Is being in an area of New Hampshire that’s growing quickly a good thing or a bad thing?
Depends on who you ask.
Some want bigger, more exciting cities like Manchester and Nashua, while others want peace and quiet like in East Merrimack and Suncook, thank you very much.
But today, we’re going to put opinions aside and look at the cold, hard facts — since 2010, which cities in New Hampshire have grown the fastest.
After getting knee-deep in the Census’s American Community Survey using Saturday Night Science, we emerged with this set of cities in the Granite State that have people climbing over each other to get in.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Summary | Table
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In New Hampshire For 2026
What’s the fastest growing city in New Hampshire for 2026? Based on the most recent ACS data, Hooksett ranks as the fastest-growing city in New Hampshire. If you happen to be a resident of Hooksett, you’re probably not surprised to find it on our list.
If you’re surprised — and you’re wondering why these places are a big deal — keep reading. We’ll tell you what makes each of these 10 places in New Hampshire grow like weeds.
For more New Hampshire state reading:
- Best Places To Live In The United States
- Fastest Growing States In The United States
- Best Places To Live In New Hampshire
- Cheapest Places To Live In New Hampshire
- Most Dangerous Cities In New Hampshire
The 10 Fastest Growing Cities In New Hampshire For 2026
1. Hooksett
/10
Population: 5,876
Population 2010: 3,934
Percent Growth 49.4%
Absolute Growth: 1,942
More on Hooksett: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
2. East Merrimack
/10
Population: 5,081
Population 2010: 4,229
Percent Growth 20.1%
Absolute Growth: 852
More on East Merrimack: Data | Movers
3. Durham
/10
Population: 10,681
Population 2010: 8,940
Percent Growth 19.5%
Absolute Growth: 1,741
More on Durham: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
4. Lebanon
/10
Population: 14,999
Population 2010: 13,127
Percent Growth 14.3%
Absolute Growth: 1,872
More on Lebanon: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
5. Hampton
/10
Population: 10,101
Population 2010: 8,869
Percent Growth 13.9%
Absolute Growth: 1,232
More on Hampton: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
6. Newmarket
/10
Population: 5,679
Population 2010: 5,035
Percent Growth 12.8%
Absolute Growth: 644
More on Newmarket: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
7. Dover
/10
Population: 33,364
Population 2010: 29,679
Percent Growth 12.4%
Absolute Growth: 3,685
More on Dover: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
8. Londonderry
/10
Population: 12,225
Population 2010: 10,913
Percent Growth 12.0%
Absolute Growth: 1,312
More on Londonderry: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
9. Rochester
/10
Population: 33,144
Population 2010: 29,801
Percent Growth 11.2%
Absolute Growth: 3,343
More on Rochester: Data | Crime | Cost Of Living | Movers
10. South Hooksett
/10
Population: 5,902
Population 2010: 5,423
Percent Growth 8.8%
Absolute Growth: 479
More on South Hooksett: Data | Cost Of Living | Movers
Methodology: How We Measured The Fastest Growing Cities In the Granite State for 2026
To figure out which cities are growing the most, we used Saturday Night Science to look at the growth rates for cities since the beginning of the decade, according to the American Community Survey put out by the census every year. Specifically:
- Current Population
- Population in 2010
- Growth rate from 2010 to Current (The latest available data which came out in Dec 2024)
We ranked all 26 New Hampshire cities with a population over 5,000 people from highest growth rate to lowest.
The city with the highest growth rate during this time was crowned the fastest-growing city in the Granite State.
And for those of you who are a little rusty with their statistics, you can calculate the growth rate by the following formula:
[Current Population – Population 2010] / [Population 2010]
The data has been updated for 2026. This report is our eleventh time ranking the fastest growing cities in New Hampshire.
Here’s a graph of the cities in New Hampshire with the most significant percent increase in population:
Summary: These Places Grew Up So Fast In New Hampshire, You Know?
So there you have it, the fastest growing cities in New Hampshire are led by Hooksett which has been growing at a blistering pace this decade relative to other cities and towns around the state.
The fastest-growing cities in New Hampshire are Hooksett, East Merrimack, Durham, Lebanon, Hampton, Newmarket, Dover, Londonderry, Rochester, and South Hooksett.
It’ll be interesting to see if these places can keep growing at the same rate over the next couple of years. We’ll be here to let you know!
These places have been growing (or shrinking) the slowest (fastest):
- Berlin
- Derry
- Suncook
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
Fastest Growing Places In New Hampshire For 2026
| Rank | City | Population | Population 2010 | Growth | Absolute Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hooksett | 5,876 | 3,934 | 49.4% | 1,942 |
| 2 | East Merrimack | 5,081 | 4,229 | 20.1% | 852 |
| 3 | Durham | 10,681 | 8,940 | 19.5% | 1,741 |
| 4 | Lebanon | 14,999 | 13,127 | 14.3% | 1,872 |
| 5 | Hampton | 10,101 | 8,869 | 13.9% | 1,232 |
| 6 | Newmarket | 5,679 | 5,035 | 12.8% | 644 |
| 7 | Dover | 33,364 | 29,679 | 12.4% | 3,685 |
| 8 | Londonderry | 12,225 | 10,913 | 12.0% | 1,312 |
| 9 | Rochester | 33,144 | 29,801 | 11.2% | 3,343 |
| 10 | South Hooksett | 5,902 | 5,423 | 8.8% | 479 |