Strafford County, New Hampshire Demographics
Population trends, housing costs, income, commuting, and health, all on one page.
Strafford 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 5 healthiest counties in New Hampshire
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B
Income Around averageAmong the 5 least wealthy counties in New Hampshire
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B
Education Around averageAmong the 5 least educated counties in New Hampshire
Source: Map AI Methodology
Population: density and quick facts
| Metric | Strafford County | New Hampshire Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 132,534 | 1,394,471 | 337,468,954 |
| Population density (per sq mi) | 346.5 | 149.1 | 86.4 |
| Population growth (%/yr) | 0.65% | 0.62% | 0.59% |
| Median age | 36.1 | 41.3 | 37.3 |
| Households | 52,067 | 555,445 | 130,235,071 |
Population in Strafford County grew by 8.9% from 2009 to 2024, reaching 132,534 in 2024.
Population Growth 2009–2024
Race & Ethnicity
Age & Sex
The largest generation in Strafford County is Gen Z, aged 13–28, at 26.8% of residents. That is 6.9 points above New Hampshire as a whole.
- Gen Z 13–28 35,471 26.8% +6.9 pts
- Millennials 29–44 26,713 20.2% -0.4 pts
- Gen X 45–60 27,366 20.6% -2.4 pts
- Boomers 61–79 21,032 15.9% -3.3 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 51.3% of the people living in Strafford County and men 48.7%.
- Women 51.3% New Hampshire 50.3%
- Men 48.7% New Hampshire 49.7%
How many residents match a customer profile?
Residents matching this profile
100% of everyone living in Strafford County
Pick an age range and a women/men split and the figure above answers with how many residents that profile reaches.
Economy
Strafford County has a the economy index of B, which means it is quite prosperous.
| Metric | Strafford County | New Hampshire Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $91,007 | $99,079 | $80,455 |
| Income growth (%/yr) | 4.65% | 4.69% | 4.80% |
| Unemployment rate | 3.5% | 3.3% | 5.2% |
The median household income in Strafford County is about 8% lower than in New Hampshire.
Housing
| Metric | Strafford County | New Hampshire Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median home price | $237,678 | $300,691 | $248,835 |
| Median rent | $1,487 | $1,490 | $1,407 |
| Homeownership rate | 67.1% | 72.8% | 65.2% |
The median home price in Strafford County is about 13.3 years' worth of rent — buying at the median price costs roughly as much as paying the median rent of $1,487 per month for that long.
Commute Time & Mobility
Commuters in Strafford County spend about 44 minutes on the road round trip each working day. Over a typical 250-day work year, that adds up to roughly 184 hours, about 7.7 full days, spent commuting.
| Metric | Strafford County | New Hampshire Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| One-way commute (min) | 22.0 | 22.5 | 22.4 |
| Round-trip commute (min) | 44.1 | 45.0 | 44.8 |
| Yearly time spent (hours) | 184 | 188 | 187 |
| Estimated yearly cost | $5,693 | $5,813 | $5,790 |
| Work from home | 16.2% | 16.8% | 15.0% |
| Highway traffic (vehicles/day) | 8,774 | 8,168 | 8,813 |
| Local road traffic (vehicles/day) | 1,545 | 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 Strafford County is 22 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
Strafford County has a education index of B, which means it is quite educated.
| Metric | Strafford County | New Hampshire Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 33.9% | 36.2% | 31.6% |
| Average household size | 2.38 | 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
Strafford County has a health index of A, which means it is very healthy.
| Metric | Strafford County | New Hampshire Avg | U.S. Average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Life expectancy (years) | 79.5 | 80.2 | 78.3 |
| Self-rated poor health | 11.7% | 12.6% | 16.3% |
| Smokers | 15.9% | 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).
Strafford County, NH Compared With Nearby Counties
Strafford County, NH is the 4th largest of the 6 counties compared here, 132,534 residents against a local median of 155,964. The measure that sets Strafford County, NH apart most is median home price: $237,678, 26% below the local median of $319,378.
The counties themselves spread $243,140 on median home price, so Strafford County, NH sits at one end of an already wide local range rather than apart from it. Strafford County, NH has the 5th highest median home price of the 6 areas compared here.
| Area | Population | Median household income | Median home price | Commute |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strafford County, NH | 132,534 | $91,007 #4/6 | $237,678 #5/6 | 22.0 min #3/6 |
| Rockingham County, NH | 319,036 | $118,478 | $476,549 | 25.8 min |
| York County, ME | 216,704 | $88,726 | $408,842 | 23.9 min |
| Belknap County, NH | 64,647 | $93,156 | $233,409 | 20.4 min |
| Carroll County, NH | 51,798 | $86,264 | $294,696 | 21.3 min |
| Merrimack County, NH | 155,964 | $97,117 | $319,378 | 23.0 min |
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about Strafford County, New Hampshire.
How big is Strafford County, New Hampshire by population?
About 132,534 people live in Strafford County, New Hampshire, in 52,067 households of 2.4 people on average. The median age is 36.1, close to the U.S. median of 37.3.
Is Strafford County, New Hampshire mostly urban or rural?
Averaged over its land area, Strafford County, New Hampshire has 346 people per square mile, a density typical of a mix of suburbs, small towns and farmland. That is about 4.0 times the U.S. average of 86.
Can a typical household afford a home in Strafford County, New Hampshire?
The median home costs 2.6 times the median household income ($237,678 against $91,007), compared with 3.1 times nationally. That is within the traditional rule of thumb of about 3 times income. Median rent of $1,487 a month takes about 20% 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 Strafford County, New Hampshire?
Unemployment in Strafford County, New Hampshire is only 3.5%, 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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