Good-Producing Industries  
    Average Employment  n  0
    Average Weekly Wage  n  $0
 
Service-Providing Industries  
    Average Employment  n  n
    Average Weekly Wage  n  n
 
Total Private  
    Average Employment  n  n
    Average Weekly Wage  n  n
 
Government(Federal, State, Local)  
    Average Employment  177  131
    Average Weekly Wage  $768  $1,168
 
Total, Private Industry plus Government  
    Average Employment  n  n
    Average Weekly Wage  n  n
 
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 tuitioned to Haverhill Cooperative (Bath, Benton, Haverhill, Piermont, Warren) District: SAU 23
Career Technology Center: River Bend Career & Technical Center (VT)
 
Educational Facilities(includes Charter Schools) Elementary Middle/Junior High High School Private/Parochial
Number of Schools — — — —
Grade Levels — — — —
Total Enrollment — — — —
       
Nearest Community/Technical College: Lakes Region; White Mountains
Nearest College or Universities: Plymouth State

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

Largest Businesses Product/Service Employees Established
Glenncliff Home NH DHHS Nursing home 200 1971
Coventry Garage Garage 1 1989
Elliott Construction Construction 1
Joe Boutin, Jr & Son Logging & excavation 2
 
Employer Information Supplied by Municipality
 
Transportation (distance estimated from city/town hall)
Road Access US Routes:
State Routes: 112, 116
Nearest Interstate/Exit: I-91 (VT), Exit 17
Distance: 13 miles
 
Railroad No
Public Transportation No
 
Nearest Public Use Airport, General Aviation
    Dean Memorial, Haverhill Runway  2,500 ft. asphalt
    Lighted?  Yes Navigation Aids?  No
 
Nearest Airport With Scheduled Service
    Lebanon Municipal Distance   47 miles
    Number of Passenger Airlines Serving Airport 1
 
Driving distance to select cities:
    Manchester, New Hampshire 95 miles
    Portland, Maine 112 miles
    Boston, Massachusetts 145 miles
    New York City, New York 307 miles
    Montreal, Quebec, Canada 179 miles
 
Commuting To Work (ACS 2018-2022)
Workers 16 years of age and over
  Drove alone, car/truck/van: 76.1%
  Carpooled, car/truck/van: 13.7%
  Used Public Transportation: 0.0%
  Walked: 0.0%
  Traveled by other means: 6.8%
  Worked at home: 3.4%
Mean Travel Time to Work: 27.2 minutes
 
Work in community of residence: 87.2%
Commute to other NH community: 6.0%
Commute out-of-state: 6.8%
Recreation, Attractions, Events
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
Tourist Attractions
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
X Cross Country Skiing
X Beach or Waterfront Recreation Areas
Overnight or Day Camps

Nearest Ski Areas: Loon & Cannon Mountains
 
Other: Hiking; White Mountain National Forest: Long Pond; Mount Moosilauke; Black Mountain