At the October 8, 2009, Master Plan forum, the discussion focused on changes to the population of the Town of Wakefield that have occurred over the past 40 years, what trends may be developing, and how those trends may effect Wakefield in the future.
Our Town Planner presented statistics for the Board’s review and discussion and discussed how those statistics are developed and what they mean to the community.
The NH Office of Energy and Planning (NH-OEP) estimates the 2008 population of Wakefield to be 4,826. Local data, such as student population and voter registrations, indicate that the year-round population for the Town of Wakefield may be as high as 5,900.
The Town of Wakefield is one of the fastest growing communities in the state and has consistently experienced a higher growth rate than Carroll and Strafford Counties, and the State of New Hampshire. Population for the Town of Wakefield has increased nearly 240% since 1970. During the same period, Carroll and Stafford Counties and the State of NH experienced population increases of 155%, 74% and 78%, respectively.
The population for the Town of Wakefield increased by 57.5% from 1970 to 1980. Wakefield experienced additional surges in population growth from 1980 to 1990 (a 39.6% increase) and from 1990 to 2000 (a 39.1% increase). A review of population data with other available data indicates that a significant portion of the increase in population from 1990 to 2000 resulted from the conversion of seasonal or vacation homes to year-round residences.
Seasonal population is important to the community in terms of the potential for increased consumer spending, as well as increased demands on municipal services. A local survey would be necessary to determine with reasonable accuracy the number of seasonal residents in Wakefield. As that type of data isn’t currently available, the Planning Board will estimate the seasonal population using data from the U.S. Census Bureau and building permit data. A preliminary estimate of the seasonal population is 4,775 persons, but the Board will continue to look at this estimate during the November 12th Master Plan forum.
The population of Wakefield is aging. According to US Census Bureau data, the largest increase in population from 1980 to 2000 has occurred in the 30-44 year age bracket, followed by the 45-64 year bracket. The school age population (ages 5 through 17) demonstrated the third largest increase in population. The median age in Wakefield has increased from 36.4 years in 1980 to 40.1 years in 2000. This is a trend that is being observed throughout New Hampshire as families have fewer children and more young adults leave the state in search of employment opportunities.
Wakefield’s population is projected to increase in the coming decade, but at a slower rate than experience in previous decades. Over the next 12 years, the period covered by the Master Plan update, the Wakefield population is projected to increase approximately 23%.
The Planning Board will continue to discuss changes to the Town's population at the November 12th Master Plan forum.
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