Some of you might be asking yourself, at this very moment, is New Hampshire a good place?
The answer is unequivocally yes… if you know where to locate the best counties to live in New Hampshire.
Lucky for you, we’re here to help you identify the best counties to live in the Granite State based on the most recently available data from the Census. And this isn’t our first rodeo — we’ve been using Saturday Night Science to rank places for years.
The question becomes if you wanted to relocate to the best part of New Hampshire, where would you go? To answer that, we looked at crime, cost of living, and demographic data for all 10 counties in the state.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | FAQs | Summary
The 10 Best Counties To Live In New Hampshire For 2024
Rockingham County is the county to be when it comes to living the good life in New Hampshire. And you should avoid Coos County if you can — at least according to the data.
Now you know exactly where to move in New Hampshire. Keep on reading for more about the top ten and a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in New Hampshire and the cheapest places to live in New Hampshire.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The Best Counties To Live In New Hampshire For 2024
1. Rockingham County
Biggest Place: Derry
Population: 315,169
Median Income: $110,225 (best)
Median Home Price: $547,067 (best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.4% (4th best)
More on Rockingham County: Data
2. Hillsborough County
Biggest Place: Manchester
Population: 422,733
Median Income: $95,112 (2nd best)
Median Home Price: $452,644 (3rd best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.7% (7th best)
More on Hillsborough County: Data
3. Merrimack County
Biggest Place: Concord
Population: 153,918
Median Income: $88,806 (3rd best)
Median Home Price: $420,286 (6th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.6% (6th best)
More on Merrimack County: Data
4. Belknap County
Biggest Place: Laconia
Population: 63,914
Median Income: $80,719 (5th best)
Median Home Price: $447,227 (4th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.7% (best)
More on Belknap County: Data
5. Strafford County
Biggest Place: Dover
Population: 130,965
Median Income: $83,212 (4th best)
Median Home Price: $427,892 (5th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.7% (8th best)
More on Strafford County: Data
6. Carroll County
Biggest Place: Conway
Population: 50,679
Median Income: $77,049 (7th best)
Median Home Price: $459,126 (2nd best)
Unemployment Rate: 5.6% (10th best)
More on Carroll County: Data
7. Grafton County
Biggest Place: Lebanon
Population: 90,836
Median Income: $79,949 (6th best)
Median Home Price: $377,843 (7th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.8% (2nd best)
More on Grafton County: Data
8. Cheshire County
Biggest Place: Keene
Population: 76,610
Median Income: $76,551 (8th best)
Median Home Price: $337,879 (9th best)
Unemployment Rate: 3.5% (5th best)
More on Cheshire County: Data
9. Sullivan County
Biggest Place: Claremont
Population: 43,356
Median Income: $70,788 (9th best)
Median Home Price: $338,149 (8th best)
Unemployment Rate: 2.9% (3rd best)
More on Sullivan County: Data
10. Coos County
Biggest Place: Berlin
Population: 31,430
Median Income: $55,247 (10th best)
Median Home Price: $234,092 (10th best)
Unemployment Rate: 4.2% (9th best)
More on Coos County: Data
Methodology: How do you determine which New Hampshire county is the best?
To give you the best county in New Hampshire, we have to look at a handful of metrics that signal the quality of a place. To do that, we made assumptions about what’s in a “best county” and what isn’t. For reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, Saturday Night Science.
With that in mind, we went to two of the best data sources on the internet. Namely, the American Community Survey data and FBI Crime data for the most recent period.
We paid particular attention to:
- Violent Crime Rates
- Property Crime Rates
- Median Home Values
- Median Income
- Unemployment Rates
- Adult Education Levels
- Health Insurance Coverage
- Poverty Rates
We then ranked each county in New Hampshire across each of the criteria from one to 10, with one being the best.
Taking the average rank across all criteria, we created a quality of life score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Best County To Live In New Hampshire.”
The result is some of the safest, quietest, and best counties to raise a family in the Granite State.
We updated this article for 2024. This report is our tenth time ranking the best counties to live in New Hampshire.
Read on to see why Rockingham County is the best county, while Coos County is probably in contention for being the worst county in New Hampshire.
Summary: The Best Counties In New Hampshire To Call Home For 2024
Living in New Hampshire can vary from one part of the state to the next — who woulda thought?
The best counties in New Hampshire are Rockingham County, Hillsborough County, Merrimack County, Belknap County, Strafford County, Carroll County, Grafton County, Cheshire County, Sullivan County, and Coos County.
But now you know the outstanding parts and the parts to avoid, and that’s why you came here to learn at the end of the day.
You are welcome.
Here’s a look at the worst counties in New Hampshire according to the data:
- Coos County
- Sullivan County
- Cheshire County
For more New Hampshire reading, check out:
- Richest Cities In New Hampshire
- Best Places To Raise A Family In New Hampshire
- Best Counties To Live In New Hampshire
- Safest Places In New Hampshire
Detailed List Of The Best Counties In New Hampshire
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Median Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rockingham County | 315,169 | $110,225 | $547,067 |
| 2 | Hillsborough County | 422,733 | $95,112 | $452,644 |
| 3 | Merrimack County | 153,918 | $88,806 | $420,286 |
| 4 | Belknap County | 63,914 | $80,719 | $447,227 |
| 5 | Strafford County | 130,965 | $83,212 | $427,892 |
| 6 | Carroll County | 50,679 | $77,049 | $459,126 |
| 7 | Grafton County | 90,836 | $79,949 | $377,843 |
| 8 | Cheshire County | 76,610 | $76,551 | $337,879 |
| 9 | Sullivan County | 43,356 | $70,788 | $338,149 |
| 10 | Coos County | 31,430 | $55,247 | $234,092 |