Survey Center News
The NH 2000 Survey
Over the last 10 years, New Hampshire has witnessed economic highs and lows -- from the recession of the early 1990s to the current economic boom. The changes in the economic climate have led to high out- and in-migration in the past decade.
The New Hampshire 2000 Survey has been designed to help policy makers answer questions about the impact of these economic and demographic changes, particularly related to:
- politics and political participation, particularly related to the First in the Nation primary;
- economics, with particular attention on entrepreneurship and the new economy;
- philanthropy, charitable giving and volunteerism;
- higher education and how it contributes to the labor market, the economy, and citizenship; and,
- demographic and technographic information, including ownership and usage of computers and use of the Internet.
Press Releases
- Dec. 21, 2000 NH Supports Increased Funding for Public Higher Education (PDF File)
- Oct. 19, 2000 New Hampshire's Entrepreneurial Spirit (PDF File)
- Sept. 3, 2000 Good Jobs, Strong Economy (PDF File)
- Aug. 21, 2000 New Hampshire is Wired! (PDF File)
- July 6, 2000 Involved and Informed: That's What Makes NH Unique (PDF File)
Sponsors
The New Hampshire 2000 Survey is a joint project of the UNH Survey Center and the UNH Whittemore School of Business and Economics (WSBE). It is sponsored by:
- The Business & Industry Association of New Hampshire
- The New Hampshire Charitable Foundation
- Fidelity Investments
- The Library and Archives of New Hampshire's Political Tradition
- The New Hampshire Small Business Development Center
- The University System of New Hampshire
Principal investigators on the New Hampshire 2000 Survey are:
- Ross Gittell, Associate Professor at WSBE
- Andrew E. Smith, Director of the UNH Survey Center
Background
The state of New Hampshire has experienced significant economic and demographic change over the past quarter century. The state has been transformed from a slow growth median per capita income state to a high per capita income and low poverty state with the strongest performing economy in the New England region.
The state is a national leader on many key measures of economic vitality including concentration of employment in high technology industries. Over the past quarter of a century the state has been the national leader in productivity gains (i.e., the percent change in gross state product per capita), fourth in percent change in overall gross state product, and third in the percent increase in per capita income.
The strong growth trend survived the last recession (of the late 1980s and early 1990s), continuing with renewed vitality after 1992 as New Hampshire was the first state in the region to recover from the recession. The most current US government data has the state ranked 2nd of the 50 states in the percent change in overall gross state product.
Economic transformation in New Hampshire has coincided with significant demographic trends. NH ranks first in the Northeastern US and 8th in the nation in the percentage of the population that moved into the state since 1980. Demography --in particular the significant in-migration into New Hampshire from other states-- has in many important respects distinguished New Hampshire from the other New England states and most states in the Northeastern U.S.. This has in turn helped to fuel the economy (particularly the high technology industries in the state) as many of the recent in-migrants are young families with dual income earners who are highly educated and skilled. In-migrant household heads are more than 2 times as likely as natives to have a bachelors degree or higher.
Since 1975 the state's population has grown at an average rate of nearly 2 percent per year, a rate more than four times the New England average and nearly double the national rate. The state's median age (35.4) is lower than any of the other New England states. The state's economy currently benefits from a relative high percentage of the population in the prime (25 to 64) work years of 54.7 percent, compared to 51.9 percent in the nation.
In the context of the changing economics and demographics a greater understanding of the "new" New Hampshire –who we are, what are our individual and collective priorities and values are, why some of us moved here, and what will keep us happy to be here can inform public policy makers and non-profit and corporate decision makers.
Back to Survey Center News