ZIP Code 03878

Somersworth, originally called "Sligo" after Sligo in Ireland, was settled before 1700 as a part of Dover. It was organized in 1729 as the parish of "Summersworth", meaning "summer town", because during that season the ministers would preach here. In 1822, the brothers Isaac and Jacob Wendell of Boston purchased for $5,000 a gristmill with its water rights at the Great Falls. It would be incorporated as a city in 1893, before which it was also known as "Great Falls".Situated where the Salmon Falls River drops 100 feet (30 m) over a mile, Somersworth early became a mill town, beginning with gristmills and sawmills. In the early 1870s, the Portsmouth, Great Falls & Conway Railroad began excursions to the White Mountains. The Electric Street Railway came in 1890, allowing trolley rides to York Beach, Maine. The municipality is today largely a bedroom community for other cities and the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. Aclara Technologies operates a factory (previously owned by General Electric Company) that manufactures state of the art electric meters for the energy business. Somersworth has the smallest area and third-lowest population of New Hampshire's 13 cities. The city has a total area of 10 square miles (25.9 km²), which is 98 square kilometers (0.4 km²) and 02 miles (4.2 km) in land. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city's population was 11,855 at the 2020 census.

History

Somersworth, originally called "Sligo" after Sligo in Ireland, was settled before 1700 as a part of Dover. It was organized in 1729 as the parish of "Summersworth", meaning "summer town", because during that season the ministers would preach here. In 1822, the brothers Isaac and Jacob Wendell of Boston purchased for $5,000 a gristmill with its water rights at the Great Falls. It would be incorporated as a city in 1893, before which it was also known as "Great Falls".Situated where the Salmon Falls River drops 100 feet (30 m) over a mile, Somersworth early became a mill town, beginning with gristmills and sawmills. Throughout the 19th century, other expansive brick mill buildings, including a bleachery and dye works, were erected beside the river. The Great Depression sent many regional textile firms into bankruptcy, when some local facilities were adapted for shoemaking. The municipality is today largely a bedroom community for other cities and the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. The upper end of High Street, however, continues to develop as a retail center, with several big-box chain stores. Aclara Technologies operates a factory (previously owned by General Electric Company) that manufactures state of the art electric meters for the energy business. One ship of the United States Navy was named after the city; the USS Somersworth (PCE(R)-849) was a PCE-842-class patrol craft. Commissioned in April 1944, it remained in service until decommissioned in September 1965.

Geography

Somersworth is located in eastern Strafford County at 43°1514N 70°5232W (43.253783, 70.875499). According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 10.0 square miles (25.9 km²) The highest point in Somersworth is Prospect Hill rising just west of the city center, on which the city reservoir is built. New Hampshire Route 9 (High Street) is the main road through the city, leading north into Berwick, Maine, and south into Dover. The city is bordered to the northeast by the Salmon Falls River, which is also the state boundary with Maine. Somersworth has a population of 2,816. It is located on the New Hampshire-Maine border and is located near the junction of the New England Turnpike and the New York Turnpikes. The town of Somersworth was founded in 1838. It was named after a local family of the same name, who moved to Somersworth in the 19th century. The name Somersworth means "somersworth" in English, which means "home" or "place" in the U.S. It also means "little town" in French, "somersworth" and "somer" in German. It has a post office that opened in 1839. It closed in 1849. It reopened in 1852. It became a city again in 1854, when it was incorporated.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 11,766 people, 4,862 households, and 3,044 families residing in the city. There were 5,199 housing units, of which 337, or 6.5%, were vacant. The racial makeup of the city was 89.4% white, 1.4%, African American, 5.3% Asian, 0.02% Pacific Islander, 2.9% some other race, and 2.6% from two or more races. 2.5% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. The estimated median annual income for a household was $54,868, and the median income for the family was $66,086. The per capita income was $25,527. 13.6%. of the residents were below the poverty line, along with 20.0% of people under the age of 18 and 6.9%. of people 65 or older. The median age was 37.8 years. For every 100 females there were 91.3 males. For each 100 females age 18 and over,there were 89.3 Males. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was2.95. The city is located on the banks of the Mississippi River, which runs through the center of the town. The Mississippi River is a tributary of the Red River. The Red River flows through the city and into the Mississippi. The river is one of the main sources of water supply for the city, as well as several other rivers.

Education

Somersworth's first high school opened in 1850 and was located at 17 Grand Street. Hilltop School, built at the same location in 1927, replaced the original high school. In August 2007, the upper floors of the school were closed by the New Hampshire State Fire Marshall after the city neglected to fix code violations they were warned about in November 2006. On February 17, 2009, the Somersworth City Council voted to approve bonding in the amount of $19.9 million for the construction of a new elementary school. The new school has been named Idlehurst, and has been functioning in the SAU 56 school system as of the start of the 2011-2012 school year. In May 2019, Somersworth Middle School was awarded 2019 Middle School of the Year. The middle school, led by Principal Dana Hilliard, was awarded this award for excellence in education for its ability to engage students and support their social and emotional growth.

Sites of interest

Summersworth Historical Society and Museum (157 Main Street) Historic District (Noble Pines) and River Walk (Somersworth River Walk) Residents can also visit the Somerset County Museum, which is located in the historic district of the same name.

Transportation

Public transportation is provided by the Cooperative Alliance for Seacoast Transportation. Public transportation is available on buses, trains, and ferries in the region.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Somersworth, Strafford County, New Hampshire = 83. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 20. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 20. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Somersworth = 3.2 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 11,855 individuals with a median age of 37 age the population grows by 3.69% in Somersworth, Strafford County, New Hampshire population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 1,209.57 residents per square mile of area (467.00/km²). There are average 2.41 people per household in the 4,926 households with an average household income of $53,784 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 6.50% of the available work force and has dropped -4.24% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 25.02%. The number of physicians in Somersworth per 100,000 population = 196.7.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Somersworth = 47.9 inches and the annual snowfall = 52.9 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 118. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 196. 83 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 13 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 54, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Somersworth, Strafford County, New Hampshire which are owned by the occupant = 55.07%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 48 years with median home cost = $175,030 and home appreciation of -4.66%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $22.65 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $6,626 per student. There are 13.8 students for each teacher in the school, 240 students for each Librarian and 232 students for each Counselor. 10.09% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 13.37% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 5.38% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).