County housing intelligence
New Hampshire Housing Market by County
New Hampshire is not one housing market. Across 10 counties, the median county home value is $365,200 and the median county rent is $1,289/mo. The useful question is not whether New Hampshire is cheap. It is which county fits your income, tax tolerance, and buy-versus-rent plan.
County median home value
$365,200
Median of county medians, less distorted by the largest metros.
County median rent
$1,289/mo
Gross rent includes rent plus utilities where Census reports it.
Counties compared
10
Every county with available ACS housing data in this state.
Fast answers
Start with the housing question.
Market brief
The state-level housing signal
These benchmarks use the median county in the state, not one metro-weighted average. That makes the brief better for county comparison and rural-to-urban screening.
Purchase price
State county median vs national benchmark
Rent
State county median vs national benchmark
Owner cost
State county median vs national benchmark
Income base
State county median vs national benchmark
Tax rate
State county median vs national benchmark
The New Hampshire Pattern
These are the signals a statewide average hides. Start here before choosing counties to compare.
Price geography
Rockingham County, Hillsborough County, Carroll County sit at the top of the purchase market, while Coos County, Sullivan County, Cheshire County anchor the lower-cost end.
Rent reality
Rockingham County, Hillsborough County, Strafford County lead on rent, while Coos County, Belknap County, Carroll County show where monthly lease costs are lowest.
Decision lens
Coos County, Sullivan County, Cheshire County screen best for purchase affordability when home values are measured against local household income.
Best Counties by Housing Goal
Different households need different rankings. Price alone is not enough, so these groups compare rent, income, owner costs, and tax exposure.
Cheapest to buy
Lowest median home values. Useful for purchase-price screening.
- 1. Coos County
$188,900
- 2. Sullivan County
$268,700
- 3. Cheshire County
$280,100
- 4. Grafton County
$344,500
- 5. Strafford County
$362,800
Best buy affordability
Lowest home-value-to-income ratios. Better than price alone.
- 1. Coos County
3.3x home-value-to-income
- 2. Sullivan County
3.3x home-value-to-income
- 3. Cheshire County
3.4x home-value-to-income
- 4. Merrimack County
3.8x home-value-to-income
- 5. Grafton County
3.9x home-value-to-income
Cheapest to rent
Lowest median gross rent among counties with ACS rent data.
- 1. Coos County
$876/mo
- 2. Belknap County
$1,167/mo
- 3. Carroll County
$1,195/mo
- 4. Sullivan County
$1,211/mo
- 5. Cheshire County
$1,276/mo
Lowest rent burden
Where typical renters spend the smallest share of income on rent.
- 1. Carroll County
25.4% rent burden
- 2. Grafton County
27.9% rent burden
- 3. Coos County
28.4% rent burden
- 4. Merrimack County
28.4% rent burden
- 5. Hillsborough County
29.4% rent burden
Lowest tax-rate signal
Lowest effective property-tax rates in the state data.
- 1. Carroll County
0.99% effective tax rate
- 2. Belknap County
1.31% effective tax rate
- 3. Rockingham County
1.58% effective tax rate
- 4. Hillsborough County
1.66% effective tax rate
- 5. Grafton County
1.72% effective tax rate
Owner-cost advantage
Counties where median owner costs are furthest below median rent.
- 1. Coos County
$-41/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 2. Carroll County
$-96/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 3. Sullivan County
$-136/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 4. Grafton County
$-173/mo cheaper to own than rent
- 5. Cheshire County
$-209/mo cheaper to own than rent
Income-backed value
Higher-income counties that still hold a reasonable value-to-income profile.
- 1. Rockingham County
$118,331 income, 4.2x value-to-income
- 2. Merrimack County
$97,004 income, 3.8x value-to-income
- 3. Hillsborough County
$103,545 income, 4.1x value-to-income
- 4. Cheshire County
$83,329 income, 3.4x value-to-income
- 5. Sullivan County
$80,858 income, 3.3x value-to-income
Tradeoffs to Check
The best page is not the one that crowns a winner. It is the one that shows where a county can surprise you after the headline price looks attractive.
| Signal | County | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Cheap price, weaker income base | Coos County $188,900 home value, $57,677 income | Low purchase prices can still feel tight when local wages are also low. |
| Affordable homes, higher tax rate | Sullivan County $268,700 home value, 2.14% tax rate | A low home price can be offset by the annual property-tax bill. |
| Renter pressure | Sullivan County $1,211/mo rent, 31.80% rent burden | Monthly rent alone does not show whether renters can comfortably absorb the cost. |
| Expensive, but income-supported | Rockingham County $497,500 home value, $118,331 income | Some high-price counties also have stronger incomes, so affordability depends on both sides of the equation. |
Lowest home values
Best value-to-income
Lowest rents
Compare Every New Hampshire County
Sorted by home-value-to-income ratio so the first rows are not just cheap counties, but counties where purchase prices look smaller relative to local income.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Income | Value/Income | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coos County | $188,900 | $876/mo | $57,677 | 3.3x | 1.89% |
| Sullivan County | $268,700 | $1,211/mo | $80,858 | 3.3x | 2.14% |
| Cheshire County | $280,100 | $1,276/mo | $83,329 | 3.4x | 2.16% |
| Merrimack County | $367,600 | $1,360/mo | $97,004 | 3.8x | 1.85% |
| Grafton County | $344,500 | $1,301/mo | $88,261 | 3.9x | 1.72% |
| Belknap County | $374,900 | $1,167/mo | $92,783 | 4.0x | 1.31% |
| Hillsborough County | $421,100 | $1,623/mo | $103,545 | 4.1x | 1.66% |
| Strafford County | $362,800 | $1,488/mo | $88,570 | 4.1x | 1.85% |
| Rockingham County | $497,500 | $1,687/mo | $118,331 | 4.2x | 1.58% |
| Carroll County | $388,900 | $1,195/mo | $86,463 | 4.5x | 0.99% |
Questions This Page Answers
Each answer is generated from the current county dataset, so it changes when the underlying ACS data changes.
What is the typical home value in New Hampshire by county?
What is the typical rent in New Hampshire by county?
Which New Hampshire counties are most affordable to buy in?
Why do cheap counties still need a closer look?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.