There are all types when it comes to being a snob in New Hampshire. You’ve got your Wine Snobs, Book Snobs, and, of course, Clothes Snobs. Then there are the Technology Snobs, Car Snobs, and yes, even City Snobs — as in, I’m better than you because I live in (insert snooty city here).
How can we tell which New Hampshire cities are the snobbiest? By measuring snobby things, that’s how.
We used Saturday Night Science to look at things like expensive homes, high incomes, and overly educated populations by city in New Hampshire. These are the criteria you’d argue with a friend over a foodie dinner about who’s snobbier.
After analyzing 26 of the state’s most populous areas over 5,000 people, we came up with this ranking of the ten snobbiest places in the state of New Hampshire.
The New Hampshirite in these places aren’t snobby, they just know they’re better than you.
$153,281 median income · $959,517 median home · #1 income in New Hampshire
Located in
Grafton County, New HampshireHanover is a town along the Connecticut River in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 11,260 at the 2010 census. CNN and Money magazine rated Hanover the sixth best place to live in America in 2011, and the second best in 2007. “This just might be the best college town,” read the headline of a story in the January-February 2017 issue of Yankee.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$112,070 median income · $683,122 median home · #4 income in New Hampshire
Located in
Strafford County, New HampshireDurham is a town in Strafford County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 14,638 at the 2010 census. Durham is home to the University of New Hampshire.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$106,219 median income · $798,497 median home · #5 income in New Hampshire
Located in
Rockingham County, New HampshirePortsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, in the United States. It is the only city in the county, but only the fourth-largest community, with a population of 21,233 at the 2010 census. As of 2016 the estimated population was 21,485. A historic seaport and popular summer tourist destination, Portsmouth was the home of the Strategic Air Command’s Pease Air Force Base, later converted to Portsmouth International Airport at Pease with limited commercial air service.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$119,571 median income · $609,580 median home · #3 income in New Hampshire
Located in
Rockingham County, New HampshireLondonderry is a town in western Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The town is bordered on the north by the city of Manchester and on the east by the town of Derry. The population was 24,129 at the 2010 census. Londonderry is known for its apple orchards and is home to the headquarters of Stonyfield Farm and partial home to Manchester-Boston Regional Airport.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$97,163 median income · $618,203 median home · #8 income in New Hampshire
Located in
Rockingham County, New HampshireHampton is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 14,976 at the 2010 census. Located beside the Atlantic Ocean, Hampton is home to Hampton Beach, a summer tourist destination.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$87,346 median income · $607,124 median home · #13 income in New Hampshire
Located in
Rockingham County, New HampshireExeter is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The town’s population was 14,306 at the 2010 census. Exeter was the county seat until 1997, when county offices were moved to neighboring Brentwood. Home to the Phillips Exeter Academy, a private university-preparatory school, Exeter is situated where the Exeter River feeds the tidal Squamscott River.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$130,000 median income · $546,044 median home · #2 income in New Hampshire
Located in
Merrimack County, New HampshireData | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$94,829 median income · $537,812 median home · #11 income in New Hampshire
Located in
Strafford County, New HampshireDover is a city in Strafford County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 29,987 at the 2010 census, the largest in the New Hampshire Seacoast region. The population was estimated at 31,153 in 2016. It is the county seat of Strafford County, and home to Wentworth-Douglass Hospital, the Woodman Institute Museum, and the Children’s Museum of New Hampshire.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$98,147 median income · $453,644 median home · #7 income in New Hampshire
Located in
Grafton County, New HampshireLebanon locally is a city in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 13,151 at the 2010 census and an estimated 13,513 as of 2016. Lebanon is located in western New Hampshire, south of Hanover, near the Connecticut River. It is the home to Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and Dartmouth Medical School, together comprising the largest medical facility between Boston, Massachusetts and Burlington, Vermont.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$101,053 median income · $522,158 median home · #6 income in New Hampshire
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
The receipts
Compare the top ten
Pick a metric. The bars rescale. The red line is New Hampshire’s statewide median.
New Hampshire statewide median: $99,031
New Hampshire statewide median: $507,347
On the map
Where the snobs live in New Hampshire
Saturday Night Science
How we determined the snobbiest cities in the Granite State
Do you think we’d just come up with this list willy-nilly? Not a chance – we only use Saturday Night Science around here.
We gathered up all of the places in New Hampshire with populations of 5,000 people or more. This left us with a total of 26 places. Then, we looked at each place in terms of these snoot-er-iffic criteria (And no, it’s not a word. English snob.):
- Median home price (Higher is snobbier)
- Median household income (Higher is snobbier)
- Percent of population with a college degree (Higher is snobbier)
Incomes and college education levels come from the American Community Survey. Home prices come from Zillow.
Turned out this simple criteria was much better at sniffing out the snobby places then more snobby criteria like:
- Libaries per capita (Higher is snobbier)
- Museums per capita (Higher is snobbier)
- Private schools per capita (Higher is snobbier)
From there, we ranked each of our 26 places in each category with scores from one to 26. We then averaged each place’s ranking into one overall score, where the lowest score went to the snobbiest place in New Hampshire. So let’s all flip a table in honor of Hanover (with our pinkies up, of course.)
Before you get upset and ruin your blowout or something drastic here, let’s remember that this is all in good fun. Would we live in one of these 10 places if we had the chance? Of course, we would.
And it’s not like your real estate agent would ever point out how snobby the town you’re moving to is. We’re here to keep you grounded, even if you’re wearing a monocle.
The full plate
Table: The Snobbiest Cities In New Hampshire For 2026
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Snob Score | Population | Median Income | Average Home Prices | Adult Highly Educated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hanover | 1.00 | 8,479 | $153,281 | $959,517 | 90.0% |
| 2 | Durham | 3.00 | 10,681 | $112,070 | $683,122 | 76.0% |
| 3 | Portsmouth | 3.33 | 22,545 | $106,219 | $798,497 | 64.0% |
| 4 | Londonderry | 5.50 | 12,225 | $119,571 | $609,580 | 45.0% |
| 5 | Hampton | 7.33 | 10,101 | $97,163 | $618,203 | 44.0% |
| 6 | Exeter | 7.83 | 9,964 | $87,346 | $607,124 | 57.0% |
| 7 | South Hooksett | 8.50 | 5,902 | $130,000 | $546,044 | 37.0% |
| 8 | Dover | 8.67 | 33,364 | $94,829 | $537,812 | 52.0% |
| 9 | Lebanon | 9.17 | 14,999 | $98,147 | $453,644 | 57.0% |
| 10 | Hooksett | 9.67 | 5,876 | $101,053 | $522,158 | 42.0% |
| 11 | Newmarket | 9.67 | 5,679 | $87,196 | $553,162 | 48.0% |
| 12 | Nashua | 12.00 | 91,294 | $96,326 | $502,529 | 41.0% |
| 13 | Hudson | 13.67 | 7,469 | $95,842 | $534,266 | 29.0% |
| 14 | Derry | 13.83 | 21,339 | $91,673 | $493,914 | 37.0% |
| 15 | Concord | 14.67 | 44,375 | $84,902 | $445,979 | 44.0% |
| 16 | Milford | 16.50 | 8,956 | $78,684 | $508,126 | 34.0% |
| 17 | East Merrimack | 16.67 | 5,081 | $87,311 | $367,433 | 42.0% |
| 18 | Suncook | 17.67 | 5,432 | $79,836 | $455,163 | 31.0% |
| 19 | Manchester | 17.83 | 115,643 | $81,007 | $435,334 | 34.0% |
| 20 | Keene | 17.83 | 22,939 | $78,445 | $341,420 | 45.0% |
| 21 | Somersworth | 20.00 | 12,111 | $74,504 | $439,895 | 30.0% |
| 22 | Rochester | 20.50 | 33,144 | $80,836 | $398,492 | 27.0% |
| 23 | Laconia | 21.83 | 17,085 | $73,218 | $434,892 | 27.0% |
| 24 | Franklin | 23.67 | 8,799 | $71,648 | $376,959 | 19.0% |
| 25 | Claremont | 24.67 | 13,078 | $59,096 | $274,193 | 22.0% |
| 26 | Berlin | 26.00 | 9,383 | $45,180 | $178,877 | 14.0% |
Source: U.S. Census ACS 2020-2024, Zillow research. 26 places with more than 5,000 residents.
Summary
There You Have It – Now That You’re On Your High Horse
When it comes to snobbery, these places in New Hampshire are heading ever upward. Residents in these communities are well educated, well paid, and appear to have all the sophisticated culture and entertainment of an Ernst Lubitsch film right at their fingertips.
Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
The snobbiest cities in New Hampshire are Hanover, Durham, Portsmouth, Londonderry, Hampton, Exeter, South Hooksett, Dover, Lebanon, and Hooksett. Not sold on New Hampshire? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
