Concord is the capital of New Hampshire, a state of the United States of America. As of the 2000 census, it has a population of 40,687. (2003 Est. 41,378) It is the county seat of Merrimack County.
Concord is the home of Franklin Pierce Law Center, the only law school in New Hampshire, and the prep school St. Paul's School.
Concord is located at 43°13'12" North, 71°32'57" West (43.220093, -71.549127)and sits at 288 ft. above sea level.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 174.9 km2 (67.5 mi2). 166.5 km2 (64.3 mi2) of it is land and 8.4 km2 (3.2 mi2) of it is water. The total area is 4.78% water.
As of the census of 2000, there are 40,687 people, 16,281 households, and 9,622 families residing in the city. The population density is 244.4/km2 (632.9/mi2). There are 16,881 housing units at an average density of 101.4/km2 (262.6/mi2). The racial makeup of the city is 95.52% White, 1.03% Black or African American, 0.29% Native American, 1.47% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.34% from other races, and 1.31% from two or more races. 1.45% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 16,281 households out of which 30.6% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.3% are married couples living together, 11.4% have a female householder with no husband present, and 40.9% are non-families. 32.7% of all households are made up of individuals and 11.2% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.30 and the average family size is 2.95.
In the city the population is spread out with 23.1% under the age of 18, 8.3% from 18 to 24, 33.0% from 25 to 44, 22.0% from 45 to 64, and 13.7% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 37 years. For every 100 females there are 98.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 95.0 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $42,447, and the median income for a family is $52,418. Males have a median income of $35,504 versus $27,348 for females. The per capita income for the city is $21,976. 8.0% of the population and 6.2% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 9.3% of those under the age of 18 and 5.4% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
The land which Concord now occupies along the banks of the Merrimack River was settled thousands of years ago by Native Americans. The broad sweeps of the river valley, good soil for farming, and easy transportation on the Merrimack made the site of Concord equally inviting to English-speaking settlers in the 18th century. During the 18th century the community grew in prominence. Some of Concord's earliest houses remain today at the north end of Main Street.
The city was settled by immigrants from Massachusetts in 1727 as Penacook. In 1733, it was incorporated as Rumford, and in 1765, the name was changed to Concord. In the years following the American Revolution, Concord's central location made it a logical choice for the state capital, and in 1808 it was named the official seat of state government. Today the 1819 State House is the oldest state capitol in which the legislative branches meet in their original chambers.