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.
Table Of Contents: Top Ten | Methodology | Table | Summary
The 10 Richest Counties In New Hampshire For 2026
What is the richest county in New Hampshire? The richest county in New Hampshire is Rockingham County. In contrast, the poorest county in state is Coos County, according to the Census data.
Now you know exactly where to move in New Hampshire. Keep on reading for more about the top ten and a detailed methodology.
Or, check out the best places to live in New Hampshire and the cheapest places to live in New Hampshire.
The Richest Counties In New Hampshire For 2026
1. Rockingham County
Biggest Place: Portsmouth
Population: 319,082
Median Income: $118,331 (highest)
Median Home Price: $619,521 (highest)
More on Rockingham County: Data
2. Hillsborough County
Biggest Place: Manchester
Population: 426,378
Median Income: $103,545 (2nd highest)
Median Home Price: $517,338 (2nd highest)
More on Hillsborough County: Data
3. Belknap County
Biggest Place: Laconia
Population: 64,659
Median Income: $92,783 (4th highest)
Median Home Price: $505,415 (3rd highest)
More on Belknap County: Data
4. Strafford County
Biggest Place: Dover
Population: 132,575
Median Income: $88,570 (5th highest)
Median Home Price: $500,025 (4th highest)
More on Strafford County: Data
5. Merrimack County
Biggest Place: Concord
Population: 155,967
Median Income: $97,004 (3rd highest)
Median Home Price: $483,958 (6th highest)
More on Merrimack County: Data
6. Carroll County
Biggest Place: Conway
Population: 51,804
Median Income: $86,463 (7th highest)
Median Home Price: $496,497 (5th highest)
More on Carroll County: Data
7. Grafton County
Biggest Place: Lebanon
Population: 92,120
Median Income: $88,261 (6th highest)
Median Home Price: $423,251 (7th highest)
More on Grafton County: Data
8. Cheshire County
Biggest Place: Keene
Population: 77,297
Median Income: $83,329 (8th highest)
Median Home Price: $380,745 (8th highest)
More on Cheshire County: Data
9. Sullivan County
Biggest Place: Claremont
Population: 43,715
Median Income: $80,858 (9th highest)
Median Home Price: $378,841 (9th highest)
More on Sullivan County: Data
10. Coos County
Biggest Place: Berlin
Population: 31,271
Median Income: $57,677 (10th highest)
Median Home Price: $251,611 (10th highest)
More on Coos County: Data
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. We have also ranked the richest states and richest cities in the United States.
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.
Here’s a look at the poorest counties in New Hampshire according to the data:
- Coos County
- Sullivan County
- Cheshire County
For more New Hampshire reading, check out:
- Best Places To Live In New Hampshire
- Best Counties To Live In New Hampshire
- Richest Cities In New Hampshire
- Cheapest Places To Live In New Hampshire
Detailed List Of The Richest Counties In New Hampshire
| 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 | $505,415 |
| 4 | Strafford County | 132,575 | $88,570 | $500,025 |
| 5 | Merrimack County | 155,967 | $97,004 | $483,958 |
| 6 | Carroll County | 51,804 | $86,463 | $496,497 |
| 7 | Grafton County | 92,120 | $88,261 | $423,251 |
| 8 | Cheshire County | 77,297 | $83,329 | $380,745 |
| 9 | Sullivan County | 43,715 | $80,858 | $378,841 |
| 10 | Coos County | 31,271 | $57,677 | $251,611 |