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Dorchester New Hampshire Town Info and Profile
Dorchester New Hampshire Community Profile Community Contact Dorchester Board of Selectmen
Holly Buker, Administrative Assistant
1021 NH Route 118
Dorchester, NH 03266
Telephone (603) 786-5095
Fax (603) 786-9476
E-mail selectmen@townofdorchester.net
Web Site www.townofdorchester.net

Municipal Office Hours Administrative Assistant: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, 9 am - 2 pm, Wednesday, 4 pm - 7 pm; Town Clerk, Tax Collector: Monday, 9 am - 11 am, Wednesday, 3 pm - 6 pm, last Saturday, 9 am - 11 am

County Grafton
Labor Market Area Plymouth NH LMA
Tourism Region Dartmouth-Lake Sunapee
Planning Commission Upper Valley Lake Sunapee
Regional Development Grafton County Economic Development Council

Election Districts
US Congress District 2
Executive Council District 1
State Senate District 2
State Representative Grafton County Districts 11, 16

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 259 over 52 years, from 91 in 1960 to 350 in 2012. The largest decennial percent change was 73 percent between 1970 and 1980, a numeric increase of 103. The 2012 Census estimate for Dorchester was 350 residents, which ranked 222nd among New Hampshire's incorporated cities and towns.
Population Density and Land Area, 2010 (US Census Bureau): 7.9 persons per square mile of land area. Dorchester contains 44.7 square miles of land area and 0.6 square miles of inland water area.

MUNICIPAL SERVICES
Type of Government Selectmen
Budget: Municipal Appropriations, 2012 $430,029
Budget: School Appropriations, Not Available
Zoning Ordinance 1989
Master Plan 1981
Capitol 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 25

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 PickupNone
Pay-As-You-Throw ProgramNo
Recycling ProgramMandatory
Telephone Company Fairpoint
Cellular Telephone Access Limited
Cable Television Access Limited
Public Access Television Station No
High Speed Internet Service:
BusinessLimited
ResidentialYes

(NH Dept. of Revenue Adminstration) PROPERTY TAXES
2012 Total Tax Rate (per $1,000 of value) $19.04
2012 Equalization Ratio 100.0
2012 Full Value Tax Rate (per $1,000 of value) $19.05
2012 Percent of Local Assessed Value by Property Type
Residential Land and Buildings93.6%
Commercial Land and Buildings1.8%
Public Utilities, Current Use, and Other4.6%

(ACS 2008-2012) HOUSING
Total Housing Units 202
Single-Family Units, Detached or Attached 172
Units in Multiple-Family Structures:  
Two to Four Units in Structure 2
Five or More Units in Structure 0
Mobile Homes and Other Housing Units 28
(US Census Bureau) DEMOGRAPHICS
Total Population Community County
2012 350 89,181
2010 355 89,118
2000 353 81,826
1990 392 74,998
1980 244 65,806
1970 141 54,914
 
Demographics, American Community Survey (ACS) 2008-2012
Population by Gender
Male:   187 Female:   138
Population by Age Group
Under age 5 2
Age 5 to 19 33
Age 20 to 34 59
Age 35 to 54 135
Age 55 to 64 55
Age 65 and over 41
Median Age 47 years
Educational Attainment, population 25 years and over
High school graduate or higher 83.7%
Bachelor's degree or higher 20.5%

(ACS 2008-2012) ANNUAL INCOME, 2012
(Inflation Adjusted Dollars)
Per capita income $41,129
Median family income $80,313
Median household income $60,625
Median Earnings, full-time, year-round workers
Male $44,250
Female $36,667
Individuals below the poverty level 9.8%

(NHES - ELMI) LABOR FORCE
Annual Average 2002 2012
Civilian Labor Force 173 165
Employed 168 155
Unemployed 5 10
Unemployment Rate 2.9% 6.1%

(NHES - ELMI) EMPLOYMENT & WAGES
Annual Average Covered Employment 2002 2012
Goods Producing Industries
Average Employment n n
Average Weekly Wage n n
     
Service Providing Industries
Average Employment 0 n
Average Weekly Wage $0 n
     
Total Private Industry
Average Employment n n
Average Weekly Wage n n
     
Government (Federal, State, and Local)
Average Employment 7 9
Average Weekly Wage $115 $233
     
Total, Private plus Government
Average Employment n n
Average Weekly Wage n n
n = indicates that the data does not meet disclosure standards

(NH Dept. of Education) EDUCATION/CHILD CARE FACILITIES
Schools students attend: Grades K-12 are part of Mascoma Valley Regional (Canaan, Dorchester, Enfield, Grafton, Orange) SAU 62
Career Technology Center(s): Hartford Area Career and Technical Center, White River Junction VT Region: 7
Educational Facilities Elementary Middle/Junior High High School Private/Parochial
Number of Schools
Grade Levels
Total Enrollment
2013 NH Licensed Child Care Facilities (Bureau of Child Care Licensing): Total Facilities: 0 Total Capacity: 0
Nearest Community/Technical College: Lakes Region; River Valley
Nearest Colleges or Universities: Plymouth State University; Lebanon; Dartmouth

LARGEST BUSINESSES PRODUCT/SERVICE EMPLOYEES ESTABLISHED
Town of Dorchester Municipal services 3

(Distance estimated from city/town hall) TRANSPORTATION
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 Navigational Aids? No
Nearest Airport with Scheduled Service
Lebanon Municipal Distance 27 miles
Number of Passsenger Airlines Serving Airport 1
 
Driving distance to selected cities:
Manchester, NH 79 miles
Portland, ME 119 miles
Boston, MA 129 miles
New York City, NY 291 miles
Montreal, Quebec 210 miles

(ACS 2008-2012) COMMUTING TO WORK
Workers 16 years and over
Drove alone, car/truck/van 77.9%
Carpooled, car/truck/van 10.5%
Public transportation 1.7%
Walked 8.7%
Other Means 0.0%
Worked at home 1.2%
Mean Travel Time to Work 38.7 minutes
 
Percent of Working Residents: (ACS 2008-2012)
Working in community of residence 11.6%
Commuting to another NH community 84.3%
Commuting out-of-state 4.1%
RECREATION, ATTRACTIONS, AND EVENTS
Municipal Parks
YMCA/YWCA
Boys Club/Girls Club
Golf Courses
Swimming: Indoor Facility
Swimming: Outdoor Facility
Tennis Courts: Indoor Faclity
Tennis Courts: Outdoor Facility
Ice Skating Rink: Indoor Facility
Bowling Facilities
X Museums
Cinemas
Performing Arts Facilities
Tourists Attractions
Youth Organizations (i.e., Scouts, 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 Recreational Area
Overnight or Day Camps
   
Nearest Ski Area(s): Ragged Mountain
   
Other:


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