Housing decision brief
Belknap County, NH Housing Market
Belknap County screens as a higher purchase price, below-state rent, a manageable tax-rate signal market. Use the page as a decision brief, not just a price lookup, because local income, taxes, and data confidence change how affordable the county really is.
7th lowest home value out of 10 New Hampshire counties with data | 4th lowest rent out of 10
Median home value
$340,000
Purchase-price signal from Census ACS.
Median rent
$1,184/mo
Gross rent, including utilities where reported.
Monthly owner cost
$1,524/mo
Owner costs before individual loan terms.
Decision snapshot
Read this county in four signals.
Buy screen
3.9x
Median home value divided by local household income.
Rent burden
30.0%
At or above the 30% burden threshold.
Rent vs own
$340/mo
Median rent screens below owner cost.
Data confidence
1 note
Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
What Works
Lower rent
$1,184/mo is 6% below New Hampshire county median
What to Check
Water quality cross-check
Water quality grade is F. Review water data before treating housing cost as the full story.
Crime data coverage
Crime data coverage is partial. Treat zero or low crime rates as incomplete until you check the source coverage.
Best Fit For
- No strong fit signal was available in the current dataset.
Poor Fit For
- Buyers focused only on purchase price and ignoring annual property tax
- Buyers who will not investigate local water systems before moving
- Anyone treating reported crime rates as complete without source context
County vs State vs National
The county number only matters after you see the benchmark. These comparisons show where Belknap County is genuinely cheap, where it is average, and where the hidden cost may be.
| Metric | County | State | U.S. | Signal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Median home value Lower usually helps affordability. | $340,000 | $331,500 | $281,900 | Near state median3% above New Hampshire county median |
Median gross rent Lower usually helps affordability. | $1,184 | $1,256 | $1,163 | 6% favorable6% below New Hampshire county median |
Monthly owner cost Lower usually helps affordability. | $1,524 | $1,511 | $1,672 | Near state median1% above New Hampshire county median |
Median household income | $87,983 | $85,293 | $74,755 | Near state median3% above New Hampshire county median |
Effective property-tax rate Lower usually helps affordability. | 1.44% | 2.00% | 1.02% | 28% favorable28% below New Hampshire county median |
Rent burden Lower usually helps affordability. | 30.00% | 29.00% | N/A | Near state median30.00% of renter income goes to rent. |
Income Fit
A low price only helps if local income can carry the monthly cost. This panel compares the county income base with rent and owner-cost thresholds.
Rent cushion
+$40,623
Median income minus rent threshold.
Owner cushion
+$22,669
Median income minus owner-cost threshold.
Affordability Advisory
This turns the raw housing numbers into income and buy-versus-rent screens.
Affordability verdict
Housing in Belknap County is affordable. The median rent is $1,184/month against a median household income of $87,983, putting rent at 16.1% of income.
Rent vs own
Renters in Belknap County pay $1,184/month on average, compared to $1,524/month for homeowners. This market favors renters by about 22%.
Income needed
To afford the median rent without exceeding 30% of gross income, a household needs to earn approximately $47,360/year. For owner costs at the 28% rule, the required income is roughly $65,314/year. With a median household income of $87,983, most households can comfortably afford rent here. Notably, 30.0% of renter households in Belknap County are cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of income on housing.
Regional context
Compared to Grafton County where rent averages $1,292/month, Belknap County is approximately 8% less expensive.
Better Counties to Compare
Similar counties are matched on home value, rent, income, and state context. This is more useful than a simple nearest-price list.
| County | Home Value | Rent | Why compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carroll County, NH | $348,900 | $1,179/mo | Same-state comparison near $348,900 home value and $1,179/mo rent. |
| Merrimack County, NH | $330,600 | $1,293/mo | Same-state comparison near $330,600 home value and $1,293/mo rent. |
| Strafford County, NH | $332,400 | $1,413/mo | Same-state comparison near $332,400 home value and $1,413/mo rent. |
| Grafton County, NH | $298,500 | $1,292/mo | Same-state comparison near $298,500 home value and $1,292/mo rent. |
| Addison County, VT | $333,700 | $1,201/mo | Out-of-state peer near $333,700 home value and $1,201/mo rent. |
Data Confidence
- Crime coverage is partial, so safety comparisons need source context.
Next Checks
Housing Questions for Belknap County
Is Belknap County affordable for buying a home?
Is renting or owning cheaper in Belknap County?
How much income do you need for housing in Belknap County?
What should I double-check before moving to Belknap County?
Data: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates (2019-2023) — Informational only. Not financial or legal advice.