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 Bridgewater, NH   
NH cities/towns
Community Contact Town of Bridgewater
Terence Murphy, Selectman
297 Mayhew Turnpike
  Bridgewater, NH 03222
 
Telephone (603) 744-5055
Fax Not Available
E-mail townofbridgewaternh@gmail.com
Web Site www.bridgewater-nh.com
 
Municipal Office Hours Town Hall: Wednesday, 9-12, Thursday, 12-3; Town Clerk: Tuesday and Wednesday, 6-8:30 pm, third Saturday each month, 8:30-10; Tax Collector: by appointment
 
County Grafton County
Labor Market Area Plymouth, NH LMA
Tourism Region Lakes Region
Planning Commission Lakes Region Planning Commission
Regional Development Grafton County Economic Development Council
 
Election Districts
US Congress District 2
Executive Council District 1
State Senate District 7
State Representative Grafton County Districts 10, 18
Incorporated: 1788
 
Origin: Bridgewater received its charter in 1788, when it was part of the town of New Chester. New Chester was separated into Bridgewater and Hill, as well as portions of Bristol, Danbury, and Wilmot. Early settlers of the area were from Bridgewater, Massachusetts, giving the town its name. Bridgewater was officially incorporated by John Sullivan, who was President of New Hampshire before the title was changed to Governor. The town line follows the eastern shore of Newfound Lake.
 
Villages and Place Names: unknown
 
Population, Year of the First Census Taken: 281 residents in 1790
 
Population Trends: Population change for Bridgewater totaled 765 over 50 years, from 398 in 1970 to 1,163 in 2020. The largest decennial percent change was a 52 percent increase from 1970 to 1980. The town's population increased by seven percent from 2010 to 2020.
 
Population Density and Land Area: 2023 (US Census Bureau): 55.0 persons per square mile of land area. Bridgewater contains 21.5 square miles of land area and 0.2 square miles of inland water area.
 
 
 


Municipal Services
Type of Government Selectmen
Budget:Municipal Appropriations,2017 $1,401,715
Budget:School Appropriations,2020-2021 $1,700,903
Zoning Ordinance 1983/10
Master Plan 2006
Capital Improvement Plan Yes
Industrial Plans Reviewed By Planning Board
 
Boards and Commissions
    Elected: Selectmen
    Appointed: Planning; Conservation; ZBA
 
Public Library Bridgewater



Emergency Services
Police Department Full-time
Fire Department Part-time
Emergency Medical Service Full-time
 
Nearest Hospital(s) Distance Staffed Beds
Speare Memorial, Plymouth 13 miles   25


 
Utilities
Electric Supplier Eversource Energy; 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 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 No
High Speed Internet Service: Business Yes
High Speed Internet Service: Resident Yes
 


Property Taxes (NH Dept. of Revenue Administration)
2023 Total Tax Rate $8.06
2023 Equalization Ratio 56.2
2023 Full Value Tax Rate (per $1000 of value) $4.51
 
2023 Percent of Local Assessed Valuation by Property Type
    Residential Land and Buildings 94.6%
    Commercial Land and Buildings 3.8%
    Public Utilities, Current Use, and Other 1.6%

 
Housing (ACS 2018-2022)
Total Housing Units 816
 
Single-Family Units,Detached or Attached 700
 
Units in Multiple-Family Structures:
    Two to Four Units in Structure 19
    Five or More Units in Structure 10
Mobile Homes and Other Housing Units 87




Population(1-Year Estimates/Decennial) (US Census Bureau)
Total Population Community County
   2023 1,183   93,146
   2020 1,163   91,118
   2010 1,082   89,118
   2000 975   81,743
   1990 743   74,929
   1980 606   65,806

 
Demographics American Community Survey (ACS 2018-2022)
Population by Gender
Male   569 Female   540
Population by Age Group
      Under Age 5 21
      Age 5 to 19 103
      Age 20 to 34 210
      Age 35 to 54 213
      Age 55 to 64 262
      Age 65 and over 300
            Median Age 55.6 years


Educational Attainment, population age 25 or older 940
      High school graduation or higher 94.4%
      Bachelor's degree or higher 36.3%
 
Income, Inflation Adjusted $   (ACS 2018-2022)
Per Capita Income $50,433
Median Family Income $89,583
Median Household Income $77,500
 
Median Earnings, full-time, year-round workers
      Male $59,198
      Female $53,125
 
Individuals below poverty level 6.7%
 
Labor Force   (NHES - ELMI)

Annual Average 2013 2023
    Civilian Labor Force 679   695
    Employed 655   683
    Unemploymed 24   12
    Unemployment rate 3.5%   1.7%

 
Employment & Wages   (NHES-ELMI)
Annual Average Covered Employment 2013 2023
Good-Producing Industries  
    Average Employment  27  n
    Average Weekly Wage  $745  n
 
Service-Providing Industries  
    Average Employment  74  n
    Average Weekly Wage  $887  n
 
Total Private  
    Average Employment  100  108
    Average Weekly Wage  $850  $1,003
 
Government(Federal, State, Local)  
    Average Employment  25  23
    Average Weekly Wage  $284  $519
 
Total, Private Industry plus Government  
    Average Employment  125  131
    Average Weekly Wage  $739  $918
 
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 Newfound Area (Alexandria, Bridgewater, Bristol, Danbury, Groton, Hebron, New Hampton) District: SAU 4
Career Technology Center: Plymouth Applied Technology Center
 
Educational Facilities(includes Charter Schools) Elementary Middle/Junior High High School Private/Parochial
Number of Schools 1
Grade Levels P K 1-5
Total Enrollment 154
       
Nearest Community/Technical College: Lakes Region
Nearest College or Universities: Plymouth State; Colby-Sawyer

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

Largest Businesses Product/Service Employees Established
Rymes Propane & Oil Propane & Oil
Bridgewater Inn Hospitality / Restaurant
Newfound Lake Inn Hospitality / Restaurant
Newfound Country Store Convenience Store
 
Employer Information Supplied by Municipality
 
Transportation (distance estimated from city/town hall)
Road Access US Routes: 3
State Routes: 3A
Nearest Interstate/Exit: I-93, Exit 23
Distance: 10 miles
 
Railroad No
Public Transportation No
 
Nearest Public Use Airport, General Aviation
    Newfound Valley, Bristol Runway  1,900 ft. asphalt
    Lighted?  No Navigation Aids?  No
 
Nearest Airport With Scheduled Service
    Lebanon Municipal Distance   42 miles
    Number of Passenger Airlines Serving Airport 1
 
Driving distance to select cities:
    Manchester, New Hampshire 58 miles
    Portland, Maine 101 miles
    Boston, Massachusetts 108 miles
    New York City, New York 305 miles
    Montreal, Quebec, Canada 224 miles
 
Commuting To Work (ACS 2018-2022)
Workers 16 years of age and over
  Drove alone, car/truck/van: 77.2%
  Carpooled, car/truck/van: 5.8%
  Used Public Transportation: 1.2%
  Walked: 4.7%
  Traveled by other means: 2.8%
  Worked at home: 8.2%
Mean Travel Time to Work: 30.3 minutes
 
Work in community of residence: 64.6%
Commute to other NH community: 31.1%
Commute out-of-state: 4.4%
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)
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
Overnight or Day Camps

Nearest Ski Areas: Ragged, Tenney Mountains
 
Other: