What is New Hampshire?

There are many ways to describe and understand New Hampshire. By living and working here, we come to understand the state through direct contact with its people, places, and politics. This package of graphs, tables, and text captures New Hampshire in a different way: through things that can be measured, compared, and tracked over time. The collection is a reference book that the Center updates each year for the associates of Leadership New Hampshire.

• Measuring New Hampshire in 2013 (01-04-2013)
  The coming year promises a long list of weighty policy debates in New Hampshire: a new round of state budget negotiations, possible expansion of the Medicaid program, and continued uncertainty about the state and national economies.

   

  The following eight charts aren’t a definitive guide to New Hampshire’s public policy landscape in 2013. Rather, we intend them to provoke questions about some of the challenges facing the state – in the areas of health care, economic growth and public education, among others – in the coming months.

• Leadership Seacoast retreat: Understanding Boundaries (01-20-2012)

  Center Director Steve Norton's presentation to Leadership Seacoast, Jan. 4, 2012, about regional differences in the NH Seacoast.

• Understanding Community: A Presentation to Kendal at Hanover (01-18-2012)

  Center Director Steve Norton's presentation on Upper Valley demographic trends, to Kendal at Hanover on Jan. 18, 2012

• A Regional Approach to Public Policy (09-22-2011)

  Steve Norton’s presentation to the Nashua Regional Planning Commission on regional policy analysis, demographics, and the New Hampshire and federal budget situation.

• Presentation to Portsmouth Chamber of Commerce: What is NH? (06-21-2011)

• Putting Census data to work in your town (06-11-2011)

  Dennis Delay's presentation to the June 11, 2011 New Hampshire Office of Energy and Planning conference.

• Census 2010: Mapping New Hampshire (05-12-2011)

  New figures released this week by the U.S. Census Bureau add context to our understanding of the demographic forces shaping New Hampshire.

  The following maps, prepared by Center staff, illustrate a handful of those data points to get a better grasp of how New Hampshire is changing. The illustrations are intended to provoke ideas, raise questions and inspire further conversations about the policy challenges and opportunities facing the state in the coming years.

• Census 2010: NH's shifting landscape (Slideshow) (03-24-2011)

  Data released earlier this week by the U.S. Census Bureau paints an interesting portrait of the population changes that shaped New Hampshire over the past decade.

  The following maps, prepared by Center staff, illustrate a handful of those data points. They don’t necessarily answer any questions about New Hampshire’s future. But they do raise questions about the policy pressures, challenges and opportunities facing the state in the coming years.

• Census 2010: NH numbers (03-24-2011)

  This spreadsheet tallies, town by town, changes since 2000 in NH's total population, school-age population, number of housing units and Hispanic population.

• Patterns of growth (03-22-2011)

  A brief overview of New Hampshire's shifting population, 1950-2010.

• 2011; The New Year in numbers. (01-13-2011)

  There are plenty of ways to think about how New Hampshire’s economy will fare in the coming year. To help provide some fodder for that discussion, the New Hampshire Center for Public Policy Studies has gathered these five charts -- each of them a snapshot of where the state stands today, and an indication of what to keep an eye on in 2011.

• Vesta Roy Excellence in Public Service Series, November 18, 2010 (11-19-2010)

  Steve Norton’s presentation at the Vesta Roy Excellence in Public Service Series, November 18, 2010:

• 2010 Community Transportation Summit, November 18, 2010 (11-18-2010)

  Steve Norton’s presentation at the 2010 Community Transportation Summit, November 18, 2010

• Correcting Longtime Myths about New Hampshire (04-19-2010)

  Steve Norton’s April 11, 2010 appearance on WMUR’s "New Hampshire's Business" in which he talks about 5 myths of NH. Here are the set of powerpoint slides used in that segment.  Link at: http://bit.ly/aURVli

• Watching the World Change (10-29-2009)

  Steve Norton's presentation to the New Hampshire Coalition on Aging's Annual Meeting. October 29, 2009

• Where goes New Hampshire? NH 2018 (03-17-2008)

  A presentation given by Steve Norton, Executive Director, at the NH 2018 seminar on March 11, 2008, sponsored by BusinessNH Magazine and Leadership New Hampshire.

• From Tailwind to Headwind: NH's Shifting Economic Trends (09-27-2012)

  For several decades, New Hampshire has stood out as an economic anomaly in the Northeast. With a highly-educated workforce, high rates of in-migration and a high median per-capita income, New Hampshire boasted a strong, vibrant economy that gave it distinct advantages over its neighbors.

  Here, as elsewhere in the country, the Great Recession has disrupted much of the state economy. But it is a mistake to assume that the recession is the sole reason for the recent slowdown in New Hampshire’s economic engine, or that, once the impacts of the recession are behind us, New Hampshire will return to the pattern of steady, reliable growth of years past.

  In this analysis, we document long-term trends in various dimensions of New Hampshire’s economy and outline some possible goals for the state’s future economic development. Our conclusion: The model that has defined the state’s economy since the 1980s – consistent population growth, increased productivity, and a more resilient economy than our competitors – no longer holds. After benefiting from nearly three decades of economic tailwinds, New Hampshire now faces a strong headwind: net out-migration, an aging population and decreased labor productivity.

• What is New Hampshire? 2012 edition (09-18-2012)

  Welcome to the 2012 edition of "What is New Hampshire?", the Center's annual compilation of graphs, data and analysis on the people, strengths and challenges of the state. Click the above link to find a PDF version of the complete report.

  New Hampshire has emerged in a relatively strong position from the Great Recession. Yet the state also faces significant challenges in coming years, related not only to the transformations wrought by the economic downturn, but also shifting trends in our long-term demographics. In short, New Hampshire is a state in flux, and describing it remains a complicated task. While the implications of the changes now underway are still unclear, they do raise critical policy questions. This report attempts to explore some of them.

• What is New Hampshire? 2011 Edition and Maps (09-21-2011)

  Welcome to the 2011 edition of "What is New Hampshire?", the Center's annual compilation of graphs and data on the people, strengths and challenges of the state. Click the above link to find a PDF version of the complete report.

  For this year's edition, we've added a new selection of interactive maps, below, which illustrate much of the data upon which the full report is based. The first three maps show population density for every New Hampshire city and town, with figures from the 2010, 1990 and 1960 Censuses. By sliding between the maps, you see the gradual increase in population -- and how it differs across the state -- over that period.

  Click on any town to get demographic info for that community (median income, median age, poverty rate, etc.) We've included the statewide figures in each window, too.

  Finally, the last map illustrates the median age of each New Hampshire community. Take note of the regional variations. How might those differences shape policy discussions across the state?

  Please let us know what you think of this year's report and maps, and email info@nhpolicy.org with any suggestions.

  2010 Population Density by Municipality

  Map Colors show 2010 Population Density for each municipality in New Hampshire.

  0 to 100 People per square mile| 100 to 500 People per square mile| 500 to 1,000 People per square mile| 1,000 to 3,000 People per square mile

   

  1990 Population Density by Municipality

  0 to 100 People per square mile| 100 to 500 People per square mile| 500 to 1,000 People per square mile| 1,000 to 3,000 People per square mile

   

  1960 Population Density by Municipality

  0 to 100 People per square mile| 100 to 500 People per square mile| 500 to 1,000 People per square mile| 1,000 to 3,000 People per square mile

  NH Population Median Age by Town, 2010

  The most recent Census numbers help paint a more detailed portrait of New Hampshire’s demographic patterns. In this map, the darker the shade of the community, the older the median age of its residents. (The statewide median age was 41.1 years in 2010, up from 37.1 in 2000.)

  We see here that New Hampshire can essentially be divided into two regions when it comes to age: an older northern half, and a younger southern half. But even in the “younger” half, there is a further subdivision, with the eastern region – between Interstate 93 and the Seacoast -- significantly younger than the western portion.

  Age 20 to 41| Age 41 to 44| Age 44 to 48| Age 48 to 62| No Data

• What is New Hampshire? 2010 Edition (09-16-2010)

  The question “What is New Hampshire?” has never been more timely than it is right now. Every state across the country has experienced significant economic change, and with it has come serious impacts on the status quo. The face of New Hampshire is changing considerably, the implications of which are not well understood. Whether looking at demographics, the underlying state economy, the state budget, or politics and place, New Hampshire is a state in flux. Critical policy questions are raised by these changes.

• What is New Hampshire? 2009 Edition (09-08-2009)

  The question “What is New Hampshire?” has never been more timely than it is right now. Every state across the country has experienced significant economic change, and with it has come serious impacts on the status quo.   The face of New Hampshire is changing considerably, the implications of which are not well understood. Whether looking at demographics, the underlying state economy, the state budget, or politics and place, New Hampshire is a state in flux. Critical policy questions are raised by these changes. 

• Graph of the Month - May 2009 (05-08-2009)

  Parole Violators sent to State Prison by zipcode 2004 to 2008

• Graph of the Month - April 2009 (04-20-2009)

  New Hampshire’s former industrial centers suffer more if they lose Fixed Revenue Sharing aid, than they would if they lost the Meals and Rooms distribution.

• Graph of the Month - March 2009 (03-21-2009)

  American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Is New Hampshire a victim of its own success?

• Graph of the Month - February 2009 (02-11-2009)

  SB2 Dominates Local Spending in New Hampshire (2007)

   

• Graph of the Month - December 2008 (12-29-2008)

  Economic Distress Across New Hampshire

  Comparing initial claims for unemployment compensation to the labor force in each area provides one measure of the level of economic distress in a region and how it is changing. 

• Graph of the Month - November 2008 (11-21-2008)

  State Budget Shortfalls, SFY2009

  This graph describes which states are facing shortfalls or budget gaps where revenues will fall short of the amount needed to fund current services for state fiscal year 2009.  The additional mid-year gap represents shortfalls that states are facing in addition to the shortfalls faced at the time states adopted their SFY2009 budgets. 

  The states which are facing the largest shortfalls, as a percent of total general funds, tend to be the states with the largest amount of economic distress. These are states with high home foreclosure rates, and large increases in unemployment rates and food stamp participation.

• What is New Hampshire? 2008 Edition (10-15-2008)

  The NH Center for Public Policy Studies compiled this collection of graphs and tables for the use of Leadership New Hampshire, a program intended to introduce rising leaders to the people, strengths, and challenges of the Granite State. The Center is grateful for the opportunity to present this material to the Leadership New Hampshire participants and to all others seeking an overview of information about New Hampshire. The Center, not Leadership New Hampshire, determined what to include in this report.

• Graph of the Month - September 2008 (08-18-2008)

  Energy and Health Care as a Percent of GDP

• Graph of the Month - June/July 2008 (06-30-2008)
  Estimated Percent Change in Population 2000-2030 by Northern New England County
  New Hampshire is expected to be the fastest growing state in northern New England from 2000 to 2030, but the growth is not projected to be the same across counties.
  In the last two decades New Hampshire’s southernmost counties (Hillsborough and Rockingham) had seen the greatest population growth, but population growth will shift to the north and west in the future.  Carroll, Belknap and Merrimack counties will see the largest percent increase in population in the next twenty years.  Large increases in population could cause a strain on municipal services in Carroll, Belknap & Merrimack counties, associated with the influx of new residents and new housing.  The Center will be examining this issue in an upcoming paper on the impacts of population change and aging on the State budget. 
  Coos County will be the slowest growing county in New Hampshire.  The map also shows that northwest Vermont and coastal Maine will also see high levels of population growth, while most northern Maine counties will actually lose population between 2000 and 2030.

• Graph of the Month - May 2008 (05-20-2008)

  Percent of Wages Earned in Healthcare Jobs by Labor Market Area

  The Center offers the Graph of the Month from the array of data we use to understand the policy landscape across a wide range of policy issues.

  The Graph of the Month continues our mission to provide new perspectives on available data which will raise new ideas and improve policy debates through quality information and analysis on issues shaping New Hampshire's future.

• Graph of the Month - April 2008 (04-04-2008)

  New Hampshire Governance by Town - 2007

  The Center offers the Graph of the Month from the array of data we use to understand the policy landscape across a wide range of policy issues.

  The Graph of the Month continues our mission to provide new perspectives on available data which will raise new ideas and improve policy debates through quality information and analysis on issues shaping New Hampshire's future.

• What is New Hampshire? 2007 Edition (09-16-2007)

  The NH Center for Public Policy Studies compiled this collection of graphs and tables for the use of Leadership New Hampshire, a program intended to introduce rising leaders to the people, strengths, and challenges of the Granite State. The Center is grateful for the opportunity to present this material to the Leadership New Hampshire participants and to all others seeking an overview of information about New Hampshire. The Center, not Leadership New Hampshire, determined what to include in this report.