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By Geography >> City/Town >> Amherst

 Amherst, NH   
NH cities/towns
Community Contact Town of Amherst
Dean Shankle, Town Administrator
2 Main Street
  Amherst, NH 03031-0960
 
Telephone (603) 673-6041
Fax (603) 673-6794
E-mail dshankle@amherstnh.gov
Web Site www.amherstnh.gov/
 
Municipal Office Hours Town Hall, Town Administrator: Monday to Friday, 8-4; Town Clerk: Monday to Friday, 9-3, plus Tuesday, 4:30-6:30; Tax Collector: Monday to Friday, 9-3
 
County Hillsborough County
Labor Market Area Nashua, NH-MA NECTA Division, NH portion
Tourism Region Merrimack Valley Region
Planning Commission Nashua Regional Planning
Regional Development Capital Regional Development Council
 
Election Districts
US Congress District 2
Executive Council District 5
State Senate District 11
State Representative Hillsborough County Districts 34, 37
Incorporated: 1760
 
Origin: This area was first granted in 1728 as Narragansett Number 3, settled by the families of soldiers who had fought at Narragansett, Rhode Island. In 1760, the town was named Amherst in honor of Lord Jeffrey Amherst (1717-1797), commander-in-chief of the colonial forces in the French and Indian War. Amherst was the birthplace of Horace Greeley (1811-1872), founder of the New York Tribune, a founder of the Republican Party, and 1872 presidential candidate. For a brief time, Amherst was the county seat for Hillsborough County.
 
Villages and Place Names: Cricket Corner, Ponemah, Baboosic Lake
 
Population, Year of the First Census Taken: 2369 residents in 1790
 
Population Trends: Population change for Amherst totaled 7,174 over 50 years, from 4,605 in 1970 to 11,779 in 2020. The largest decennial percent change was a 79 percent increase from 1970to 1980; the population more than doubled from 1960 to 1970. The town's population increased by five percent from 2010 to 2020.
 
Population Density and Land Area: 2023 (US Census Bureau): 350.4 persons per square mile of land area. Amherst contains 33.9 square miles of land area and 0.5 square miles of inland water area.
 
 
 


Municipal Services
Type of Government Selectmen
Budget:Municipal Appropriations,2023 $16,810,950
Budget:School Appropriations,2022-2023 $31,819,908
Zoning Ordinance 1946/23
Master Plan 2023
Capital Improvement Plan Yes
Industrial Plans Reviewed By Planning Board
 
Boards and Commissions
    Elected: Selectmen; Cemetery; Library; Trust Funds; Zoning; Planning
    Appointed: Communications Infrastructure; Conservation; Heritage; Historic District; Recreation; Capital Improvement; Solid Waste
 
Public Library Amherst Town



Emergency Services
Police Department Full-time
Fire Department On Call
Emergency Medical Service Part-time
 
Nearest Hospital(s) Distance Staffed Beds
Southern NH Medical Center, Nashua 12 miles   163
St. Joseph Hospital, Nashua 13 miles   159
Catholic Medical Center, Manchester 13 miles   262


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


Property Taxes (NH Dept. of Revenue Administration)
2023 Total Tax Rate $21.88
2023 Equalization Ratio 74.5
2023 Full Value Tax Rate (per $1000 of value) $16.16
 
2023 Percent of Local Assessed Valuation by Property Type
    Residential Land and Buildings 86.7%
    Commercial Land and Buildings 10.3%
    Public Utilities, Current Use, and Other 3.0%

 
Housing (ACS 2018-2022)
Total Housing Units 4,555
 
Single-Family Units,Detached or Attached 4,231
 
Units in Multiple-Family Structures:
    Two to Four Units in Structure 181
    Five or More Units in Structure 133
Mobile Homes and Other Housing Units 10




Population(1-Year Estimates/Decennial) (US Census Bureau)
Total Population Community County
   2023 11,879   427,354
   2020 11,779   422,937
   2010 11,208   400,721
   2000 10,805   380,841
   1990 9,057   335,838
   1980 8,243   276,608

 
Demographics American Community Survey (ACS 2018-2022)
Population by Gender
Male   5,698 Female   6,068
Population by Age Group
      Under Age 5 724
      Age 5 to 19 2,211
      Age 20 to 34 1,293
      Age 35 to 54 3,166
      Age 55 to 64 2,184
      Age 65 and over 2,188
            Median Age 45.9 years


Educational Attainment, population age 25 or older 8,442
      High school graduation or higher 99.4%
      Bachelor's degree or higher 64.1%
 
Income, Inflation Adjusted $   (ACS 2018-2022)
Per Capita Income $73,143
Median Family Income $175,112
Median Household Income $151,375
 
Median Earnings, full-time, year-round workers
      Male $121,261
      Female $68,827
 
Individuals below poverty level 4.2%
 
Labor Force   (NHES - ELMI)

Annual Average 2013 2023
    Civilian Labor Force 6,139   6,277
    Employed 5,847   6,147
    Unemploymed 292   130
    Unemployment rate 4.8%   2.1%

 
Employment & Wages   (NHES-ELMI)
Annual Average Covered Employment 2012 2022
Good-Producing Industries  
    Average Employment  832  1,065
    Average Weekly Wage  $1,067  $1,311
 
Service-Providing Industries  
    Average Employment  2,993  3,408
    Average Weekly Wage  $825  $1,237
 
Total Private  
    Average Employment  3,825  4,473
    Average Weekly Wage  $877  $1,254
 
Government(Federal, State, Local)  
    Average Employment  585  589
    Average Weekly Wage  $963  $0
 
Total, Private Industry plus Government  
    Average Employment  4,410  5,062
    Average Weekly Wage  $889  $1,239
 
If "n" appears, data do not meet disclosure standards.




Education and Child Care
Schools Students Attend: Amherst operates grades K-8; grades 9-12 are part of Souhegan Cooperative (Amherst, Mont Vernon) District: SAU 39
Career Technology Center: Milford HS & Applied Technology Center; Wilbur H. Palmer Career & Tech Ed Center (Hudson) Nashua Technology Center
 
Educational Facilities(includes Charter Schools) Elementary Middle/Junior High High School Private/Parochial
Number of Schools 1 1 1 3
Grade Levels P K 1-4 5-8 9-12 P K 1-12
Total Enrollment 697 644 691 63
       
Nearest Community/Technical College: Manchester; Nashua
Nearest College or Universities: St. Anselm; Rivier; Thomas More; UNH-Manchester; Southern NH University; MCPHS; Franklin Pierce-Manchester

2023 NH Licensed Child Care Facilities (DHHS-Bureau of Child Care Licensing)   Total Facilities:     7   Capacity:     490

Largest Businesses Product/Service Employees Established
Wal-Mart Retail store 200 1992
H & M Metals, Inc. Steel metal fabrication 130 1970
Diacom Corporation Fabric-elastomer diaphragms 93 1983
Resin System Corporation Custom cast thermoset plastic 52 1972
Vibrac Corporation Torque test instruments 15 1971
Rontex America, Inc. Nonwoven fabrics 23 1976
Lowe's Home improvement center
 
Employer Information Supplied by Municipality
 
Transportation (distance estimated from city/town hall)
Road Access US Routes:
State Routes: 13, 101, 101A, 122
Nearest Interstate/Exit: Everett Tpk., Exit 11; I-293, Exit 4
Distance: 9 miles; 12 miles
 
Railroad Boston & Maine
Public Transportation No
 
Nearest Public Use Airport, General Aviation
    Boire Field, Nashua Runway  6,000 ft. asphalt
    Lighted?  Yes Navigation Aids?  Yes
 
Nearest Airport With Scheduled Service
    Manchester-Boston Regional Distance   15 miles
    Number of Passenger Airlines Serving Airport 4
 
Driving distance to select cities:
    Manchester, New Hampshire 16 miles
    Portland, Maine 110 miles
    Boston, Massachusetts 56 miles
    New York City, New York 226 miles
    Montreal, Quebec, Canada 262 miles
 
Commuting To Work (ACS 2018-2022)
Workers 16 years of age and over
  Drove alone, car/truck/van: 65.4%
  Carpooled, car/truck/van: 5.3%
  Used Public Transportation: 0.0%
  Walked: 0.3%
  Traveled by other means: 2.1%
  Worked at home: 26.8%
Mean Travel Time to Work: 32.1 minutes
 
Work in community of residence: 81.5%
Commute to other NH community: 9.1%
Commute out-of-state: 9.4%
Recreation, Attractions, Events
X Municipal Parks
YMCA/YWCA
X 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
Performing Arts Facilities
Tourist Attractions
X Youth Organizations (ie Scouts and 4-H)
X Youth Sports: Baseball
X Youth Sports: Soccer
X Youth Sports: Football
X Youth Sports: Basketball
Youth Sports: Hockey
Campgrounds
X Fishing/Hunting
Boating/Marinas
X Snowmobile Trails
Bicycle Trails
X Cross Country Skiing
X Beach or Waterfront Recreation Areas
X Overnight or Day Camps

Nearest Ski Areas: Pat's Peak; Crotched Mountain
 
Other: Swimming Lake; Youth Lacrosse; Ponemah Bog Sanctuary; Peabody Mill Environmental Center; Joe English Reservation; Hiking Trails