New Hampshire isn’t just any New England state, it’s actually one of the safest, most family friendly states in America.
Ask any Granite Stater and they will tell you that there are a ton of family friendly activities everywhere you turn, here. The White Mountain State is just one big playground for little and big kids alike.
Yes, if you’re looking for a state with affordable, family friendly staycations, New Hampshire is your place. There are currently 93 State Parks, a plethora of super clean beaches just East of Hampton and over ten skiable mountains just North of Meredith. And if those family friendly activities don’t interest you, the MWV Children’s Museum in Conway or the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center in Concord will surely keep your family entertained for an entire weekend. However, if zoos are more your style, a family visit to Carriage Shack Farm in Londonderry, should do the trick.
More importantly, New Hampshire residents know that keeping a state’s economy strong, jobs plentiful, and salaries competitive is a necessary undertaking if they want to keep families safe, educated, and employed. And that’s just what they’re doing. New Hampshire has some of the best schools in the country. Blue Ribbon elementary schools, gold star high schools, and colleges like the University of New Hampshire in Durham and Dartmouth College in Hanover, have been delivering the next generation to work at major New Hampshire companies like Timberland in North Conway and Planet Fitness Inc. in Dover.
To take a closer look at New Hampshire’s top ten best places to raise a family for 2026, grab your family a pipin’ hot basket of apple cider donuts in Contoocook, find a sunny spot on Wolfeboro’s Lake Winnipesaukee, and read on.
$112,070 median income · 27.3% households with kids
Located in
Strafford County, New Hampshire
Durham 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
$153,281 median income · 21.3% households with kids
Located in
Grafton County, New Hampshire
Hanover 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
$87,346 median income · 23.2% households with kids
Located in
Rockingham County, New Hampshire
Exeter 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
$119,571 median income · 28.7% households with kids
Located in
Rockingham County, New Hampshire
Londonderry 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
$78,684 median income · 31.9% households with kids
Located in
Hillsborough County, New Hampshire
Milford is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States, on the Souhegan River. The population was 15,115 at the 2010 census. It is the retail and manufacturing center of a six-town area known informally as the Souhegan Valley.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$87,196 median income · 19.1% households with kids
Located in
Rockingham County, New Hampshire
Newmarket is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 8,936 at the 2010 census. Some residents are students and employees at the nearby University of New Hampshire in Durham.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$97,163 median income · 22.1% households with kids
Located in
Rockingham County, New Hampshire
Hampton 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
$91,673 median income · 28.7% households with kids
Located in
Rockingham County, New Hampshire
Derry is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 33,109 at the 2010 census. Although it is a town and not a city, Derry is the fourth most-populous community in the state. The town’s nickname, “Spacetown”, derives from the fact that Derry is the birthplace of Alan Shepard, the first astronaut from the United States in space. Derry was also for a time the home of the poet Robert Frost and his family.
Data | Crime | Cost of living | Movers
$106,219 median income · 15.0% households with kids
Located in
Rockingham County, New Hampshire
Portsmouth 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
$101,053 median income · 22.4% households with kids
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 New Hampshire’s most family-friendly cities are
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How do you determine which place is best for families in New Hampshire anyways?
To give you the places in New Hampshire that are best for families, we must look at a handful of metrics. We want to measure the criteria people want in a family-friendly city utilizing Saturday Night Science.
After researching U.S. Census data produced for the state of New Hampshire, we looked at the data for every single city in the state. We paid particular attention to:
- Crime (Both violent and property)
- Quality of local schools
- Distance to a major city without necessarily being in it
- % of households with children
- Family-friendly amenities nearby (museums, libraries, and colleges)
We then gave each city a “Family Score.”
The higher the score, the better the city is for families. We also limited our results to cities with over 5,000 people. For New Hampshire, that meant a total of 23 cities.
We updated this article for 2026. This is our eleventh time ranking the best cities for families in New Hampshire.
The full plate
Best Places For Families In New Hampshire
Click any column to sort. Search by city name.
| Rank | City | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price | % Households w/ Kids |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Durham | 10,681 | $112,070 | $683,122 | 27.3% |
| 2 | Hanover | 8,479 | $153,281 | $959,517 | 21.3% |
| 3 | Exeter | 9,964 | $87,346 | $607,124 | 23.2% |
| 4 | Londonderry | 12,225 | $119,571 | $609,580 | 28.7% |
| 5 | Milford | 8,956 | $78,684 | $508,126 | 31.9% |
| 6 | Newmarket | 5,679 | $87,196 | $553,162 | 19.1% |
| 7 | Hampton | 10,101 | $97,163 | $618,203 | 22.1% |
| 8 | Derry | 21,339 | $91,673 | $493,914 | 28.7% |
| 9 | Portsmouth | 22,545 | $106,219 | $798,497 | 15.0% |
| 10 | Hooksett | 5,876 | $101,053 | $522,158 | 22.4% |
| 11 | Nashua | 91,294 | $96,326 | $502,529 | 28.5% |
| 12 | Concord | 44,375 | $84,902 | $445,979 | 23.5% |
| 13 | Dover | 33,364 | $94,829 | $537,812 | 22.3% |
| 14 | Lebanon | 14,999 | $98,147 | $453,644 | 17.9% |
| 15 | Berlin | 9,383 | $45,180 | $178,877 | 24.4% |
| 16 | Hudson | 7,469 | $95,842 | $534,266 | 20.3% |
| 17 | Keene | 22,939 | $78,445 | $341,420 | 19.3% |
| 18 | Franklin | 8,799 | $71,648 | $376,959 | 24.6% |
| 19 | Manchester | 115,643 | $81,007 | $435,334 | 24.5% |
| 20 | Laconia | 17,085 | $73,218 | $434,892 | 22.4% |
| 21 | Rochester | 33,144 | $80,836 | $398,492 | 23.4% |
| 22 | Somersworth | 12,111 | $74,504 | $439,895 | 29.2% |
| 23 | Claremont | 13,078 | $59,096 | $274,193 | 21.3% |
Source: U.S. Census data via Saturday Night Science. 23 New Hampshire cities with more than 5,000 residents.
Summary
Summary: The Best Places To Raise A Family In New Hampshire
If you’re looking for a breakdown of cities in New Hampshire ranked by criteria that most agree make a place a great spot for families, this is an accurate list.
The best places for families in New Hampshire are Durham, Hanover, Exeter, Londonderry, Milford, Newmarket, Hampton, Derry, Portsmouth, and Hooksett. Not sold on New Hampshire? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Best Places For Families In New Hampshire FAQs
What is the best place to raise a family in New Hampshire?
Durham is the best place to raise a family in New Hampshire for 2026, according to Saturday Night Science. Hanover and Exeter round out the top three.
What are the best places for families in New Hampshire?
The best New Hampshire places to raise a family are Durham, Hanover, Exeter, Londonderry, Milford, Newmarket, Hampton, Derry, Portsmouth, and Hooksett. We ranked all 23 cities with more than 5,000 residents.
How do you rank family-friendly cities?
Family-friendliness blends low crime, good schools, proximity to a major city, the share of households with kids, and nearby amenities. The city that balances all of it best in New Hampshire is Durham.
Is Durham affordable for families?
The median home in Durham costs $683,122 against a median household income of $112,070. Statewide, the median home runs $507,347, so check the gap before you pack the minivan.
What is the toughest place to raise a family in New Hampshire?
Claremont lands at the bottom of the family ranking for New Hampshire. Families make it work everywhere, but the crime, school, and income numbers stack against it there.
