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Plainfield New Hampshire Town Info and Profile
Plainfield New Hampshire Community Profile Community Contact Plainfield Board of Selectmen
Steve Halleran, Town Administrator
PO Box 380
Meriden, NH 03770
Telephone (603) 469-3201
Fax (603) 469-3642
E-mail plainfield.ta@plainfieldnh.org
Web Site www.plainfieldnh.org

Municipal Office Hours Town Manager: Monday through Friday, 8 am - 4 pm; Town Clerk, Tax Collector: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, 8 am - 4 pm, Wednesday, 8 am - 6 pm, Friday 7 am - 12 noon

County Sullivan
Labor Market Area Lebanon NH-VT Micro-NECTA, NH Portion
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 5
State Representative Sullivan County Districts 1, 9

Incorporated: 1761
Origin: Settled by a group from Plainfield, Connecticut, Plainfield is one of the towns chartered by Governor Benning Wentworth in 1761 at the beginning of the reign of King George III. A part of Plainfield with a portion of Grantham was separated into Meriden Parish in 1780. Meriden became the site of Kimball Union Academy, established in 1813. Daniel Kimball donated a large collection of books to the town for a library in 1797, along with $6,000 for a school, to which his widow added $40,000. The entire Meriden Parish was annexed to Plainfield in 1856.
Villages and Place Names: East Plainfield, Hell Hollow, Meriden, Mill Village, Coryville, Plainfield Village
Population, Year of the First Census Taken: 1,024 residents in 1790
Population Trends: Population change for Plainfield totaled 1,263 over 52 years, from 1,071 in 1960 to 2,334 in 2012. The largest decennial percent change was an increase of 32 percent between 1970 and 1980, following a 24 percent increase over the previous decade. The 2012 Census estimate for Plainfield was 2,334 residents, which ranked 128th among New Hampshire's incorporated cities and towns.
Population Density and Land Area, 2010 (US Census Bureau): 45.3 persons per square mile of land area. Plainfield contains 52.2 square miles of land area and 0.8 square miles of inland water area.

MUNICIPAL SERVICES
Type of Government Selectmen
Budget: Municipal Appropriations, 2013 $21,137,280
Budget: School Appropriations, 2013 $6,083,743
Zoning Ordinance 1959/10
Master Plan 2013
Capitol Improvement Plan Yes
Industrial Plans Reviewed By Planning Board
Boards and Commissions
Elected:Selectmen; Library
Appointed:Planning; Zoning; Conservation
Public Library Meriden; Philip Read Memorial

EMERGENCY SERVICES
Police Department Full-time
Fire Department Volunteer
Emergency Medical Service Volunteer
Nearest Hospital(s) Distance Staffed Beds
Dartmouth-Hitchcock Med Ctr, Lebanon 13 miles 388
Alice Peck Day Memorial, Lebanon 10 miles 25

UTILITIES
Electric Supplier PSNH; Granite State; NH Electric Coop
Natural Gas Supplier None
Water Supplier Plainfield/Meriden Village District
Sanitation Private septic
Municipal Wastewater Treatment Plant Yes
Solid Waste Disposal
Curbside Trash PickupMunicipal
Pay-As-You-Throw ProgramYes
Recycling ProgramVoluntary
Telephone Company Fairpoint
Cellular Telephone Access Yes
Cable Television Access Yes
Public Access Television Station No
High Speed Internet Service:
BusinessYes
ResidentialYes

(NH Dept. of Revenue Adminstration) PROPERTY TAXES
2012 Total Tax Rate (per $1,000 of value) $24.45
2012 Equalization Ratio 106.1
2012 Full Value Tax Rate (per $1,000 of value) $25.50
2012 Percent of Local Assessed Value by Property Type
Residential Land and Buildings92.1%
Commercial Land and Buildings4.4%
Public Utilities, Current Use, and Other3.5%

(ACS 2008-2012) HOUSING
Total Housing Units 939
Single-Family Units, Detached or Attached 847
Units in Multiple-Family Structures:  
Two to Four Units in Structure 22
Five or More Units in Structure 0
Mobile Homes and Other Housing Units 70
(US Census Bureau) DEMOGRAPHICS
Total Population Community County
2012 2,334 43,074
2010 2,364 43,742
2000 2,254 40,560
1990 2,059 38,652
1980 1,749 36,063
1970 1,323 30,949
 
Demographics, American Community Survey (ACS) 2008-2012
Population by Gender
Male:   1,319 Female:   1,251
Population by Age Group
Under age 5 106
Age 5 to 19 598
Age 20 to 34 286
Age 35 to 54 782
Age 55 to 64 467
Age 65 and over 331
Median Age 45 years
Educational Attainment, population 25 years and over
High school graduate or higher 95.6%
Bachelor's degree or higher 50.2%

(ACS 2008-2012) ANNUAL INCOME, 2012
(Inflation Adjusted Dollars)
Per capita income $40,404
Median family income $101,500
Median household income $99,432
Median Earnings, full-time, year-round workers
Male $57,399
Female $50,417
Individuals below the poverty level 2.2%

(NHES - ELMI) LABOR FORCE
Annual Average 2002 2012
Civilian Labor Force 1,485 1,559
Employed 1,454 1,512
Unemployed 31 47
Unemployment Rate 2.1% 3.0%

(NHES - ELMI) EMPLOYMENT & WAGES
Annual Average Covered Employment 2002 2012
Goods Producing Industries
Average Employment 85 86
Average Weekly Wage $382 $471
     
Service Providing Industries
Average Employment 283 300
Average Weekly Wage $553 $703
     
Total Private Industry
Average Employment 368 386
Average Weekly Wage $513 $651
     
Government (Federal, State, and Local)
Average Employment 32 35
Average Weekly Wage $290 $459
     
Total, Private plus Government
Average Employment 400 421
Average Weekly Wage $495 $635
n = indicates that the data does not meet disclosure standards

(NH Dept. of Education) EDUCATION/CHILD CARE FACILITIES
Schools students attend: Plainfield operates grades K-8; grades 9-12 are tuitioned to Lebanon SAU 32
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 1 2
Grade Levels K 1-8 1-12
Total Enrollment 231 337
2013 NH Licensed Child Care Facilities (Bureau of Child Care Licensing): Total Facilities: 3 Total Capacity: 34
Nearest Community/Technical College: River Valley
Nearest Colleges or Universities: Dartmouth; Lebanon; Colby-Sawyer

LARGEST BUSINESSES PRODUCT/SERVICE EMPLOYEES ESTABLISHED
Kimball Union Academy Private school
North Country Door Cabinet, door manufacturing
Town Line Equipment Heavy equipment dealer
McNamara Dairy Glass bottle milk
Taylor Farm Maple & cheese products
Garfield's Smokehouse Smoked products
Edgewater Farm Farmstand, greenhouses, & PYO strawberries
Riverview Farm PYO apples & berries

(Distance estimated from city/town hall) TRANSPORTATION
Road Access US Routes
State Routes 12A, 120
Nearest Interstate, Exit I-89, Exit 15
Distance 7 miles
Railroad No
Public Transportation No
 
Nearest Public Use Airport, General Aviation
Lebanon Municipal
Runway 5,496 ft. asphalt
Lighted? Yes Navigational Aids? Yes
Nearest Airport with Scheduled Service
Lebanon Municipal Distance 10 miles
Number of Passsenger Airlines Serving Airport 1
 
Driving distance to selected cities:
Manchester, NH 68 miles
Portland, ME 153 miles
Boston, MA 118 miles
New York City, NY 263 miles
Montreal, Quebec 192 miles

(ACS 2008-2012) COMMUTING TO WORK
Workers 16 years and over
Drove alone, car/truck/van 82.1%
Carpooled, car/truck/van 5.7%
Public transportation 0.5%
Walked 4.7%
Other Means 1.1%
Worked at home 6.0%
Mean Travel Time to Work 23.0 minutes
 
Percent of Working Residents: (ACS 2008-2012)
Working in community of residence 19.4%
Commuting to another NH community 68.5%
Commuting out-of-state 12.1%
RECREATION, ATTRACTIONS, AND EVENTS
X 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
X Youth Organizations (i.e., Scouts, 4-H)
X Youth Sports: Baseball
X Youth Sports: Soccer
Youth Sports: Football
X 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): Mount Sunapee, Mount Ascutney (VT)
   
Other: Meriden Covered Bridge; Annual 4th of July Parade; Maxfield Parrish Stage Set


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