Plaistow, New Hampshire | |
|---|---|
 Plaistow Town Hall | |
 Seal | |
 Location inRockingham County and the state ofNew Hampshire. | |
| Coordinates:42°50′11″N71°05′41″W / 42.83639°N 71.09472°W /42.83639; -71.09472 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | New Hampshire |
| County | Rockingham |
| Incorporated | 1749 |
| Villages |
|
| Government | |
| • Board of Selectmen |
|
| • Town Manager | Greg Colby |
| Area | |
• Total | 10.60 sq mi (27.45 km2) |
| • Land | 10.59 sq mi (27.43 km2) |
| • Water | 0.008 sq mi (0.02 km2) 0.06% |
| Elevation | 102 ft (31 m) |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 7,830 |
| • Density | 739/sq mi (285.4/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-4 (Eastern) |
| ZIP code | 03865 |
| Area code | 603 |
| FIPS code | 33-62500 |
| GNIS feature ID | 0873701 |
| Website | www |
Plaistow (/ˈplæstaʊ/,traditionally/-toʊ/) is a town inRockingham County,New Hampshire, United States. The population was 7,830 at the2020 census.[2]
Plaistow was officially established as a town in 1749 after the 1739 resolution of a long-running boundary dispute between theProvince of Massachusetts Bay and theProvince of New Hampshire.[3] It is the only town outside theUnited Kingdom with the name Plaistow. In 1776 the western part of Plaistow became a separate town,Atkinson.
The presenttown hall was built in 1895. Each year, the town celebrates "Old Home Day", with a parade that travels down Main Street through Plaistow village, fireworks at the local high school, and a carnival-type atmosphere on the Town Hall lawn to celebrate the town's anniversary.
According to theUnited States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 10.60 square miles (27.45 km2), of which 0.01 square miles (0.02 km2), or 0.06%, are water.[1] The highest point in Plaistow is an unnamed summit at 384 feet (117 m) abovesea level near the town's northern end. The town is drained by theLittle River, a south-flowing tributary of theMerrimack River in Massachusetts.
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1790 | 521 | — | |
| 1800 | 459 | −11.9% | |
| 1810 | 424 | −7.6% | |
| 1820 | 492 | 16.0% | |
| 1830 | 591 | 20.1% | |
| 1840 | 626 | 5.9% | |
| 1850 | 748 | 19.5% | |
| 1860 | 861 | 15.1% | |
| 1870 | 879 | 2.1% | |
| 1880 | 1,062 | 20.8% | |
| 1890 | 1,085 | 2.2% | |
| 1900 | 1,027 | −5.3% | |
| 1910 | 1,173 | 14.2% | |
| 1920 | 1,368 | 16.6% | |
| 1930 | 1,366 | −0.1% | |
| 1940 | 1,414 | 3.5% | |
| 1950 | 2,082 | 47.2% | |
| 1960 | 2,915 | 40.0% | |
| 1970 | 4,712 | 61.6% | |
| 1980 | 5,609 | 19.0% | |
| 1990 | 7,316 | 30.4% | |
| 2000 | 7,747 | 5.9% | |
| 2010 | 7,609 | −1.8% | |
| 2020 | 7,830 | 2.9% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[4] | |||
As of thecensus[5] of 2000, there were 7,747 people, 2,871 households, and 2,150 families residing in the town. The population density was 728.8 inhabitants per square mile (281.4/km2). There were 2,927 housing units at an average density of 275.4 per square mile (106.3/km2). The racial makeup of the town was 98.33%White, 0.21%African American, 0.10%Native American, 0.50%Asian, 0.30% fromother races, and 0.56% from two or more races.Hispanic orLatino of any race were 1.32% of the population.
There were 2,871 households, out of which 35.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 60.1% weremarried couples living together, 10.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 25.1% were non-families. 19.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.69 and the average family size was 3.10.
In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.8% under the age of 18, 7.0% from 18 to 24, 32.0% from 25 to 44, 25.0% from 45 to 64, and 10.1% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 95.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 94.9 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $61,707, and the median income for a family was $66,852. Males had a median income of $45,756 versus $31,657 for females. Theper capita income for the town was $25,255. About 2.1% of families and 3.2% of the population were below thepoverty line, including 1.4% of those under age 18 and 7.5% of those age 65 or over.
Plaistow is home toTimberlane Regional High School (grades 9–12) andTimberlane Regional Middle School (grades 6–8), which serve as middle and high school for the towns of Plaistow,Atkinson,Danville andSandown. Plaistow is also home to Pollard Elementary School, which serves only Plaistow children from kindergarten to grade 5.
Timberlane Regional High School has had noticeable success in music, theatrical performance, wrestling, and softball.[citation needed] The school offers access to vocational programs atSalem High School andPinkerton Academy. Timberlane students participating in the program start during the 11th grade and spend two to three periods a day at either Salem or Pinkerton. Upon graduation, the participating students receive anassociate's degree along with a high school diploma.
Plaistow's economy is centered alongNew Hampshire Route 125 (Plaistow Road), a north–south road that connects the town withHaverhill, Massachusetts, to the south andKingston,Epping, andRochester, New Hampshire, to the north. Local businesses and numerous large chain stores are located along Route 125, which has become known for problems with heavy traffic during weekday commuting and weekend shopping hours. Route 125 intersects withInterstate 495 in Massachusetts 2 miles (3 km) south of the center of Plaistow.
Route 121A (Main Street) runs north to south through the center of Plaistow, as a local route. It crosses NH 125 north of the center of town and terminates at the Massachusetts border, where the road continues south for a few yards before terminating atMassachusetts Route 125. NH 121A leads north throughEast Hampstead andSandown toChester.New Hampshire Route 108 runs north to south along the eastern edge of Plaistow, just 0.1 miles (0.16 km) west of the Massachusetts border. Route 108 leads north toNewton andExeter and south to the center of Haverhill.NH 121 crosses the extreme southwestern corner of town for about 1000 feet. It leads west into Atkinson and terminates to the southeast at the Massachusetts border, where the road continues into Haverhill as North Main Street.
Pan Am Railways (formerly theBoston and Maine Railroad) operates the mainrailroad line fromBoston toPortland, Maine, which is utilized byAmtrak and by freight trains, running through Plaistow. Passenger stations for the AmtrakDowneaster are available in Haverhill to the south and Exeter to the north. A proposal to extend existing MBTA commuter rail service from Boston through Haverhill into Plaistow concluded in 2015 with the decision not to extend the route at this time.[6]
MVRTA bus 13 runs from the center of Haverhill to Wal-Mart on Route 125.
Places adjacent to Plaistow, New Hampshire | |
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Municipalities and communities ofRockingham County, New Hampshire,United States | ||
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| Other villages | ||
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