Keene is a city in Cheshire County, New Hampshire, United States. Its population was 23,047 at the 2020 census, down from 23,409 at the 2010 census, and an estimated 23,072 in 2025. It is the county seat and the only city in Cheshire County.

Keene is home to Keene State College and Antioch University New England. It hosted the state's annual pumpkin festival from 1991 to 2014, several times setting a world record for most jack-o'-lanterns on display.

History In 1735, colonial Governor Jonathan Belcher granted lots in the township of "Upper Ashuelot" to 63 settlers who paid £5 each (equivalent to in ). It was settled after 1736 on Equivalent Lands.Equivalent Lands ; webpage; Vermont History on-line; accessed April 26, 2020

In 1747, during King George's War, the village was attacked and burned by Natives. Colonists fled to safety, but would return to rebuild in 1749. It was regranted to its inhabitants in 1753 by Governor Benning Wentworth, who renamed it "Keene" after Sir Benjamin Keene, a principal of the South Sea Trading Company, whose primary business was slave trading.

19th century to 20th century Railroad development in Keene began with unsuccessful proposals in 1829 and 1835, before the Cheshire Railroad was chartered in 1844. A depot was constructed near lower Marlboro Street in 1847, along with laying of the track and the building of the Stone Arch Bridge at West Keene. The railroad formally opened to Keene on May 16, 1848, when a decorated train from Boston arrived before a crowd reported to number more than 5,000 people. Regular passenger and freight service between Keene and Bellows Falls, Vermont, began in January 1849. The Ashuelot Railroad ran its first trains in December 1850, while the Manchester and Keene Railroad reached the city in 1878. The resulting connections to Massachusetts, Vermont and New York contributed to industrial growth, and by 1890 Keene had become a regional railroad center.

Keene's railroads were subsequently incorporated into larger regional railways. The Cheshire Railroad consolidated with the Fitchburg Railroad in 1890, while the Ashuelot Railroad consolidated with the Connecticut River Railroad that year and was taken over by the Boston and Maine Railroad in 1893.

The city's own electric street railway began regular service in 1900, and eventually operated lines connecting central Keene with West Keene, Marlborough and Swanzey Factory. The Keene Electric Railway was authorized to replace its rail lines with motor buses in 1926 and continued operating until 1929. Passenger rail service declined during the mid-20th century, with the last passenger train departing Keene for Bellows Falls on May 31, 1958, ending 110 years of passenger service in the city.

In 1920, Keene's population stood at 11,210 and increased as the city's industrial economy and economy grew, with the town becoming a regional institutional center of southwestern New Hampshire. During the Great Depression, Keene's banks closed temporarily and federal assistance subsequently supported highway, water, sewer and park-improvement projects in the town. In 1936, there was serious flooding and the 1938 New England hurricane affected the city, damaged homes and factories and destroyed nearly 1,000 elm trees; the resulting flood-control program included Surry Dam, which was completed in 1942.

In the postwar period, Keene's educational and service functions expanded with Keene Teachers College, which became Keene State College in 1963. In 1987, the city spent approximately $2 million improving Main Street and Central Square to create a more pedestrian-oriented downtown.

21st century to present Beginning in 2000, Keene inventoried nearly 200 historic properties and then set up a municipal heritage and downtown historic-district body to support the restoration and reuse of prominent historic buildings.

In the 2020 United States census, the city's population was 23,047.

In 2011, Massachusetts man Thomas Ball immolated himself on the steps of a courthouse in Keene to protest what he considered the court system's abuse of divorced fathers' rights.

Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of , of which are land and (0.69%) is covered by water. Keene is drained by the Ashuelot River. The highest point in Keene is the summit of Grays Hill in the city's northwestern corner, at above sea level. Keene is entirely within the Connecticut River watershed, with all of the city except for the northwestern corner draining to the Connecticut via the Ashuelot.

State highways converge on Keene from nine directions. New Hampshire Route 9 leads northeast to Concord, the state capital, and west to Brattleboro, Vermont. Route 10 leads north to Newport and southwest to Northfield, Massachusetts. Route 12 leads northwest to Walpole and Charlestown and southeast to Winchendon, Massachusetts. Route 101 leads east to Peterborough and Manchester, Route 32 leads south to Swanzey, then to Athol, Massachusetts, and Route 12A leads north to Surry and Alstead. A limited-access bypass used variously by Routes 9, 10, 12, and 101 passes around the north, west, and south sides of downtown.

Keene is served by Dillant–Hopkins Airport, located just south of the city in Swanzey.

Climate

Keene is located in a humid continental climate zone. It experiences all four seasons quite distinctly. The average high temperature in July is , and the record high for Keene is . Extended periods of high humidity can raise heat indices to near . During the summer, Keene gets hit by thunderstorms coming from the west or northwest. Severe storms are not uncommon. Large hail occurs to the east and northeast of Keene. Tornadoes are also not uncommon. Long-tracked tornadoes touched down on the east side of Keene in 2023 and 2024.

The winters in Keene can be harsh. The most recent such winter was 2002–2003, when Keene received of snow. The majority of the snowfall in Keene comes from nor'easters, areas of low pressure that move up the Atlantic Coast and strengthen. Many times, these storms can produce blizzard conditions across southern New England. Recent examples are the blizzards of 2005 and 2006. Keene is situated in an area where cold air meets the moisture from the south, so often Keene gets the jackpot with winter storms. Aside from snow, winters can be very cold. Even in the warmest of winters, Keene typically experiences at least one night below . During January 2004, Keene saw highs below freezing 25 of the days, including five days in the single digits and one day with a high of zero. Overnight lows dropped below zero 12 times, including seven nights below . The record low in Keene is . In addition to the cold temperatures, Keene can receive biting winds that drive the wind chill down below .

The last significant snowfall typically occurs in early March. At the same time, days can begin in late March. Autumn weather is similar. Keene's first snowfall usually occurs in mid-November, though the city can also have through November. Significant rain events can occur in the spring and fall. For example, record rainfall and flooding with the axis of heaviest rain (around ) near Keene occurred in October 2005. Another significant flood event occurred in May of the following year.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 census, Keene had a population of 23,047. The median age was 37.8 years. 16.7% of residents were under the age of 18 and 19.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 92.8 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 90.6 males age 18 and over.

89.7% of residents lived in urban areas, while 10.3% lived in rural areas.

There were 9,433 households in Keene, of which 22.8% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 37.0% were married-couple households, 21.9% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 32.2% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 36.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.5% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.

There were 10,297 housing units, of which 8.4% were vacant. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.5% and the rental vacancy rate was 8.6%.

+ Racial composition as of the 2020 census Race Number Percent White 20,760 90.1% Black or African American 302 1.3% American Indian and Alaska Native 34 0.1% Asian 529 2.3% Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander 8 0.0% Some other race 248 1.1% Two or more races 1,166 5.1% Hispanic or Latino (of any race) 673 2.9%

2010 census As of the census of 2010, 23,409 people, 9,052 households, and 4,843 families were residing in the city. The population density was . The 9,719 housing units had an average density of . The racial makeup of the city was 95.3% White, 0.6% African American, 0.2% Native American, 2.0% Asian, 0.5% some other race, and 1.4% from two or more races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 1.6% of the population.

Of the 9,052 households, 23.0% had children under 18 living with them, 39.1% were married couples living together, 10.6% had a female householder with no husband present, and 46.5% were not families. About 31.8% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.6% were individuals who were 65 or older. The average household size was 2.26, and the average family size was 2.83.

In the city, the age distribution was 16.6% under 18, 24.1% from 18 to 24, 20.6% from 25 to 44, 24.0% from 45 to 64, and 14.7% who were 65 or older. The median age was 34.0 years. For every 100 females, there were 88.3 males. For every 100 females 18 and over, there were 85.8 males.

2010–2014 American Community Survey

For the period of 2010 through 2014, the estimated median income for a household in the city was $52,327 and for a family was $75,057. Male full-time workers had a median income of $50,025 versus $39,818 for females. The per capita income for the city was $29,366. About 6.7% of families and 16.5% of the population were below the poverty line, including 16.5% of those under 18 and 11.5% of those 65 or over.

Government

+ Keene city vote by party in presidential electionsElection results YearGOPDEMOthers202432.3% 4,18365.9% 8,5411.8% 231202029.1% 3,76469.2% 8,9661.7% 222201630.4% 3,83162.9% 7,9326.8% 854201228.7% 3,61369.3% 8,7182.0% 248200827.6% 3,64171.5% 9,4271.0% 126200432.1% 4,00467.1% 8,3780.8% 101200036.3% 3,70457.4% 5,8566.3% 647199632.1% 2,91059.7% 5,4018.2% 742199231.8% 3,25750.9% 5,21017.4% 1,779

Keene's government consists of a mayor and a city council, which has 15 members. Two are elected from each of the city's five wards, and five councilors are elected at-large.

In the New Hampshire Senate, Keene is included in the 10th District and is represented by Democrat Donovan Fenton. On the New Hampshire Executive Council, Keene is in the 2nd District and is represented by Democrat Karen Liot Hill. In the United States House of Representatives, Keene is a part of New Hampshire's 2nd Congressional District and is currently represented by Democrat Maggie Goodlander.

Keene is a strongly Democratic-leaning city at the presidential level, as no Republican presidential nominee has carried the city in over two decades.

Media Several media sources are located in Keene:

Print The Keene Sentinel The Monadnock Shopper News The Equinox, student newspaper of Keene State College

Radio The city has several radio stations licensed by the FCC to Keene: AM

WZBK 1220 (Classic Hits, Simulcast of WKVT-FM, Boston Red Sox Radio Affialiate) WKBK 1290 (News/Talk), formerly WKNE. Simulcast on W231DV (94.1 FM) and W298BT (107.5 FM). FM WEVN 90.7, operated by New Hampshire Public Radio WKNH 91.3, operated by Keene State College WSNI 97.7 (Adult Contemporary, Sunny 97). WSNI changed its city of license from Swanzey to Keene in September 2009.