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By Geography >> City/Town >> Rye

 Rye, NH   
NH cities/towns
Community Contact Town of Rye
Matt Scruton, Town Administrator
10 Central Road
  Rye, NH 03870
 
Telephone (603) 964-5523
Fax (603) 964-1516
E-mail mscruton@town.rye.nh.us
Web Site www.town.rye.nh.us/
 
Municipal Office Hours Town Hall, Town Administrator: Monday to Friday, 8-4:30; Town Clerk/Tax Collector: Monday to Thursday, 8-4:30, Friday, 8-12
 
County Rockingham County
Labor Market Area Portsmouth, NH-ME Metropolitan NECTA, NH portion
Tourism Region Seacoast Region
Planning Commission Rockingham Planning Commission
Regional Development Coastal Economic Development Corp.
 
Election Districts
US Congress District 1
Executive Council District 3
State Senate District 24
State Representative Rockingham County Districts 24, 38
Incorporated: 1726
 
Origin: Rye was the site of the first settlement in New Hampshire, established by David Thompson in 1623 at Odiorne's Point, which he called Pannaway. This township was originally part of Portsmouth called Sandy Beach, and it was incorporated as a parish of New Castle in 1693 when that town separated form Portsmouth. In 1726 it was separated from New Castle, and incorporated as Rye, after the borough of Rye, a flourishing English Channel town. Rye's eight-mile length of coastline is dotted with old names such as Wallis Sands, Jenness Beach, Locke's Neck, Ragged Neck, Rye Harbor, and Odiorne Point. In 1876, the thriving village of Gosport on Star Island in the Isles of Shoals was annexed to the town. Rye is the only New Hampshire town with Atlantic islands, having annexed four of the Isles of Shoals; the remaining five islands belong to Maine.
 
Villages and Place Names: Jenness Beach, Odiorne Point, Foyes Corner, Langs Corner, Rye Beach, Rye Harbor, Rye North Beach, Wallis Sands, West Rye, Foss Beach
 
Population, Year of the First Census Taken: 958 residents in 1790
 
Population Trends: Population change for Rye totaled 1,457 over 50 years, from 4,083 in 1970 to 5,540 in 2020. The largest decennial percent change was a 16 percent increase from 1990 to 2000. The town's population increased by five percent from 2010 to 2020.
 
Population Density and Land Area: 2023 (US Census Bureau): 444.8 persons per square mile of land area. Rye contains 12.6 square miles of land area and 0.5 square miles of inland water area.
 
 
 


Municipal Services
Type of Government Selectmen
Budget:Municipal Appropriations,2023 $14,046,483
Budget:School Appropriations,2023-2024 $17,832,795
Zoning Ordinance 1953/18
Master Plan 2016
Capital Improvement Plan Yes
Industrial Plans Reviewed By Planning Board
 
Boards and Commissions
    Elected: Selectmen; Planning; Budget; Zoning; Sewer
    Appointed: Conservation; Historic District; Mosquito; Heritage; Recreation
 
Public Library Rye Public



Emergency Services
Police Department Full & part-time
Fire Department Municipal
Emergency Medical Service Municipal
 
Nearest Hospital(s) Distance Staffed Beds
Portsmouth Regional, Portsmouth 6 miles   173


 
Utilities
Electric Supplier Eversource Energy
Natural Gas Supplier None
Water Supplier Rye Water District; Aquarion Water
 
Sanitation Rye Sewer Commission & 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 Bay Ring; Consolidated
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 $8.03
2023 Equalization Ratio 66.6
2023 Full Value Tax Rate (per $1000 of value) $5.34
 
2023 Percent of Local Assessed Valuation by Property Type
    Residential Land and Buildings 96.4%
    Commercial Land and Buildings 3.1%
    Public Utilities, Current Use, and Other 0.5%

 
Housing (ACS 2018-2022)
Total Housing Units 3,060
 
Single-Family Units,Detached or Attached 2,559
 
Units in Multiple-Family Structures:
    Two to Four Units in Structure 251
    Five or More Units in Structure 131
Mobile Homes and Other Housing Units 119




Population(1-Year Estimates/Decennial) (US Census Bureau)
Total Population Community County
   2023 5,605   320,689
   2020 5,540   314,176
   2010 5,296   295,223
   2000 5,206   277,359
   1990 4,461   245,845
   1980 4,508   190,345

 
Demographics American Community Survey (ACS 2018-2022)
Population by Gender
Male   2,802 Female   2,750
Population by Age Group
      Under Age 5 157
      Age 5 to 19 813
      Age 20 to 34 463
      Age 35 to 54 1,214
      Age 55 to 64 1,167
      Age 65 and over 1,738
            Median Age 55.9 years


Educational Attainment, population age 25 or older 4,390
      High school graduation or higher 98.1%
      Bachelor's degree or higher 58.7%
 
Income, Inflation Adjusted $   (ACS 2018-2022)
Per Capita Income $98,421
Median Family Income $193,750
Median Household Income $137,969
 
Median Earnings, full-time, year-round workers
      Male $139,138
      Female $69,180
 
Individuals below poverty level 5.6%
 
Labor Force   (NHES - ELMI)

Annual Average 2013 2023
    Civilian Labor Force 3,252   3,492
    Employed 3,110   3,434
    Unemploymed 142   58
    Unemployment rate 4.4%   1.7%

 
Employment & Wages   (NHES-ELMI)
Annual Average Covered Employment 2013 2023
Good-Producing Industries  
    Average Employment  21  17
    Average Weekly Wage  $1,205  $1,706
 
Service-Providing Industries  
    Average Employment  1,010  1,087
    Average Weekly Wage  $708  $1,271
 
Total Private  
    Average Employment  1,031  1,103
    Average Weekly Wage  $718  $1,278
 
Government(Federal, State, Local)  
    Average Employment  219  211
    Average Weekly Wage  $871  $1,172
 
Total, Private Industry plus Government  
    Average Employment  1,250  1,314
    Average Weekly Wage  $745  $1,261
 
If "n" appears, data do not meet disclosure standards.




Education and Child Care NH Department of Education, 2023
Schools Students Attend: Rye operates grades K-8; grades 9-12 are tuitioned to Portsmouth District: SAU 50
Career Technology Center: Portsmouth Career Technical Center #19
 
Educational Facilities(includes Charter Schools) Elementary Middle/Junior High High School Private/Parochial
Number of Schools 1 1 — 1
Grade Levels P K 1-4 5-8 — 3-12
Total Enrollment 209 191 — 53
       
Nearest Community/Technical College: Great Bay
Nearest College or Universities: University of NH

2023 NH Licensed Child Care Facilities (DHHS-Bureau of Child Care Licensing)   Total Facilities:     1   Capacity:     99

Largest Businesses Product/Service Employees Established
Town of Rye Municipal services 83 1726
Petey's Restaurant Seasonal restaurant
Wentworth by the Sea Country Club Golf course
Benchmark at Rye Assisted Living
Partners Bank Banking services
Rye Public Schools Education
Sagamore Veterinary Clinic Animal health care services
Abenaqui Country Club Golf course
Webster at Rye Rehabilitation & assisted living
 
Employer Information Supplied by Municipality
 
Transportation (distance estimated from city/town hall)
Road Access US Routes: 1
State Routes: 1A
Nearest Interstate/Exit: I-95, Exit 3
Distance: 5 miles
 
Railroad No
Public Transportation No
 
Nearest Public Use Airport, General Aviation
    Hampton Airfield Runway  2,100 ft. turf
    Lighted?  Yes Navigation Aids?  No
 
Nearest Airport With Scheduled Service
    Manchester-Boston Regional Distance   43 miles
    Number of Passenger Airlines Serving Airport 4
 
Driving distance to select cities:
    Manchester, New Hampshire 40 miles
    Portland, Maine 59 miles
    Boston, Massachusetts 57 miles
    New York City, New York 268 miles
    Montreal, Quebec, Canada 294 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: 0.0%
  Used Public Transportation: 0.0%
  Walked: 0.4%
  Traveled by other means: 1.1%
  Worked at home: 22.4%
Mean Travel Time to Work: 24.8 minutes
 
Work in community of residence: 74.0%
Commute to other NH community: 12.0%
Commute out-of-state: 13.9%
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
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
X Youth Sports: Basketball
Youth Sports: Hockey
Campgrounds
X Fishing/Hunting
X Boating/Marinas
Snowmobile Trails
X Bicycle Trails
X Cross Country Skiing
X Beach or Waterfront Recreation Areas
Overnight or Day Camps

Nearest Ski Areas: McIntyre, Gunstock
 
Other: Whale Watches, Odiorne Point; Wallis Sands; Jenness & Rye State Parks; State Harbor