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 Dorchester, NH   
NH cities/towns
Community Contact Town of Dorchester
Margaret Currier-Lemay, Administrative Assistant
1021 NH Route 118
  Dorchester, NH 03266
 
Telephone (603) 786-5095
Fax (603) 786-9476
E-mail townofdorchester@gmail.com
Web Site www.townofdorchester.org
 
Municipal Office Hours Select Board: Monday, Tuesday, and Friday, 9-11, Wednesday, 3-6, Thursday, 9-1; Town Clerk/Tax Collector: Monday, 9-11, Wednesday, 3-6, last Saturday each month, 9-11
 
County Grafton County
Labor Market Area Lebanon, NH-VT Micropolitan NECTA, NH portion
Tourism Region Dartmouth-Sunapee Region
Planning Commission Upper Valley/Lake Sunapee Region
Regional Development Grafton County Economic Development Council
 
Election Districts
US Congress District 2
Executive Council District 2
State Senate District 5
State Representative Grafton County Districts 9, 18
Incorporated: 1761
 
Origin: First chartered in 1761, Dorchester was probably given its name in honor of ancestors of Governor Benning Wentworth, who held the titles Marquis of Dorchester and Earl of Kingston. Due to the inability of grantees to meet prescribed terms of settlement, the territory was granted twice more, once in 1766 and again in 1772, retaining the name Dorchester throughout. The town's first moderator, Captain John Thompson, was a descendant of David Thompson, who was one of the first settlers in the colony, at Rye's Odiorne Point in 1623.
 
Villages and Place Names: Bucks Corner, Cheever, North Dorchester
 
Population, Year of the First Census Taken: 175 residents in 1790
 
Population Trends: Population change for Dorchester totaled 198 over 50 years, from 141 in 1970 to 339 in 2020. The largest decennial percent change was 73 percent from 1970 to 1980, followed by 61 percent growth from 1980 to 1990. The town's population decreased by five percent from 2010 to 2020.
 
Population Density and Land Area: 2023 (US Census Bureau): 7.7 persons per square mile of land area. Dorchester contains 44.6 square miles of land area and 0.6 square miles of inland water area.
 
 
 


Municipal Services
Type of Government Selectmen
Budget:Municipal Appropriations,2021 $531,567
Budget:School Appropriations,2020-2021 $791,746
Zoning Ordinance 2017
Master Plan 2017
Capital Improvement Plan No
Industrial Plans Reviewed By Planning Board
 
Boards and Commissions
    Elected: Selectmen; Planning; Cemetery
    Appointed: Zoning; Conservation; Historic District
 
Public Library No Library



Emergency Services
Police Department No
Fire Department Canaan, Rumney, Lyme - Volunteer
Emergency Medical Service Canaan, Warren, Wentworth - Volunteer
 
Nearest Hospital(s) Distance Staffed Beds
Speare Memorial, Plymouth 18 miles   25
Alice Peck Day Memorial, Lebanon 23 miles   23


 
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 None
    Pay-As-You-Throw Program No
    Recycling Program Mandatory
 
Telephone Company Consolidated Communications
Cellular Telephone Access Limited
Cable Television Access Limited
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 $25.82
2023 Equalization Ratio 63.1
2023 Full Value Tax Rate (per $1000 of value) $16.26
 
2023 Percent of Local Assessed Valuation by Property Type
    Residential Land and Buildings 95.1%
    Commercial Land and Buildings 0.8%
    Public Utilities, Current Use, and Other 4.1%

 
Housing (ACS 2018-2022)
Total Housing Units 275
 
Single-Family Units,Detached or Attached 221
 
Units in Multiple-Family Structures:
    Two to Four Units in Structure 0
    Five or More Units in Structure 5
Mobile Homes and Other Housing Units 49




Population(1-Year Estimates/Decennial) (US Census Bureau)
Total Population Community County
   2023 342   93,146
   2020 339   91,118
   2010 355   89,118
   2000 353   81,743
   1990 392   74,929
   1980 244   65,806

 
Demographics American Community Survey (ACS 2018-2022)
Population by Gender
Male   225 Female   220
Population by Age Group
      Under Age 5 17
      Age 5 to 19 36
      Age 20 to 34 22
      Age 35 to 54 125
      Age 55 to 64 73
      Age 65 and over 172
            Median Age 55.9 years


Educational Attainment, population age 25 or older 392
      High school graduation or higher 90.6%
      Bachelor's degree or higher 32.4%
 
Income, Inflation Adjusted $   (ACS 2018-2022)
Per Capita Income $36,398
Median Family Income $86,875
Median Household Income $46,250
 
Median Earnings, full-time, year-round workers
      Male $70,357
      Female $88,000
 
Individuals below poverty level 18.9%
 
Labor Force   (NHES - ELMI)

Annual Average 2013 2023
    Civilian Labor Force 206   192
    Employed 193   188
    Unemploymed 13   4
    Unemployment rate 6.3%   2.1%

 
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  7
    Average Weekly Wage  n  $1,053
 
Government(Federal, State, Local)  
    Average Employment  8  6
    Average Weekly Wage  $245  $526
 
Total, Private Industry plus Government  
    Average Employment  n  12
    Average Weekly Wage  n  $809
 
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 Mascoma Valley Regional (Canaan, Dorchester, Enfield, Grafton, Orange) District: SAU 62
Career Technology Center: Hartford Area Career & Technology 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; River Valley
Nearest College or Universities: Plymouth State; Dartmouth

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 Dorchester Municipal services 4 1772
 
Employer Information Supplied by Municipality
 
Transportation (distance estimated from city/town hall)
Road Access US Routes:
State Routes: 118
Nearest Interstate/Exit: I-93, Exit 26
Distance: 19 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   27 miles
    Number of Passenger Airlines Serving Airport 1
 
Driving distance to select cities:
    Manchester, New Hampshire 74 miles
    Portland, Maine 106 miles
    Boston, Massachusetts 124 miles
    New York City, New York 293 miles
    Montreal, Quebec, Canada 205 miles
 
Commuting To Work (ACS 2018-2022)
Workers 16 years of age and over
  Drove alone, car/truck/van: 62.2%
  Carpooled, car/truck/van: 21.8%
  Used Public Transportation: 1.3%
  Walked: 2.6%
  Traveled by other means: 0.6%
  Worked at home: 11.5%
Mean Travel Time to Work: 43.9 minutes
 
Work in community of residence: 81.4%
Commute to other NH community: 12.2%
Commute out-of-state: 6.4%
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
X 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
Boating/Marinas
X Snowmobile Trails
X Bicycle Trails
X Cross Country Skiing
Beach or Waterfront Recreation Areas
Overnight or Day Camps

Nearest Ski Areas: Tenney Mtn
 
Other: Dorchester Going Places Mountain Bike-a-Thon; D'Acres