Cheshire County, New Hampshire Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Cheshire County, NH Population Density Map and Area Scores
Area Score
Health, income and education, each graded from F to A+. Explore interactive maps for deeper analysis.
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B
Health Around averageAmong the top 5 healthiest counties in New Hampshire
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B
Income Around averageAmong the 3 least wealthy counties in New Hampshire
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B
Education Around averageAmong the 3 least educated counties in New Hampshire
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Cheshire County | New Hampshire Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 77,281 | 1,394,471 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 106.0 | 149.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.16% | 0.62% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 42.1 | 41.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 30,601 | 555,445 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Cheshire County grew by 0.1% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 77,281 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Cheshire County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 21.8% of residents. That is 1.2 points below New Hampshire as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 16,616 21.5% +1.6 pts
- Millennials 29–44 14,771 19.1% -1.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 16,820 21.8% -1.2 pts
- Boomers 61–79 15,737 20.4% +1.1 pts
Residents by birth cohort, from the 2025 age distribution. The right-hand figure is how far each cohort's share sits above or below New Hampshire, in percentage points. Children younger than Gen Z and the generations before the Boomers are counted in the population but not shown here, so these shares do not add up to 100%.
Male and female share
Women are 50.9% of the people living in Cheshire County and men 49.1%.
- Women 50.9% New Hampshire 50.3%
- Men 49.1% New Hampshire 49.7%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Cheshire County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Cheshire County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Cheshire County | New Hampshire Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $82,926 | $99,079 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.54% | 4.69% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.3% | 3.3% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Cheshire County is about 16% lower than in New Hampshire.
Housing
| Metric | Cheshire County | New Hampshire Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $208,297 | $300,691 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,276 | $1,490 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 72.7% | 72.8% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Cheshire County is about 13.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,276 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Cheshire County spend about 37 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 155 hours, about 6.5 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Cheshire County | New Hampshire Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 18.6 | 22.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 37.2 | 45.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 155 | 188 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $4,807 | $5,813 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 13.1% | 16.8% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 3,581 | 8,168 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 805 | 1,232 | 1,355 |
Fastest commutes among counties in
New Hampshire:
Coos County (17.5 min), Grafton County (17.5 min), Cheshire County (18.6 min).
Slowest:
Rockingham County (25.8 min), Sullivan County (23.5 min), Merrimack County (23.0 min).
The average commute time in Cheshire County is 19 minutes, shorter than the 23 minutes in New Hampshire.
Estimated yearly cost applies a single national wage rule of thumb (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics average hourly earnings), not a measurement of wages in this area. Traffic volume figures come from proprietary Ticon and TrafficZoom data.
Education & Households
Cheshire County has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | Cheshire County | New Hampshire Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 30.9% | 36.2% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.40 | 2.44 | 2.53 |
Highest education index among counties in
New Hampshire:
Rockingham County (0.4), Grafton County (0.4), Hillsborough County (0.3).
Lowest:
Coos County (0.2), Sullivan County (0.3), Cheshire County (0.3).
Health
Cheshire County has a health index of B, which means it is quite healthy.
| Metric | Cheshire County | New Hampshire Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 80.4 | 80.2 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 12.3% | 12.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 14.9% | 16.0% | 19.0% |
Highest health index among counties in
New Hampshire:
Rockingham County (0.8), Merrimack County (0.8), Grafton County (0.8).
Lowest:
Coos County (0.8), Sullivan County (0.8), Belknap County (0.8).
Cheshire County, NH Compared With Nearby Counties
Cheshire County, NH is typical in size for this group, 77,281 residents against a local median of 70,937, so the measures below are close to a like for like comparison. The measure that sets Cheshire County, NH apart most is median home price: $208,297, 37% below the local median of $330,403.
Commute tells the same story from another angle: 18.6 min against a local median of 22.8 min, 18% below it. The one measure here that carries a verdict is commute, and at 18% below the local median it puts Cheshire County, NH at the better end of the local range. The counties themselves spread $160,669 on median home price, so Cheshire County, NH sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Cheshire County, NH has the 5th highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheshire County, NH | 77,281 | $82,926 #3/6 | $208,297 #5/6 | 18.6 min #2/6 |
| Sullivan County, NH | 43,677 | $79,965 | $343,386 | 23.5 min |
| Windham County, VT | 45,878 | $72,854 | $191,132 | 18.1 min |
| Franklin County, MA | 70,937 | $74,921 | $330,403 | 20.4 min |
| Hillsborough County, NH | 426,152 | $103,775 | $286,603 | 22.8 min |
| Worcester County, MA | 867,628 | $95,680 | $351,801 | 24.0 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Cheshire County, New Hampshire.
What is the population of Cheshire County, New Hampshire?
About 77,281 people live in Cheshire County, New Hampshire, in 30,601 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 42.1, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 5 years.
Is Cheshire County, New Hampshire mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Cheshire County, New Hampshire has 106 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is close to the U.S. average of 86.
Is Cheshire County, New Hampshire an affordable place to live?
The median home costs 2.5 times the median household income ($208,297 against $82,926), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,276 a month takes about 18% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is unemployment high in Cheshire County, New Hampshire?
Unemployment in Cheshire County, New Hampshire is only 3.3%, well below the U.S. rate of 5.2%, a sign of a tight labor market where employers compete for workers.
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