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Sunapee New Hampshire Town Info and Profile
Sunapee New Hampshire Community Profile Community Contact Town of Sunapee
Donna Nashawaty, Town Manager
23 Edgemont Road
Sunapee, NH 03782
Telephone (603) 763-2212
Fax (603) 763-4925
E-mail donna@town.sunapee.nh.us
Web Site www.town.sunapee.nh.us

Municipal Office Hours Town Clerk, Tax Collector: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, 8 am - 5 pm, Wednesday, 8 am - 1 pm, second and fourth Saturday, 9 am - 12 noon

County Sullivan
Labor Market Area Newport NH LMA
Tourism Region Dartmouth-Lake Sunapee
Planning Commission Upper Valley Lake Sunapee
Regional Development Capital Regional Development Council

Election Districts
US Congress District 2
Executive Council District 1
State Senate District 8
State Representative Sullivan County Districts 2, 9

Incorporated: 1781
Origin: This territory was first settled by Oliver Corey and other soldiers from the French wars, and known as Corey's Town. Oliver Corey was a grantee on the 1768 charter naming the town Saville. Another grantee, John Wendell, became a principal landowner, and the town was renamed Wendell in 1781 upon petition of residents. The name Sunapee was substituted for Wendell by the Legislature in 1850. Town, lake, and mountain share the name Sunapee, which comes from the Algonquin Indian words suna, meaning goose, and apee, meaning lake. The Indians called the area Goose Lake because it was a favorite spot of wild geese.
Villages and Place Names: Burkehaven, Fernwood, Georges Mills, Granliden, Wendell
Population, Year of the First Census Taken: 267 residents in 1790
Population Trends: Population change for Sunapee totaled 2,175 over 52 years, from 1,164 in 1960 to 3,339 in 2012. The largest decennial percent change was an increase of 67 percent between 1970 and 1980; the smallest, ten percent between 2000 and 2010. The 2012 Census estimate for Sunapee was 3,339 residents, which ranked 105th among New Hampshire's incorporated cities and towns.
Population Density and Land Area, 2010 (US Census Bureau): 159.3 persons per square mile of land area. Sunapee contains 21.1 square miles of land area and 4.1 square miles of inland water area.

MUNICIPAL SERVICES
Type of Government Selectmen/Town Manager
Budget: Municipal Appropriations, 2012 $10,879,909
Budget: School Appropriations, 2012 $9,841,326
Zoning Ordinance 1987/10
Master Plan 2010
Capitol Improvement Plan Yes
Industrial Plans Reviewed By Planning Board
Boards and Commissions
Elected:Selectmen; Planning; Zoning; Library; Trust Funds; Water & Sewer
Appointed:Conservation; Budget
Public Library Abbott

EMERGENCY SERVICES
Police Department Full-time
Fire Department Volunteer
Emergency Medical Service Volunteer
Nearest Hospital(s) Distance Staffed Beds
New London Hospital, New London 8 miles 25

UTILITIES
Electric Supplier PSNH; NH Electric Coop
Natural Gas Supplier None
Water Supplier Municipal
Sanitation Municipal
Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant Yes
Solid Waste Disposal
Curbside Trash PickupNone
Pay-As-You-Throw ProgramNo
Recycling ProgramMandatory
Telephone Company Fairpoint
Cellular Telephone Access Yes
Cable Television Access Limited
Public Access Television Station No
High Speed Internet Service:
BusinessLimited
ResidentialLimited

(NH Dept. of Revenue Adminstration) PROPERTY TAXES
2012 Total Tax Rate (per $1,000 of value) $14.62
2012 Equalization Ratio 100.0
2012 Full Value Tax Rate (per $1,000 of value) $14.63
2012 Percent of Local Assessed Value by Property Type
Residential Land and Buildings96.2%
Commercial Land and Buildings2.9%
Public Utilities, Current Use, and Other0.9%

(ACS 2008-2012) HOUSING
Total Housing Units 2,427
Single-Family Units, Detached or Attached 2,036
Units in Multiple-Family Structures:  
Two to Four Units in Structure 264
Five or More Units in Structure 46
Mobile Homes and Other Housing Units 81
(US Census Bureau) DEMOGRAPHICS
Total Population Community County
2012 3,339 43,074
2010 3,365 43,742
2000 3,069 40,560
1990 2,613 38,652
1980 2,312 36,063
1970 1,384 30,949
 
Demographics, American Community Survey (ACS) 2008-2012
Population by Gender
Male:   1,795 Female:   1,554
Population by Age Group
Under age 5 83
Age 5 to 19 628
Age 20 to 34 455
Age 35 to 54 900
Age 55 to 64 555
Age 65 and over 728
Median Age 47 years
Educational Attainment, population 25 years and over
High school graduate or higher 98.2%
Bachelor's degree or higher 57.8%

(ACS 2008-2012) ANNUAL INCOME, 2012
(Inflation Adjusted Dollars)
Per capita income $41,042
Median family income $94,375
Median household income $74,052
Median Earnings, full-time, year-round workers
Male $73,281
Female $38,594
Individuals below the poverty level 4.8%

(NHES - ELMI) LABOR FORCE
Annual Average 2002 2012
Civilian Labor Force 1,733 1,601
Employed 1,678 1,533
Unemployed 55 68
Unemployment Rate 3.2% 4.2%

(NHES - ELMI) EMPLOYMENT & WAGES
Annual Average Covered Employment 2002 2012
Goods Producing Industries
Average Employment 156 137
Average Weekly Wage $594 $825
     
Service Providing Industries
Average Employment 288 260
Average Weekly Wage $375 $479
     
Total Private Industry
Average Employment 444 397
Average Weekly Wage $452 $598
     
Government (Federal, State, and Local)
Average Employment 225 208
Average Weekly Wage $504 $720
     
Total, Private plus Government
Average Employment 669 605
Average Weekly Wage $470 $640
n = indicates that the data does not meet disclosure standards

(NH Dept. of Education) EDUCATION/CHILD CARE FACILITIES
Schools students attend: Sunapee operates grades K-12 SAU 85
Career Technology Center(s): Sugar River Valley RTC, Claremont or Newport Region: 10
Educational Facilities Elementary Middle/Junior High High School Private/Parochial
Number of Schools 1 1 1 1
Grade Levels K 1-5 6-8 9-12 P K 1-12
Total Enrollment 181 100 141 139
2013 NH Licensed Child Care Facilities (Bureau of Child Care Licensing): Total Facilities: 5 Total Capacity: 76
Nearest Community/Technical College: River Valley
Nearest Colleges or Universities: Colby-Sawyer; Magdalen

LARGEST BUSINESSES PRODUCT/SERVICE EMPLOYEES ESTABLISHED
Micro-Precision, Inc. Machining 40 1961
Town of Sunapee Municipal services 33 FT/25 PT 1781
Bonin Machine Shop Machine tools 2 1994
Lake Sunapee Bank Banking services 4 1868
Sugar River Bank Banking services 8 1895
Sunapee School District Education 95
Smith Machine Shop Machining 15 1990
All Terrain Skin Products 12 1996
Borlind of Germany Skin Products 12 1970

(Distance estimated from city/town hall) TRANSPORTATION
Road Access US Routes
State Routes 11, 103, 103B
Nearest Interstate, Exit I-89, Exit 12A
Distance Local access
Railroad No
Public Transportation No
 
Nearest Public Use Airport, General Aviation
Parlin Field, Newport
Runway 3,450 ft. asphalt
Lighted? No Navigational Aids? No
Nearest Airport with Scheduled Service
Lebanon Municipal Distance 28 miles
Number of Passsenger Airlines Serving Airport 1
 
Driving distance to selected cities:
Manchester, NH 56 miles
Portland, ME 141 miles
Boston, MA 106 miles
New York City, NY 266 miles
Montreal, Quebec 212 miles

(ACS 2008-2012) COMMUTING TO WORK
Workers 16 years and over
Drove alone, car/truck/van 75.3%
Carpooled, car/truck/van 8.5%
Public transportation 0.0%
Walked 3.5%
Other Means 5.4%
Worked at home 7.3%
Mean Travel Time to Work 29.0 minutes
 
Percent of Working Residents: (ACS 2008-2012)
Working in community of residence 20.8%
Commuting to another NH community 68.1%
Commuting out-of-state 11.1%
RECREATION, ATTRACTIONS, AND EVENTS
X Municipal Parks
YMCA/YWCA
Boys Club/Girls Club
X Golf Courses
Swimming: Indoor Facility
Swimming: Outdoor Facility
Tennis Courts: Indoor Faclity
X Tennis Courts: Outdoor Facility
Ice Skating Rink: Indoor Facility
Bowling Facilities
X Museums
Cinemas
Performing Arts Facilities
X Tourists Attractions
X Youth Organizations (i.e., Scouts, 4-H)
X Youth Sports: Baseball
X Youth Sports: Soccer
X Youth Sports: Football
X Youth Sports: Basketball
X Youth Sports: Hockey
Campgrounds
X Fishing/Hunting
X Boating/Marinas
X Snowmobile Trails
Bicycle Trails
X Cross Country Skiing
X Beach or Waterfront Recreational Area
Overnight or Day Camps
   
Nearest Ski Area(s): Mount Sunapee
   
Other: Lake Sunapee Cruises; Sunapee State Beach


Source: Economic and Labor Market Information Bureau commpunity profiles
Grafton County profile PDF