New Hampshire is both one of the best states and safest states to live in America. The residents of the safest places in New Hampshire know how to live life right.
We set out to determine the safest places in New Hampshire for 2024. How did we do it? We consulted the numbers and analyzed important factors like property and violent crimes per capita for every place with over 5,000 residents. In total, we analyzed 73 New Hampshire cities.
We discovered that there are safe places like Durham for college kids, super safe family-friendly places like Hudson, and safe places like Berlin for people on a budget.
There's a reason notables have been singing the praises of places like Manchester, Nashua for years. These are not just some of America's best places to live, but some of the country's safest.
So, where are these amazing places in Rhode Island where crime is low and neighborhoods are safe? Read on.
It's not breaking news that New Hampshire has happy, safe places to live.
Some might think it's because of the great tax breaks, but we think it's because the hard-working people of New Hampshire are always paying it forward to fund programs that keep their cities and communities safe.
So, where's the safest place to live in New Hampshire? The safest place in New Hampshire is Rye.
If you want to see how New Hampshire's other amazing safe places faired, take a look at the list below. And if you don't see your favorite there, head to the bottom.
For more reading on safe places to live in and around New Hampshire, check out:
Population: 5,550
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 0 (safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 270 (seventh safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Rye: Real Estate
New Hampshire's first settlement, Rye's low crime figures for both violent and property offenses, have earned it the safest spot for safety in New Hampshire for 2024.
Rye had 0/100k people violent crimes per capita, ranking it safest for violent crime in the state. With only 0 incidents of violence and 15 property crimes, including just 1 burglaries, Rye is a safe place to move to in Rockingham County.
Population: 7,844
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 12 (fourth safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 229 (fifth safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Stratham: Real Estate
Stratham, a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, is known for its safety, ranking second statewide. With its roots in the "Squamscott Patent" area since 1716, Stratham's crime statistics reflect its peaceful nature. It has a 12/100k people violent crime per capita rate and stands at fourth safest for violent crimes. The fact that only 18 property crimes occurred in this city of 7,844 people underscores its reputation as a secure place to live.
Overall, Stratham's low crime rates and historic setting confirm its status as the second safest community in New Hampshire.
Population: 8,556
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 23 (tenth safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 175 (second safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Litchfield: Real Estate
You will find Litchfield alongside the Merrimack River. With sites like the Litchfield State Forest, there is just as much natural beauty within this town as there is around it. The area's notably low crime numbers mean you can explore all it has to offer while knowing you are not surrounded by criminals waiting to pounce.
The town of 8,556 had just 2 reports of violent crime in 2022. An outstanding feat for a population of that size. When it came to property crime, Litchfield was not off the hook, but some numbers were still impressive. Those include the 4 burglaries and 2 car thefts that occurred - a low amount per capita.
Population: 6,079
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 16 (sixth safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 246 (sixth safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Hopkinton: Real Estate
While Hopkinton may only rank as the fourth safest city in New Hampshire overall, it's the absolute best place to be in terms of violent crime. The town didn't have a single instance of violence in 2022, so you know the local police force has done an excellent job on that count. Folks in Hopkinton had a 1 in 405 of being the victim of a property crime, which is about four times lower than the national average.
Hopkinton is located just 15 minutes west of New Hampshire's capital, Concord.
Population: 5,030
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 19 (eighth safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 198 (fourth safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Newton: Real Estate
Newton boasts the title of the fifth safest city in New Hampshire, located in Rockingham County. This historic town, once part of Massachusetts, is now a proud New Hampshire community with low crime rates, including a rate of 19/100k people for violent crime and a rate of 198/100k people for property crime.
The combination of a proactive police force and strong community engagement further fortifies Newton's safety, reflected in its statewide rankings of eighth safest for violent crime and fourth safest for property crime.
Population: 5,281
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 0 (safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 359 (15th safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Nottingham: Real Estate
It is only a theory but being able to spend alone time in places like the Pawtuckaway State Park must help the people of Nottingham stay rational. That, or something is in the water. Whatever it is, it is working. The town had unbelievably low violent crime numbers in 2022. Citizens only reported 0 incidents that year.
As if that were not enough to make someone happy to reside here, members of this community barely faced issues with property crime either. Only 19 were committed. So clearly, your possessions are as safe as you are here.
Population: 6,231
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 32 (14th safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 272 (ninth safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Kingston: Real Estate
Kingston, the seventh safest place in New Hampshire and proudly one of its historical gems, boasts an exceptionally low violent crime per capita rate of 32/100k people and property crime per capita rate of 272/100k people.
This Rockingham County treasure is a testament to effective policing and community vigilance. With no murders reported and a minimal 17 property crimes, Kingston combines its rich heritage with contemporary safety.
Population: 6,575
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 30 (13th safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 304 (12th safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Sandown: Real Estate
While Sandown wasn't ranked #1 in either violent or property crime, solid rankings in each category helped the town achieve its #8 safety ranking overall. With only two violent crimes committed in 2022, Sandown had a violent crime rate about 12 times lower than the national average. Additionally, residents only had a 1 in 328 chance of being the victim of a property crime, which is far better than most places in New Hampshire.
Wine lovers will also be delighted to hear than Sandown is the home of Zorvino Vineyards, so you won't have to go far for some local vino. Sandown is about a half hour east of Manchester.
Population: 6,090
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 16 (fifth safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 426 (21st safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Auburn: Real Estate
Auburn, a town with roots in Native American settlements, is located in Rockingham County, New Hampshire. Auburn holds the #5 position for violent crime and the #21 spot for property crime statewide. There wer only 1 violent crimes and a manageable 26 property offenses in the last reporting year.
Auburn ranks as the ninth safest place in New Hampshire for 2024.
Population: 27,403
Violent Crimes Per 100k: 21 (ninth safest)
Property Crimes Per 100k: 426 (22nd safest)
Murders: 0
Murders Per 100k: 0
More on Merrimack: Real Estate
Located between Nashua and Manchester, Merrimack comes in tenth place for safest New Hampshire cities, mostly due to ridiculously low levels of violent crime. Merrimack had just six violent crimes in the last year of available data; that's one violent crime committed every other month. Not too shabby for a town of over 25,000 people.
And if you're not sold on safety alone, don't forget that Merrimack is the home of a Budweiser Brewery, so you'll always have the opportunity to spend a safe evening at the Biergarten.
While there are surveys and public polls on what cities in New Hampshire are the safest, we wanted to rely on something other than speculation and opinion. Instead, we looked at the hard numbers from the FBI's most recent crime report in New Hampshire.
Specifically, we used Saturday Night Science to analyze the FBI's Uniform Crime Report, which summarizes the number of property and violent crimes in each city annually. We used two criteria:
For example, there were 15 crimes committed in Rye, with a reported population of 5,550. That means the number of crimes per capita is 0.0027, which translates into a 1 in 370 chance of being the victim of a crime.
We only looked at New Hampshire cities that have populations of more than 5,000. This filter left us with 73 of the biggest cities in New Hampshire to rank.
We ranked each city for each criterion from 1 to 73 where 1 in any particular category is the safest.
Next, we averaged each place's two criteria to create a Safety Index. We crowned the place with the lowest overall Safety Score, "The Safest Place In New Hampshire," with any ties going to the bigger city.
The safest city in New Hampshire, based on our criteria, is Rye. The most dangerous city in New Hampshire? Manchester, where residents had a 1 in 34 chance of being the victim of a crime.
This article has been update for 2024. This report marks our tenth time ranking the safest places to live in New Hampshire. All the data comes from the FBI's Crime In The USA 2022 report.
Looking at the data, you can tell that Rye is as safe as they come in New Hampshire, according to science and data.
But as most New Hampshire residents would agree, almost every place here has its safe and not safe parts. So just make sure you're informed ahead of time.
The safest places in New Hampshire are .
Here's a look at the most dangerous cities in New Hampshire according to the data:
Rank | City | Population | Violent Crimes Per 100k | Property Crimes Per 100k | Murders Per 100k | Murders |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Rye, NH | 5,550 | 0 | 270 | 0 | 0 |
2 | Stratham, NH | 7,844 | 12 | 229 | 0 | 0 |
3 | Litchfield, NH | 8,556 | 23 | 175 | 0 | 0 |
4 | Hopkinton, NH | 6,079 | 16 | 246 | 0 | 0 |
5 | Newton, NH | 5,030 | 19 | 198 | 0 | 0 |
6 | Nottingham, NH | 5,281 | 0 | 359 | 0 | 0 |
7 | Kingston, NH | 6,231 | 32 | 272 | 0 | 0 |
8 | Sandown, NH | 6,575 | 30 | 304 | 0 | 0 |
9 | Auburn, NH | 6,090 | 16 | 426 | 0 | 0 |
10 | Merrimack, NH | 27,403 | 21 | 426 | 0 | 0 |
11 | New Boston, NH | 6,216 | 64 | 193 | 0 | 0 |
12 | Milford, NH | 16,331 | 42 | 349 | 0 | 0 |
13 | Windham, NH | 15,994 | 37 | 375 | 6 | 1 |
14 | Hollis, NH | 8,661 | 34 | 392 | 0 | 0 |
15 | Bow, NH | 8,429 | 11 | 545 | 0 | 0 |
16 | Rindge, NH | 6,633 | 30 | 482 | 0 | 0 |
17 | Chester, NH | 5,279 | 56 | 303 | 0 | 0 |
18 | Durham, NH | 15,550 | 57 | 315 | 0 | 0 |
19 | Weare, NH | 9,213 | 75 | 271 | 0 | 0 |
20 | Hampstead, NH | 9,058 | 66 | 298 | 0 | 0 |
21 | Brookline, NH | 5,774 | 51 | 398 | 0 | 0 |
22 | Bedford, NH | 23,845 | 33 | 515 | 0 | 0 |
23 | Atkinson, NH | 7,343 | 95 | 136 | 0 | 0 |
24 | Pelham, NH | 14,364 | 27 | 556 | 0 | 0 |
25 | Loudon, NH | 5,781 | 34 | 501 | 0 | 0 |
26 | New Ipswich, NH | 5,333 | 18 | 637 | 0 | 0 |
27 | Barrington, NH | 9,531 | 62 | 419 | 0 | 0 |
28 | Peterborough, NH | 6,479 | 77 | 416 | 0 | 0 |
29 | Littleton, NH | 6,058 | 33 | 660 | 0 | 0 |
30 | Amherst, NH | 11,876 | 33 | 825 | 0 | 0 |
31 | Newmarket, NH | 9,417 | 84 | 499 | 0 | 0 |
32 | Hanover, NH | 11,778 | 84 | 517 | 0 | 0 |
33 | Plaistow, NH | 7,856 | 50 | 763 | 0 | 0 |
34 | Wolfeboro, NH | 6,710 | 74 | 625 | 0 | 0 |
35 | Exeter, NH | 16,155 | 80 | 581 | 0 | 0 |
36 | Dover, NH | 33,453 | 38 | 1,016 | 0 | 0 |
37 | Hudson, NH | 25,530 | 62 | 795 | 3 | 1 |
38 | Alton, NH | 6,054 | 115 | 528 | 0 | 0 |
39 | Henniker, NH | 5,870 | 153 | 442 | 0 | 0 |
40 | Goffstown, NH | 18,375 | 92 | 642 | 0 | 0 |
41 | Gilford, NH | 7,880 | 50 | 1,434 | 0 | 0 |
42 | Hampton, NH | 16,384 | 115 | 744 | 0 | 0 |
43 | Raymond, NH | 10,996 | 145 | 582 | 0 | 0 |
44 | Wakefield, NH | 6,315 | 158 | 538 | 0 | 0 |
45 | Londonderry, NH | 26,340 | 121 | 690 | 0 | 0 |
46 | Meredith, NH | 6,786 | 88 | 1,061 | 0 | 0 |
47 | Franklin, NH | 8,850 | 90 | 1,073 | 0 | 0 |
48 | Derry, NH | 34,290 | 119 | 825 | 0 | 0 |
49 | Jaffrey, NH | 5,495 | 309 | 454 | 0 | 0 |
50 | Swanzey, NH | 7,468 | 227 | 495 | 0 | 0 |
51 | Hooksett, NH | 15,313 | 137 | 907 | 6 | 1 |
52 | Belmont, NH | 7,425 | 80 | 1,535 | 0 | 0 |
53 | Pembroke, NH | 7,684 | 221 | 533 | 0 | 0 |
54 | Epping, NH | 7,274 | 96 | 1,182 | 0 | 0 |
55 | Salem, NH | 30,712 | 94 | 1,419 | 0 | 0 |
56 | Somersworth, NH | 12,160 | 90 | 2,014 | 0 | 0 |
57 | Nashua, NH | 91,027 | 157 | 1,068 | 4 | 4 |
58 | Concord, NH | 44,305 | 137 | 1,354 | 6 | 3 |
59 | Hillsborough, NH | 6,001 | 183 | 933 | 0 | 0 |
60 | Barnstead, NH | 5,024 | 179 | 955 | 0 | 0 |
61 | Portsmouth, NH | 22,513 | 177 | 1,252 | 0 | 0 |
62 | Seabrook, NH | 8,974 | 122 | 2,206 | 0 | 0 |
63 | Lebanon, NH | 15,702 | 159 | 1,725 | 0 | 0 |
64 | Newport, NH | 6,411 | 202 | 1,247 | 0 | 0 |
65 | Laconia, NH | 17,109 | 146 | 2,747 | 0 | 0 |
66 | Conway, NH | 10,334 | 164 | 2,070 | 0 | 0 |
67 | Farmington, NH | 6,872 | 363 | 1,135 | 0 | 0 |
68 | Plymouth, NH | 6,658 | 195 | 1,366 | 0 | 0 |
69 | Keene, NH | 23,271 | 171 | 2,140 | 4 | 1 |
70 | Rochester, NH | 33,098 | 190 | 1,734 | 0 | 0 |
71 | Claremont, NH | 13,153 | 167 | 2,258 | 0 | 0 |
72 | Berlin, NH | 9,717 | 185 | 1,770 | 0 | 0 |
73 | Manchester, NH | 114,650 | 411 | 2,489 | 4 | 5 |
Chris Kolmar has been in the real estate business for almost ten years now. He originally worked for Movoto Real Estate as the director of marketing before founding HomeSnacks.
He believes the key to finding the right place to live comes down to looking at the data, reading about things to do, and, most importantly, checking it out yourself before you move.
If you've been looking for a place to live in the past several years, you've probably stumbled upon his writing already.
You can find out more about him on LinkedIn.
We founded HomeSnacks to provide insights your real estate agent would neglect to mention.
By presenting data from presentable sources and utlizing Saturday Night Science, we provide detailed insights into cities and neighborhoods.
Learn more about Nick and Chris.
HomeSnacks is based in Durham, NC.
We aim to deliver bite-sized pieces of infotainment about where you live.
We use data, analytics, and a sense of humor to determine quality of life for places across the nation.