Incorporated in 1727, Bow was one of several communities established in the Merrimack Valley to relieve population congestion in the seacoast. When drawn on a map, the line of communities formed a bow. There is also a bend in the Merrimack River within its borders, and the name Bow may have come from either source. Grants in this expansion were given to many prominent Portsmouth families, causing concern by residents of Rumford to the north, who objected to being hemmed in from the south, and protested to the English crown against extension of such colonization. Upon settlement of the dispute, Rumford was renamed Concord. Bow is the birthplace of Mary Baker Eddy, founder of the First Church of Christ, Scientist and leader of the Christian Science movement.

Community Contact	Town of Bow James Pitts, Town Manager 10 Grandview Road, Town Hall Bow, NH 03304
Telephone	(603) 228-1187
Fax	(603) 224-6680
E-mail	admin@bow-nh.gov
Web Site	www.bow-nh.com

County	Merrimack
Labor Market Area	Concord NH Micro-NECTA
Tourism Region	Merrimack Valley
Planning Commission	Central NH Regional

Population Trends: Population change for Bow totaled 6,106 over 50 years, from 1,062 in 1950 to 7,168 in 2000. The largest decennial percent change was an 85 percent increase between 1960 and 1970; the population increased by at least 25 percent each decade. The 2006 Census estimate for Bow was 8,098 residents, which ranked 38th among New Hampshire's incorporated cities and towns.

Population Density, 2006: 287.5 persons per square mile of land area. Bow contains 28.2 square miles of land area and 0.4 square miles of inland water area.

PROPERTY TAXES (NH Dept. of Revenue Adminstration)
2006 Total Tax Rate (per $1000 of value)	$27.99
2006 Equalization Ratio	68
2006 Full Value Tax Rate (per $1000 of value)	$21.03