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: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, 8 am - 4 pm, Wednesday, 8 am - 6 pm, Friday 7 am - 12 noon; Tax Collector: Monday, Thursday, 8 am - 12 noon, Wednesday, 2 pm - 6 pm

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 1,278 over 51 years, from 1,071 in 1960 to 2,349 in 2011. 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 2011 Census estimate for Plainfield was 2,349 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, 2010 $1,885,544
Budget: School Appropriations, 2010 $5,686,833
Zoning Ordinance 1959/10
Master Plan 2003
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 381
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
2011 Total Tax Rate (per $1,000 of value) $23.85
2011 Equalization Ratio 100.0
2011 Full Value Tax Rate (per $1,000 of value) $23.48
2011 Percent of Local Assessed Value by Property Type
Residential Land and Buildings92.1%
Commercial Land and Buildings4.3%
Public Utilities, Current Use, and Other3.5%

(ACS 2007-2011)HOUSING
Total Housing Units 950
Single-Family Units, Detached or Attached 877
Units in Multiple-Family Structures:  
Two to Four Units in Structure 0
Five or More Units in Structure 0
Mobile Homes and Other Housing Units 73
(US Census Bureau)DEMOGRAPHICS
Total Population Community County
2011 2,349 43,462
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) 2007-2011
Population by Gender
Male:   1,300 Female:   1,228
Population by Age Group
Under age 5 138
Age 5 to 19 553
Age 20 to 34 244
Age 35 to 54 817
Age 55 to 64 489
Age 65 and over 287
Median Age 42.8 years
Educational Attainment, population 25 years and over
High school graduate or higher 94.9%
Bachelor's degree or higher 48.0%

(ACS 2007-2011)INCOME, 2011 INFLATION ADJUSTED $
Per capita income $39,308
Median family income $100,313
Median household income $96,042
Median Earnings, full-time, year-round workers
Male $57,292
Female $41,394
Families below the poverty level 1.3%

(NHES - ELMI)LABOR FORCE
Annual Average 2001 2011
Civilian Labor Force 1,459 1,569
Employed 1,425 1,521
Unemployed 34 48
Unemployment Rate 2.3% 3.1%

(NHES - ELMI)EMPLOYMENT & WAGES
Annual Average Covered Employment 2001 2011
Goods Producing Industries
Average Employment 82 79
Average Weekly Wage $397 $464
     
Service Providing Industries
Average Employment 261 334
Average Weekly Wage $531 $747
     
Total Private Industry
Average Employment 343 413
Average Weekly Wage $499 $693
     
Government (Federal, State, and Local)
Average Employment 29 31
Average Weekly Wage $299 $559
     
Total, Private plus Government
Average Employment 372 444
Average Weekly Wage $483 $684
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 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 239 327
2012 NH Licensed Child Care Facilities (Bureau of Child Care Licensing): Total Facilities: 2 Total Capacity: 18
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 Farms 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 2007-2011)COMMUTING TO WORK
Workers 16 years and over
Drove alone, car/truck/van 79.0%
Carpooled, car/truck/van 7.7%
Public transportation 0.4%
Walked 5.0%
Other Means 1.3%
Worked at home 6.6%
Mean Travel Time to Work 23.1 minutes
 
Percent of Working Residents: (ACS 2007-2011)
Working in community of residence 30.4%
Commuting to another NH community 56.1%
Commuting out-of-state 13.5%
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): Whaleback, Mount Sunapee, Mount Ascutney (VT)
   
Other: Meriden Covered Bridge; Annual 4th of July Parade; Maxfield Parrish Stage Set

Economic & Labor Market Information Bureau, NH Employment Security, 2013.
Community Response Received 09/21/11

All information regarding the communities is from sources deemed reliable and is submitted subject to errors, omissions, modifications, and withdrawals without notice. No warranty or representation is made as to the accuracy of the information contained herein. Specific questions regarding individual cities and towns should be directed to the community contact.

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