Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Barnstead grades B− overall, 90th among New Hampshire's 125 graded towns, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. It is healthier than 84% of U.S. towns and crime is low: it reports less per resident than 80% of U.S. towns. On the other side, its schools rank behind 92% of the state's. Only 8 of New Hampshire’s 187 towns score lower on the outdoors. Barnstead’s average trip to work is 31 minutes, above both New Hampshire’s towns (28 minutes) and U.S. towns (25 minutes). Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 79% of U.S. towns.
Where Barnstead beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
Census counts: 807 in 1790, a low of 791 in 1930, 4,915 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1916 and 4 maps from 1919 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New Hampshire), ordered by how far Barnstead is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Barnstead, and how to reach them.
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 19, 2024.
Ordered by what stands out in Barnstead.
Barnstead sends most of its workers to Concord and beyond and is healthy by national standards but mid-pack in New Hampshire; it also trails Gilmanton and its other neighbors on schools.
Each of its 5 graded neighbors has a higher School Grade than its D, Gilmanton highest at A−.
Its public schools are run by the Barnstead School District. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barnstead Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 449 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NH on state tests and graduation
Within New Hampshire it is less healthy than 62% of the 126 graded towns: New Hampshire sets a high bar.
76% of adults had a checkup this year in Barnstead. Barnstead beats the New Hampshire average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 17% of adults binge drink in Barnstead.
| Barnstead | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 76% | 78% | 79% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 16% | 16% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 32% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 20% | 25% |
| What stands out | Barnstead | NH |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 12% | 8.9% |
| Fewer adults seeing a dentist | 64.1% | 68.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Reported crimes fell from 51 to 26 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings. Violent crime is rare: 1 reported in 2025, 0.2 per 1,000 residents.
Barnstead’s violent crime rate is 0.2 per 1,000 residents. New Hampshire has less reported crime than most states, so among its own towns Barnstead sits closer to the middle.
| Barnstead | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.2 per 1,000 residents | 0.7 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.9 per 1,000 residents | 4.4 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
48 miles of trail in 5 parks and preserves. Only 5 of the 126 New Hampshire towns we compare have a lower share of conserved land than Barnstead. The biggest park or preserve is Blue Hills Foundation Conservation Land, at 400 acres.
| Barnstead | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conserved land | 5.3% | 18% | 4.3% |
| Miles of trail per square mile | 1.1 miles per square mile | 1.2 | 0.4 |
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Blue Hills Foundation Conservation Land | 0.8 mi | 400 |
| 2. Cilley Meadows Wetland Area | 0.2 mi | 47 |
| 3. Upper Suncook Recreation Area | 0.1 mi | 28 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Barnstead has 380 jobs for its 2,324 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out.
Most working residents leave Barnstead for work: only 6% work in town. Since 2013, Barnstead has added 121 jobs, to 380 in 2023. 3.4% of Barnstead residents live below the poverty line.
| Barnstead | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 3.4% | 6.8% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $112,000 | $103,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 5.9% | 10% | 8% |
| Work from home | 13% | 16% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Barnstead has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 82°, January nights drop to 13° and about 68 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 62% of U.S. communities. Since 1998, 5 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Barnstead.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
No broad age group is more than 4 points off the New Hampshire average. Barnstead has grown 2.5% since 2020, to 5,038 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 31% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 41% across New Hampshire.
| Barnstead | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 21% | 18% | 22% |
| Median age | 42.8 years | 45 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 31% | 39% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 21% | 20% | 18% |
49% women, 51% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.6 points. Across New Hampshire, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Barnstead | NH | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10.1% | 9.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.9% | 8.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 10.6% | 8.7% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 7.6% | 12.7% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 13.8% | 12.4% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.4% | 12.4% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 16% | 15.5% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11.8% | 12.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.8% | 7.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.2% | 5.6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 31% | 26.8% | 26% |
| Some college | 19.9% | 17.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 13.9% | 9.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 18.5% | 24.5% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 12.4% | 16.1% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
The typical Barnstead home is worth about $453,000, up 1.9% in a year, 11% below the New Hampshire typical home.
| Barnstead | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 94% | 82% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,395 a month | $1,382 a month | $1,185 a month |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Barnstead. Close and well known come first.
18 mi LakeLake Winnipesaukee
35 mi Ancient siteAmerica's Stonehenge
39 mi Theme parkCanobie Lake Park
36 mi LighthouseCape Neddick Light
12 mi MuseumCanterbury Shaker Village
27 mi Stadium & arenaSNHU ArenaLake Winnipesaukee: No machine-readable author provided. JohnJHenderson~commonswiki assumed (based o, Public domain · America's Stonehenge: User:Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Canobie Lake Park: Alex1961, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Cape Neddick Light: Stefan Hillebrand, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Canterbury Shaker Village: SayCheeeeeese, Public domain · SNHU Arena: Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0
1 within 15 miles of the center of Barnstead
About 6 of every 100 Barnstead residents are enrolled in college, about the same as New Hampshire.
Where Barnstead’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
3 notable people were born in Barnstead.
Town in New Hampshire, United States
Barnstead is a town in Belknap County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4,915 at the 2020 census, and an estimated 5,038 in 2025, up from 4,593 at the 2010 census. Home to the Suncook Lakes, Barnstead includes the villages of Center Barnstead, Barnstead Parade (identified as "Barnstead" on topographic maps) and South Barnstead.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
5 towns share a border with Barnstead.
| Town | NH rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnstead | #90 | B− | C+ | A− | D | A− |
| Gilmanton | #22 | A | B− | A | A− | A |
| Alton | #85 | B− | C | A− | C− | A |
| Pittsfield | #101 | C+ | C | A− | C− | B |
| Strafford | #72 | B | B− | A+ | C− | A− |
| Farmington | #111 | C | B | B | C− | B− |
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Barnstead grades B− overall, better than 46% of U.S. towns and #90 of 125 in New Hampshire. It grades A− for health, A− for safety and D for schools. Schools is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes, by national standards. New Hampshire has less crime than most states, so among its own towns Barnstead sits nearer the middle.
That is 4.9 years of the area's median household income ($92,783 across the Laconia, NH area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
3 notable people were born here, including Hiram A. Tuttle and Harriet Patience Dame.
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