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You've seen these lists before: Best places to live in New Hampshire, Most Beautiful Downtowns, etc., etc. But all of them focus on major cities and towns in the Granite State and no one pays attention to the little guy.
Well, that's all about to change as we put together a list of the best small towns in New Hampshire based on numbers--not opinions or hearsay.
We'll dive right into our methodology in the next section; but first, we thought you might just want to know which places in New Hampshire ranked the based--you know, based on science.
Before we get to the top 15, here's a look at the 10 Best Small Towns To Live in New Hampshire for 2022.
The 10 Best Small Towns To Live In New Hampshire For 2022
What's the best small town in New Hampshire? Contoocook is the best small town in New Hampshire based on the most recent Census data. If you live in one of these small towns like Contoocook, chances are, you're not surprised. After all, you know how great you have it.
But for the rest of you--keep reading and we'll get to just why these small towns made our list.
For more reading on the Granite State check out:
- Best Places To Live In New Hampshire
- Cheapest Places To Live In New Hampshire
- Most Dangerous Cities In New Hampshire
The 15 Best Small Towns In New Hampshire For 2022
/10
Population: 1,353
Median Income: $72,299 (7th Best)
Median Home Value: $257,500 (6th Best)
More on Contoocook: Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 1,364
Median Income: $74,531 (4th Best)
Median Home Value: $302,300 (3rd Best)
More on New London: Data | Homes For Sale
Population: 1,180
Median Income: $73,026 (5th Best)
Median Home Value: $175,000 (23rd Best)
More on West Swanzey: Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 2,848
Median Income: $86,023 (2nd Best)
Median Home Value: $245,300 (8th Best)
More on Goffstown: Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 2,566
Median Income: $96,433 (1st Best)
Median Home Value: $238,100 (11th Best)
More on Henniker: Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 4,786
Median Income: $66,111 (9th Best)
Median Home Value: $193,300 (18th Best)
More on East Merrimack: Data | Homes For Sale
Population: 1,155
Median Income: $55,865 (18th Best)
Median Home Value: $165,600 (28th Best)
More on North Haverhill: Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 1,093
Median Income: $55,875 (17th Best)
Median Home Value: $198,800 (17th Best)
More on Marlborough: Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 2,704
Median Income: $80,833 (3rd Best)
Median Home Value: $240,400 (10th Best)
More on Peterborough: Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 1,948
Median Income: $50,666 (25th Best)
Median Home Value: $128,500 (36th Best)
More on Gorham: Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 2,750
Median Income: $63,565 (11th Best)
Median Home Value: $175,600 (22nd Best)
More on Jaffrey: Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 4,975
Median Income: $62,115 (12th Best)
Median Home Value: $203,300 (13th Best)
More on Suncook: Photos | Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 2,485
Median Income: $64,917 (10th Best)
Median Home Value: $352,800 (1st Best)
More on Hampton Beach: Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 4,764
Median Income: $61,820 (13th Best)
Median Home Value: $201,700 (15th Best)
More on Pinardville: Photos | Data | Homes For Sale
/10
Population: 4,281
Median Income: $50,658 (26th Best)
Median Home Value: $203,300 (13th Best)
More on Plymouth: Photos | Data | Homes For Sale
Methodology: How We Determined The Coolest Towns In New Hampshire
We threw a lot of criteria at this one in order to get the best, most complete results possible. Using the most recent data from the Census's 2016-2020 American Community Survey and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, this is the criteria we used:
- Population Density (Higher is better)
- Lowest Unemployment Rates
- Housing costs (Higher is better. More demand.)
- Adjusted Median Income (Higher is better)
- Highly Educated Adults (Higher is better)
- Insurance Rates (Higher is better)
- Commute Times (Lower is better)
We looked at places with populations lower than 5,000 people and greater than 1,000, of which, there were a lot - 40 to be exact.
We then ranked each place in each category with scores from 1 to 40, averaged them out, and the lowest scores went to our Best Small Towns in New Hampshire. Top of that list -- Contoocook. You can download the data here.
Keep reading to find out more about our top 15 best small towns in New Hampshire.
Summary: Science Can Tackle Any Issue, Even Small Ones
We said it once and we'll say it again -- this list: it's just science. We did the research, we crunched the numbers, and it turns out, these 15 small towns in New Hampshire are the best, in which to live.
And who can argue with that?
If you're curious, here are the worst small towns in New Hampshire:
- Winchester
- Pittsfield
- Colebrook
For more New Hampshire reading, check out:
- Best Places To Raise A Family In New Hampshire
- Safest Places In New Hampshire
- Worst Places To Live In New Hampshire
Detailed List Of The Best Small Towns In New Hampshire
Rank | City | Population |
---|---|---|
1 | Contoocook, NH | 1,353 |
2 | New London, NH | 1,364 |
3 | West Swanzey, NH | 1,180 |
4 | Goffstown, NH | 2,848 |
5 | Henniker, NH | 2,566 |
6 | East Merrimack, NH | 4,786 |
7 | North Haverhill, NH | 1,155 |
8 | Marlborough, NH | 1,093 |
9 | Peterborough, NH | 2,704 |
10 | Gorham, NH | 1,948 |
11 | Jaffrey, NH | 2,750 |
12 | Suncook, NH | 4,975 |
13 | Hampton Beach, NH | 2,485 |
14 | Pinardville, NH | 4,764 |
15 | Plymouth, NH | 4,281 |
16 | Hillsborough, NH | 1,421 |
17 | Wolfeboro, NH | 3,352 |
18 | Lincoln, NH | 1,086 |
19 | Lancaster, NH | 1,892 |
20 | Wilton, NH | 1,203 |
21 | Whitefield, NH | 1,202 |
22 | Epping, NH | 3,001 |
23 | Enfield, NH | 2,059 |
24 | Raymond, NH | 3,807 |
25 | Hinsdale, NH | 1,470 |
26 | Tilton Northfield, NH | 2,795 |
27 | Antrim, NH | 1,364 |
28 | Bethlehem, NH | 1,061 |
29 | Conway, NH | 3,965 |
30 | Meredith, NH | 2,651 |
31 | Woodsville, NH | 1,152 |
32 | Ashland, NH | 1,630 |
33 | Belmont, NH | 1,272 |
34 | Farmington, NH | 4,140 |
35 | Bristol, NH | 1,970 |
36 | Littleton, NH | 4,294 |
37 | Greenville, NH | 1,011 |
38 | Colebrook, NH | 1,037 |
39 | Pittsfield, NH | 1,464 |
40 | Winchester, NH | 1,939 |