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 Francestown, NH   
NH cities/towns
Community Contact Town of Francestown
Jamie Pike, Town Administrator
27 Main Street, PO Box 5
  Francestown, NH 03043
 
Telephone (603) 547-3469
Fax (603) 547-2622
E-mail selectmensoffice@francestownnh.org
Web Site www.francestownnh.org
 
Municipal Office Hours Town Administrator: Monday to Thursday, 8-12; Town Clerk/Tax Collector: Monday to Thursday, 8-12, Tuesday, 5:30-7:30 by appointment
 
County Hillsborough County
Labor Market Area Peterborough, NH LMA
Tourism Region Monadnock Region
Planning Commission Southern NH Planning Commission
Regional Development Monadnock Economic Development Corp.
 
Election Districts
US Congress District 2
Executive Council District 5
State Senate District 8
State Representative Hillsborough County District 27
Incorporated: 1772
 
Origin: Incorporated in 1772, Francestown was named for Frances Deering Wentworth, wife of Governor John Wentworth. She was the source of some scandal, marrying John just ten days after the death of her first husband, Theodore Atkinson. Three years after Francestown was incorporated, the Wentworths fled to exile. Situated on the Second New Hampshire Turnpike, the only through route between Boston and Vermont, the town collected a toll of one cent per mile from travelling coaches and wagons. Francestown was also the site of a high-quality soapstone quarry, which was mined until the 1890s.
 
Villages and Place Names: unknown
 
Population, Year of the First Census Taken: 982 residents in 1790
 
Population Trends: Population change for Francestown totaled 1,087 over 50 years, from 525 in 1970 to 1,612 in 2020. The largest decennial percent change was a 58 percent increase from 1970 to 1980; followed by a 47 percent increase from 1980 to 1990. The town's population increased by three percent from 2010 to 2020.
 
Population Density and Land Area: 2023 (US Census Bureau): 54.9 persons per square mile of land area. Francestown contains 29.9 square miles of land area and 0.5 square miles of inland water area.
 
 
 


Municipal Services
Type of Government Selectmen
Budget:Municipal Appropriations,2023 $3,327,726
Budget:School Appropriations,2023-2024 $57,106,282
Zoning Ordinance 1937/22
Master Plan 2018
Capital Improvement Plan Yes
Industrial Plans Reviewed By Planning Board
 
Boards and Commissions
    Elected: Selectmen; Planning; Trust Funds; Cemetery; Library
    Appointed: Zoning; Conservation; Budget Advisory; Recreation; Waste Disposal; Patriotic; Heritage
 
Public Library George Holmes Bixby Memorial



Emergency Services
Police Department Part-time
Fire Department Volunteer
Emergency Medical Service Volunteer
 
Nearest Hospital(s) Distance Staffed Beds
Monadnock Community, Peterborough 10 miles   25


 
Utilities
Electric Supplier Eversource Energy
Natural Gas Supplier None
Water Supplier Private wells & Francestown Village Water Co.
 
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; Comcast; TDS
Cellular Telephone Access Yes
Cable Television Access Yes
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 $27.88
2023 Equalization Ratio 56.1
2023 Full Value Tax Rate (per $1000 of value) $15.58
 
2023 Percent of Local Assessed Valuation by Property Type
    Residential Land and Buildings 92.4%
    Commercial Land and Buildings 6.0%
    Public Utilities, Current Use, and Other 1.6%

 
Housing (ACS 2018-2022)
Total Housing Units 684
 
Single-Family Units,Detached or Attached 624
 
Units in Multiple-Family Structures:
    Two to Four Units in Structure 37
    Five or More Units in Structure 9
Mobile Homes and Other Housing Units 14




Population(1-Year Estimates/Decennial) (US Census Bureau)
Total Population Community County
   2023 1,641   427,354
   2020 1,612   422,937
   2010 1,547   400,721
   2000 1,497   380,841
   1990 1,220   335,838
   1980 830   276,608

 
Demographics American Community Survey (ACS 2018-2022)
Population by Gender
Male   710 Female   751
Population by Age Group
      Under Age 5 91
      Age 5 to 19 298
      Age 20 to 34 153
      Age 35 to 54 291
      Age 55 to 64 304
      Age 65 and over 324
            Median Age 50.3 years


Educational Attainment, population age 25 or older 1,029
      High school graduation or higher 97.8%
      Bachelor's degree or higher 50.0%
 
Income, Inflation Adjusted $   (ACS 2018-2022)
Per Capita Income $49,205
Median Family Income $106,389
Median Household Income $105,347
 
Median Earnings, full-time, year-round workers
      Male $74,688
      Female $58,750
 
Individuals below poverty level 7.7%
 
Labor Force   (NHES - ELMI)

Annual Average 2013 2023
    Civilian Labor Force 993   995
    Employed 951   976
    Unemploymed 42   19
    Unemployment rate 4.2%   1.9%

 
Employment & Wages   (NHES-ELMI)
Annual Average Covered Employment 2013 2023
Good-Producing Industries  
    Average Employment  n  22
    Average Weekly Wage  n  $1,468
 
Service-Providing Industries  
    Average Employment  n  224
    Average Weekly Wage  n  $659
 
Total Private  
    Average Employment  97  246
    Average Weekly Wage  $859  $731
 
Government(Federal, State, Local)  
    Average Employment  24  29
    Average Weekly Wage  $560  $637
 
Total, Private Industry plus Government  
    Average Employment  121  275
    Average Weekly Wage  $798  $721
 
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 Contoocook Valley Cooperative (Antrim, Bennington, Dublin, Francestown, Greenfield, Hancock, Peterborough, Sharon, Temple) District: SAU 1
Career Technology Center: Region 14 Applied Technology Center
 
Educational Facilities(includes Charter Schools) Elementary Middle/Junior High High School Private/Parochial
Number of Schools 1
Grade Levels K 1-4
Total Enrollment 42
       
Nearest Community/Technical College: Manchester
Nearest College or Universities: New England; St. Anselm; UNH-Manchester; Franklin Pierce-Manchester; MCPHS; Southern NH University

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

Largest Businesses Product/Service Employees Established
Crotched Mountain Resort & Spa Golf course, restaurant, & time share resort 45 1991
Town of Francestown Municipal services 40 1772
Francestown Elementary School Education 12
Francestown Sand & Gravel Excavation work 20
Country Brokers Real Estate Real estate services 3
Miller's Construction Construction services 2
Francestown Village Store Convenience store 8 2020
 
Employer Information Supplied by Municipality
 
Transportation (distance estimated from city/town hall)
Road Access US Routes:
State Routes: 47, 136
Nearest Interstate/Exit: I-293, Exit 4
Distance: 22 miles
 
Railroad No
Public Transportation No
 
Nearest Public Use Airport, General Aviation
    Hawthorne-Feather, Antrim Runway  3,260 ft. asphalt
    Lighted?  Yes Navigation Aids?  No
 
Nearest Airport With Scheduled Service
    Manchester-Boston Regional Distance   26 miles
    Number of Passenger Airlines Serving Airport 4
 
Driving distance to select cities:
    Manchester, New Hampshire 23 miles
    Portland, Maine 119 miles
    Boston, Massachusetts 73 miles
    New York City, New York 239 miles
    Montreal, Quebec, Canada 254 miles
 
Commuting To Work (ACS 2018-2022)
Workers 16 years of age and over
  Drove alone, car/truck/van: 73.1%
  Carpooled, car/truck/van: 2.6%
  Used Public Transportation: 0.0%
  Walked: 0.0%
  Traveled by other means: 0.6%
  Worked at home: 23.7%
Mean Travel Time to Work: 36.4 minutes
 
Work in community of residence: 79.3%
Commute to other NH community: 19.0%
Commute out-of-state: 1.7%
Recreation, Attractions, Events
X Municipal Parks
YMCA/YWCA
Boys Club/Girls Club
X Golf Courses
Swimming: INDOOR FACILITY
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
X Tourist Attractions
X Youth Organizations (ie Scouts and 4-H)
X Youth Sports: Baseball
X 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: Crotched Mountain, Bennington
 
Other: FIHS Labor Day