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Population: 28,112 Located in Rockingham County
SALEM AT A GLANCE Welcome to Salem - Gateway to New Hampshire!
The Salem Town Seal, with its motto, "Industry, Commerce, Recreation," serves as a perfect backdrop for the community's unique assets - location, accessibility, unspoiled natural resources and a pro-business attitude. It's a combination that will serve as a guide to prosperity well into the approaching new century.
Salem mixes small town, rural living with the advantages offered by a city. Add to that being located in "the most livable" state in the country, one of the most favorable business climates anywhere, easy access to Boston (not to mention the entire Northeast and Canada) and an educated, highly motivated and dedicated workforce and you have the ideal place to live, work and raise a family.
But don't take our word for it - come visit and talk with those who have already discovered the benefits for themselves. The "Gateway to New Hampshire," Salem is a town of 28,000 located in the southeastern part of the state, in Rockingham County. Just over the Massachusetts border, Salem sits conveniently on Interstate 93, midway between Boston and Concord, NH; making it 32 miles from the culture and excitement of the big city, yet less than an hour drive from the beauty and tranquility of New Hampshire's White Mountains, Lakes Region and Atlantic seacoast.
The town's municipal services are second to none - a modern water and sewer system, highly skilled police, fire and ambulance personnel and a town government managed by trained, professional officials. Salem's award-winning public school system, which includes a new vocational school, serves more than 3,650 students, who along with all town residents have access to one of the finest local libraries in New England.
Despite several concentrated areas of industrial and retail development, a turn down any side street immediately transports you from the urban environment to the residential or rural. These areas offer housing options from apartments to high-end custom built houses, with the majority being middle-income single-family homes. Thanks to the town's large industrial base, property taxes are among the lowest in southern New Hampshire.
Three major hospitals service the Salem area - Holy Family Hospital in Methuen, MA, Lawrence General Hospital in Lawrence, MA and Parkland Medical Center in Derry, NH. All provide excellent medical care as well as emergency services. Bolstered by a large and active Chamber of Commerce that works diligently year-round to promote the interests of the town's merchants, retail thrives here. Tax-free shopping just over the border in Salem is a major attraction for those who live in Massachusetts. According to the 1987 Census of Retail Trade, Salem's retail sector contributed over half a billion dollars in total sales to the local economy, as well as employing almost 5,000 people.
Undoubtedly the highlight of Salem's retail community is New England Development's Mall at Rockingham Park. Featuring 135 stores, including Filene's, J. C. Penney, Sears and Macy's, it complements other major retail business along Route 28, such as BJ's Warehouse, Home Depot, Circuit City and the Rockingham Mall (with Christmas Tree Store, Shaw's Supermarket, Bob's Furniture and other stores).
Salem is justifiably proud of its School District, which supplies the town with an unmatched workforce - more than three-quarters possess a high school diploma and almost half hold college degrees. Six elementary schools, which still cling to the neighborhood school concept, educate almost 2,000 students, while Woodbury Junior High houses 600 seventh and eights graders and Salem High is home to 1200. Salem schools produce well-rounded individuals. A strong background in the traditional basics of reading, language arts and sciences is complemented by computer education, music and physical training. Additional preparation for success in tomorrow's business world comes through a fully equipped language lab, planetarium, computer labs, television studio and satellite communications system.
The Regional Vocational Center, opened in 1988 at Salem High School, uses the latest equipment to give students the vocational training and experience they need to effectively compete in the workplace. Among the skills taught - automotive mechanics, building trades, culinary arts, drafting, health care and graphic arts.
For those wishing to continue their education, New Hampshire College, Franklin Pierce College and Hesser College all maintain campuses in Salem. Nearby, smaller schools include Castle Junior College, Northern Essex Community College, Merrimack College and Rivier College. And, of course, Boston's world-renowned college community, led by Harvard and MIT, is an easy commute.
Salem boasts one of the strongest industrial bases in a state ranked as one of the most industrialized in the U.S. The bulk of industrial development is centered in three major industrial parks - Salem Industrial Park, Salem Professional Park and the State Line Industrial Park. There are also several smaller industrial areas, and all share quick access to I-93 and its direct connections to I-89, I-495 and I-95.
The town's businesses show great diversity ranging from manufacturing and design to food preparation. Many market their products and services both nationally and internationally. Doing business in Salem is an invitation to thrive. In addition to benefiting from a variety of statewide economic assistance programs, vital transportation links and a productive workforce with an ethic based on giving a day's work for a day's pay, Salem profits from New Hampshire's nationally recognized favorable business climate. The state has long been known for its philosophy of limited taxes, consistency and fairness, and is one of only two states that does not have a general sales or income tax - nor does it have a capital gains tax, machinery and equipment tax or inventory tax.
courtesy of www.townofsalemnh.org
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