You’re probably never going to make enough money to live in the richest counties in New Hampshire.
The median household income in Rockingham County, the richest county in New Hampshire is $118,331, significantly higher than the US median of $74,580, which means based purely on math most people never make enough to live there.
And that’s okay because it’s still fun to look at the people living in the lap of luxury.
So we used Saturday Night Science and the most recent Census to rank home prices and incomes for all 10 counties in the Granite State. Let’s star gaze together.
What is the richest county in New Hampshire? The richest county in New Hampshire is Rockingham County. In contrast, the poorest county in the state is Coos County, according to the Census data.
$118,331 median income · $619,521 median home price
$103,545 median income · $517,338 median home price
$92,783 median income · $505,416 median home price
$88,570 median income · $500,025 median home price
$97,004 median income · $483,959 median home price
$86,463 median income · $496,497 median home price
$88,261 median income · $423,252 median home price
$83,329 median income · $380,746 median home price
$80,858 median income · $378,842 median home price
$57,677 median income · $251,611 median home price
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 richest counties are
Saturday Night Science
Methodology: How do you determine which New Hampshire county is the richest?
To determine the richest county in New Hampshire, we have to look at a handful of metrics that correlate with how rich people are. To do that, we made assumptions about what makes a county rich. For reference, we are trying to make the kind of argument you’d make at a bar using facts, Saturday Night Science.
With that in mind, we went to the American Community Survey data and Zillow for the most recent reporting period for data on the following:
- Average Home Price
- Median Income
We then ranked each county in New Hampshire for each of the criteria from one to 10, with one being the richest.
Taking the average rank across the two criteria, we created a Rich Score with the county posting the lowest overall score being the “Richest County In New Hampshire.”
The result is some of the places with the most expensive real estate and highest earners in the Granite State.
We updated this article for 2026. This report is our first time ranking the richest counties to live in New Hampshire. The median New Hampshire home is 46 years old — old enough that it pays to compare home warranty plans before something expensive breaks.
The full plate
Detailed List Of The Richest Counties In New Hampshire
Click any column to sort. Search by county name.
| Rank | County | Population | Median Income | Average Home Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rockingham County | 319,082 | $118,331 | $619,521 |
| 2 | Hillsborough County | 426,378 | $103,545 | $517,338 |
| 3 | Belknap County | 64,659 | $92,783 | $505,416 |
| 4 | Strafford County | 132,575 | $88,570 | $500,025 |
| 4 | Merrimack County | 155,967 | $97,004 | $483,959 |
| 6 | Carroll County | 51,804 | $86,463 | $496,497 |
| 7 | Grafton County | 92,120 | $88,261 | $423,252 |
| 8 | Cheshire County | 77,297 | $83,329 | $380,746 |
| 9 | Sullivan County | 43,715 | $80,858 | $378,842 |
| 10 | Coos County | 31,271 | $57,677 | $251,611 |
Source: U.S. Census ACS + Zillow via Saturday Night Science. All 10 New Hampshire counties.
Summary
Summary: The Richest Counties In New Hampshire For 2026
Living in New Hampshire can vary from one part of the state to the next, with pretty extreme variance in home prices and incomes across counties.
The richest counties in New Hampshire are Rockingham County, Hillsborough County, Belknap County, Strafford County, Merrimack County, Carroll County, Grafton County, Cheshire County, Sullivan County, and Coos County.
Now you know the parts of the state where Goodwill will have the best goodies, and that’s what you came here to learn at the end of the day.
You are welcome. Not sold on New Hampshire? Take the two-minute Find Your Place quiz and see which state actually fits you.
Questions and answers
Richest Counties In New Hampshire FAQs
What is the richest county in New Hampshire?
Rockingham County is the richest county in New Hampshire for 2026, with a median household income of $118,331. Hillsborough County and Belknap County are next.
What are the richest counties in New Hampshire?
The richest counties in New Hampshire are Rockingham County, Hillsborough County, Belknap County, Strafford County, Merrimack County, Carroll County, Grafton County, Cheshire County, Sullivan County, and Coos County. We ranked all 10 New Hampshire counties on average home price and median income.
How much do people make in Rockingham County?
The median household in Rockingham County earns $118,331 a year, against a New Hampshire statewide median of $99,031. The US median household income is $74,580.
What do homes cost in the richest counties of New Hampshire?
The median home across the ten richest New Hampshire counties is $490,228, versus $507,347 statewide. In Rockingham County, the typical home runs $619,521.
What is the poorest county in New Hampshire?
Coos County is the poorest county in New Hampshire by this ranking, coming in last of the 10 counties we scored on income and home prices.
