Merrimack County, New Hampshire Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Merrimack 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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A
Health Above averageAmong the top 3 healthiest counties in New Hampshire
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B
Income Around averageAmong the top 3 wealthiest counties in New Hampshire
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B
Education Around averageAmong the top 5 best educated counties in New Hampshire
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Merrimack County | New Hampshire Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 155,964 | 1,394,471 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 163.3 | 149.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.67% | 0.62% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 40.5 | 41.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 60,848 | 555,445 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Merrimack County grew by 5.0% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 155,964 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Merrimack County is Gen X, aged 45–60, at 22.4% of residents. That is 0.6 points below New Hampshire as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 31,454 20.2% +0.3 pts
- Millennials 29–44 32,799 21.0% +0.5 pts
- Gen X 45–60 34,994 22.4% -0.6 pts
- Boomers 61–79 29,717 19.1% -0.2 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 50.5% of the people living in Merrimack County and men 49.5%.
- Women 50.5% New Hampshire 50.3%
- Men 49.5% New Hampshire 49.7%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Merrimack County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Merrimack County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Merrimack County | New Hampshire Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $97,117 | $99,079 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.67% | 4.69% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.1% | 3.3% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Merrimack County is about 2% lower than in New Hampshire.
Housing
| Metric | Merrimack County | New Hampshire Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $319,378 | $300,691 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,359 | $1,490 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 73.5% | 72.8% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Merrimack County is about 19.6 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,359 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Merrimack County spend about 46 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 192 hours, about 8.0 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Merrimack County | New Hampshire Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 23.0 | 22.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 46.0 | 45.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 192 | 188 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,945 | $5,813 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 14.4% | 16.8% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 8,258 | 8,168 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,305 | 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 Merrimack County is about the same as 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
Merrimack County has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | Merrimack County | New Hampshire Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 33.9% | 36.2% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.46 | 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
Merrimack County has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | Merrimack County | New Hampshire Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.5 | 80.2 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 11.4% | 12.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 15.4% | 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).
Merrimack County, NH Compared With Nearby Counties
Merrimack County, NH is the 2nd largest of the 6 counties compared here, 155,964 residents against a local median of 92,112. Where Merrimack County, NH breaks from the counties next to it is median home price, sitting 17% above the local median of $272,189 at $319,378.
The counties themselves spread $109,977 on median home price, so Merrimack County, NH sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Merrimack County, NH has the 2nd highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Merrimack County, NH | 155,964 | $97,117 #2/6 | $319,378 #2/6 | 23.0 min #5/6 |
| Belknap County, NH | 64,647 | $93,156 | $233,409 | 20.4 min |
| Hillsborough County, NH | 426,152 | $103,775 | $286,603 | 22.8 min |
| Sullivan County, NH | 43,677 | $79,965 | $343,386 | 23.5 min |
| Strafford County, NH | 132,534 | $91,007 | $237,678 | 22.0 min |
| Grafton County, NH | 92,112 | $89,036 | $272,189 | 17.5 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Merrimack County, New Hampshire.
How big is Merrimack County, New Hampshire by population?
About 155,964 people live in Merrimack County, New Hampshire, in 60,848 households of 2.5 people on average. The median age is 40.5, so residents are older than the U.S. median of 37.3 by about 3 years.
Is Merrimack County, New Hampshire mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Merrimack County, New Hampshire has 163 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 1.9 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Merrimack County, New Hampshire?
The median home costs 3.3 times the median household income ($319,378 against $97,117), compared with 3.1 times nationally. A ratio of about 3 is traditionally considered affordable. Median rent of $1,359 a month takes about 17% of the median household's income, below the 30% level at which HUD considers renters cost-burdened.
Is it hard to find a job in Merrimack County, New Hampshire?
Unemployment in Merrimack County, New Hampshire is only 3.1%, 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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