Overview
Hillsborough County is home to 424,732 residents (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), making it the most populous county in New Hampshire and one of the largest in northern New England. It includes the cities of Manchester and Nashua, the state's two biggest population centers, and sits along the Massachusetts border in the southern part of the state.
The county's population ranks higher than 95% of all U.S. counties. Its median household income of $100,436 (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023) also exceeds that of 95% of counties nationally. With a poverty rate of just 6.4% (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), lower than roughly 95% of U.S. counties, the economic picture here is markedly different from much of the country. The median age is 41 (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), close to the national middle, and younger than most of New Hampshire's other counties.
These numbers paint a county that functions as the state's economic engine. It holds the largest labor force, the highest number of tax returns filed, and the greatest total adjusted gross income of any county in the state.
Demographics
The median age of 41 (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023) places Hillsborough County near the midpoint nationally but at the younger end within New Hampshire, where aging rural counties push median ages higher. Only about 10% of the state's counties have a lower median age.
Education attainment is strong. Some 40.6% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), a figure that exceeds 93% of U.S. counties. Proximity to Boston's job market and the presence of universities in the region likely contribute to this concentration of degree holders.
The population is 80.9% white, 8.3% Hispanic, 4.2% Asian, 2.3% Black, and 0.1% Native American (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023). The county is more diverse than most of New Hampshire. Its Hispanic population share ranks higher than 90% of counties within the state, and its Asian population share also sits at the 90th mark among New Hampshire counties. By national standards, the Asian population share exceeds that of 93% of U.S. counties.
The mean commute time is 22.8 minutes (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), slightly above the national median. Many residents commute south into Massachusetts for work, a pattern common in southern New Hampshire communities that benefit from proximity to the Boston metro area without the state income tax that Massachusetts imposes.
Education
Per-pupil spending in Hillsborough County is $18,525 (Education Data Portal, 2020), about 23% above the national average of roughly $15,000. Despite this investment, the figure is the lowest among New Hampshire's counties, where per-pupil spending tends to run high across the board.
Total enrollment stands at 51,139 students (Education Data Portal, 2021), the largest in the state. The student-teacher ratio is 12.1 to 1 (Education Data Portal, 2021), well below the national average of about 15.5 to 1. Smaller class sizes are the norm in New Hampshire, and Hillsborough County's ratio sits above most of the state's other counties at the 80th mark.
The graduation rate is 80.5% (Education Data Portal, 2019). That falls below the national average of approximately 87% and ranks in the lower portion of both state and national distributions. Within New Hampshire, only about 10% of counties have a lower graduation rate. This gap between spending levels and graduation outcomes is worth watching. High per-pupil investment paired with below-average completion rates suggests factors beyond funding, whether student mobility, demographic shifts, or differing district-level challenges, are at play.
Economy & Employment
Median household income reaches $100,436 (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), clearing the six-figure mark and ranking higher than 95% of U.S. counties. Per capita income is $52,243 (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), which surpasses 96% of counties nationally. These are top-tier income figures by any measure.
The labor force totals 244,517 workers (BLS LAUS, 2025), with 236,449 employed and 8,068 unemployed. The unemployment rate of 3.3% (BLS LAUS, 2025) is lower than about 68% of U.S. counties and ranks at the 80th mark among New Hampshire counties. The tight labor market reflects both the county's economic strength and southern New Hampshire's role as a spillover employment zone for the greater Boston area.
The poverty rate of 6.4% (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023) is lower than roughly 95% of U.S. counties. Within the state, only about 10% of counties report a lower poverty rate. For a county this large, keeping poverty this low is a meaningful signal about broad-based income distribution.
Average adjusted gross income per tax return was $110,638 (IRS Statistics of Income, 2021), with average total income at $111,599. The county's 223,090 tax returns generated a combined $24.7 billion in AGI (IRS Statistics of Income, 2021). Both total AGI and total income rank higher than 96% of U.S. counties.
New Hampshire's lack of a state income tax and sales tax gives Hillsborough County a structural advantage in attracting higher-income residents and businesses. The income data reflects this.
Housing & Cost of Living
The median home value is $385,500 (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), higher than 92% of U.S. counties and at the 80th mark within the state. Median gross rent is $1,532 per month (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023), above 94% of counties nationally.
The county has 176,753 total housing units with 9,021 vacant, producing a vacancy rate of 5.1% (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023). That vacancy rate is lower than about 95% of U.S. counties and the lowest in New Hampshire. Housing supply is tight.
A tight vacancy rate combined with high home values and rents creates pressure, especially for renters. Someone earning the median household income of $100,436 would spend about 18% of gross income on rent at the median rate. That's within the generally accepted 30% threshold, but the median masks the experience of lower-income households. With a per capita income of $52,243, a single earner at the per capita level would spend roughly 35% of gross income on rent alone.
The numbers suggest that homeownership remains accessible for higher earners, but the entry price of $385,500 puts it out of reach for many first-time buyers without significant savings or dual incomes.
Health & Wellness
Hillsborough County's health profile stands out nationally for its favorable numbers across most CDC-tracked measures.
Obesity affects 32.8% of adults (CDC PLACES, 2023), a rate lower than 86% of U.S. counties. The diabetes rate is 7.9% (CDC PLACES, 2023), lower than 97% of counties. High blood pressure affects 28% of adults (CDC PLACES, 2023), a figure that falls below 93% of U.S. counties. These chronic disease indicators consistently place the county in the healthiest tier nationally.
Preventive care numbers are also strong. Cholesterol screening reaches 86.6% of adults (CDC PLACES, 2023), higher than 94% of counties. Annual checkup rates hit 75.7% (CDC PLACES, 2023), near the national midpoint.
Mental health is the area where the numbers shift. Some 16.2% of adults report frequent poor mental health days (CDC PLACES, 2023), and 22.1% have been diagnosed with depression (CDC PLACES, 2023). The poor mental health rate is better than 89% of U.S. counties, but the depression diagnosis rate sits around the 30th mark nationally. Within New Hampshire, the county's depression rate is the highest, ranking at the very bottom among the state's counties. Whether this reflects higher diagnosis rates (more access to mental health providers) or genuinely elevated prevalence is hard to say from the data alone.
The uninsured rate is 7.7% (CDC PLACES, 2023), lower than about 88% of U.S. counties. Physical health complaints are low: 10.7% of adults report frequent poor physical health days (CDC PLACES, 2023), better than 97% of U.S. counties.
Climate & Natural Disasters
Hillsborough County gets a full New England winter. The average temperature is 48.8°F annually (NOAA Climate Data Online, 2025), with highs averaging 59.9°F and lows dropping to 37.7°F. That's a cold county by national standards, colder than 73% of U.S. counties.
Snow is the defining weather story here. The county averages 47.1 inches per year (NOAA Climate Data Online, 2025), more than 87% of U.S. counties. Annual precipitation totals 42.9 inches (NOAA Climate Data Online, 2025), spread across rain and snowfall throughout the year.
The federal disaster record is long. FEMA has declared 31 separate disasters going back to 1973 (FEMA OpenFEMA, 2026), above 88% of U.S. counties. Severe storms account for the largest share, with 12 storm declarations since 1986. Flooding shows up repeatedly too, with five flood declarations across that same period.
Winter hazards run through the record as well. Six snowstorm emergency declarations appear in the FEMA data, concentrated in the early 2000s. A severe ice storm triggered a major disaster declaration in January 2009. Hurricane-related declarations have come four times, most recently in 2012 when Sandy prompted an emergency declaration across New England.
The most recent FEMA declaration was April 2020 (FEMA OpenFEMA, 2026), tied to the COVID-19 pandemic rather than a weather event.
Anyone considering Hillsborough County should plan around winter seriously, not just in lifestyle terms but in home infrastructure. Ice storms and heavy snow here aren't once-a-decade events.
Financial Profile
Hillsborough County residents filed 223,090 tax returns reporting total adjusted gross income of $24.7 billion (IRS Statistics of Income, 2021). Average AGI per return of $110,638 ranks higher than 95% of U.S. counties. Total income reached $24.9 billion.
Banking access includes 8 FDIC-insured bank branches holding $781.8 million in total deposits (FDIC Summary of Deposits, 2023). The branch count places the county near the national midpoint, at the 45th mark among all counties. For a county of over 424,000 residents, 8 branches is a low figure, though it may reflect incomplete capture of credit unions and online banking penetration rather than an actual access gap.
Social Security beneficiaries total 90,195 (SSA OASDI, 2024), representing roughly 21% of the total population. That proportion is moderate. The beneficiary count ranks higher than 95% of U.S. counties by volume, which follows directly from the county's large population base.
Key Comparisons
Hillsborough County consistently places in the top 5 to 10% of U.S. counties across income, education, and employment metrics. Some context helps frame what the numbers mean.
Income runs well above typical U.S. levels. The median household income of $100,436 (Census ACS 5-Year, 2023) exceeds the national median of roughly $75,000 by about 34%. Per capita income of $52,243 is similarly elevated. Within New Hampshire, the county sits at the 80th mark for both income measures, strong but not the state's highest, as some smaller counties with concentrated wealth rank above it.
The poverty rate of 6.4% is less than half the national rate. Unemployment at 3.3% runs below the national average. These two figures together confirm a labor market where most people who want work can find it and where extreme hardship is less common than in most of the country.
Housing costs reflect the income advantage. Median home values of $385,500 and rents of $1,532 are both in the top decile nationally. But the 5.1% vacancy rate, one of the lowest in the country, signals that supply hasn't kept up with demand.
Health outcomes are notably strong. Diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, and physical health complaints all fall in the best 15% nationally. The exception is depression, where the county's 22.1% rate sits higher than 70% of U.S. counties, a figure worth continued attention.
Education spending is generous at $18,525 per pupil, but the graduation rate of 80.5% lags behind most of the country. The gap between resources and outcomes here is wider than in comparable high-income counties.
Compared to the rest of New Hampshire, Hillsborough County is the youngest, most diverse, most populous, and has the tightest housing market. It's the state's economic center by most financial measures. Its lower per-pupil spending rank within the state (the lowest) and its bottom-tier graduation rate and depression figures within New Hampshire mark it as a county where scale brings challenges that smaller, wealthier counties don't face.
Data Sources
- Census ACS 5-Year, 2023: Population, income, housing, demographics, education attainment, commute times, poverty rate
- BLS LAUS, 2025: Unemployment rate, labor force, employment counts
- CDC PLACES, 2023: Health metrics including obesity, diabetes, mental health, insurance coverage, preventive care
- FEMA OpenFEMA, 2026: Disaster declarations and history
- IRS Statistics of Income, 2021: Tax returns, adjusted gross income, total income
- FDIC Summary of Deposits, 2023: Bank branch counts and total deposits
- NOAA Climate Data Online, 2025: Temperature and precipitation averages
- SSA OASDI, 2024: Social Security beneficiary counts
- USDA Census of Agriculture, 2022: Data not available for Hillsborough County
- Education Data Portal, 2021: Per-pupil spending, enrollment, student-teacher ratio, graduation rate