Newington, New Hampshire
Community Profile 

Newington, New Hampshire, known for its commercial and industrial successes over the past decades, also takes great care to preserve its historic landmarks and architecture. Residents can enjoy the ease of shopping and dining on Woodbury Avenue, as well as visiting one of the Seacoast's largest shopping centers, or find
pleasure at one of three outdoor recreational parks along the Piscataqua River.

The center of Newington consists of well-manicured farms, historic homes and buildings, and beautiful vistas of Great Bay and Little Bay. The bays and their immediate environs provide habitat to a wide range of wildlife and form one of the richest estuaries in North America. Recently, Great Bay was designated by the federal government as a National Estuarine Research Reserve. In 1987, the 110-acre Newington Center Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is inseparably linked to a virtually unspoiled landscape of open fields surrounding an old cemetery, the parade ground and the state's oldest meetinghouse (built in 1712) in continuous use. Co-existing with this bucolic scene is Newington's bustling waterfront and inland commerce, which contributes substantially to Newington's economic health.

Economy

The development of waterfront commerce along the Piscataqua River has contributed substantially to Newington's vitality. Fox Run Mall, one of the largest shopping centers in New Hampshire,
provides employment to more than 1,000 Seacoast residents. And with many major chain employers locating sites in Newington over the past few years, favorable projections are being made about the local economy. Perhaps the strongest indication of this community's stable financial status is its tax rate, among the lowest in New Hampshire at $9.32 per $1,000 at 100 percent valuation. With its large tax base and low tax rate, the town can provide exceptional municipal services. 

Policies

Long-range planning is a Newington tradition that dates back more than 350 years, when local residents established America's first Town Forest in 1640. Newington adopted a revised Master Plan in 1991, designed to guide the future development of the town into the 21st century. The plan includes a Waterfront Industrial Zone that stretches three miles along the Piscataqua River-the most intensely developed heavy industrial development in New Hampshire-as well as the site of 75 percent of the state's bulk petroleum product storage. Ever since the enactment of zoning in 1952, town officials have jealously guarded Newington's waterfront, reserving it for optimum utilization so that its economic benefits may be realized to the fullest.

Newington offers an ample public utility supply with two public service power plants, natural gas, and an efficient and clean sewer system. Newington's Zoning Ordinance divides the town's 8.9 square miles into the following districts: Residential, Industrial, Waterfront Industrial, Commercial and Office, and five zones within the former Pease Air Force Base: Airport Industrial, Airport, Natural Resource Protection, Mobile Home and Light Industry.

Housing

Single-family dwellings dominate Newington's residential area, which is divided into three districts. Older and larger gracious homes add to the town's housing ambiance. The average purchase price for a single-family home was $356,000, according to the 2004 Census.

Education

Newington is a well-educated community, with local residents more likely to have attended college than their counterparts across the county and state. Almost one in three Newington adult residents holds a four-year college degree. Newington's students attend a local elementary school through the sixth grade. Junior and high school students attend Portsmouth schools.

Newington Public School
133 Nimble Hill Road
(603)436-1482
Enrollment: 34 students

Portsmouth Middle School
Parrott Avenue, Portsmouth
(603)436-5781
Enrollment: 523 students
(15 from Newington) 

Portsmouth High School
Alumni Drive, Portsmouth
(603)436-7100
Enrollment: 1,069 students
(33 from Newington) 

Profile

Newington Population (2000): 775

Growth Rate

(1990-2000): -21.7%

County: Rockingham

Municipal Gov't: Selectmen/

Town Meeting

Property Tax: $9.32 per $1,000 (2004)

at 100 percent valuation

Per Capita Income (2000): $30,172

Median Age: 42.6

Utilities

Electric Source: Public Service of

New Hampshire (603)436-5660

Natural Gas Source: Northern Utilities Natural Gas (800)552-3047

Water Source: City of Portsmouth

Sewer Type Treatment: Municipal, sewer treatment plant serves the commercial-industrial zones. Residential treatment consists of septic tanks only.  

Contacts

Newington Town Office
205 Nimble Hill Rd.
Newington, NH 03801
Town Office: (603)436-7640
Fax: 436-7188

Police: (603)436-5461

Fire: (603)436-9441