Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Berlin earns a D−, better than 4% of U.S. towns, mostly because of incomes and schools. The median household income is $45K, and 15% of residents live below the poverty line. Its public schools trail 89% of New Hampshire towns on state tests and graduation. What it does well: it has 63 miles of trail and 62% conserved land. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 90% of U.S. towns, with 6 places on the National Register. 62% of the land in Berlin is conserved, where New Hampshire’s towns sit at 18% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. No town in New Hampshire scores lower than Berlin on health. The biggest place to walk is Jericho Mountain State Park, 7,747 acres with 29.8 miles of trail.
Where Berlin beats most towns.
Census counts: 73 in 1830, a peak of 20,018 in 1930, 9,425 in 2020. The archive holds 23 old photos and papers going back to 1863 and 6 maps from 1893 on.
6 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New Hampshire), ordered by how far Berlin is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Berlin, 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 Berlin.
Berlin keeps more of its land conserved than most of New Hampshire, gets more snow than nearly all U.S. towns and is safe by national standards but not by New Hampshire’s.
Its 24,481 conserved acres are a larger share of the town than in 99% of New Hampshire towns.
63 miles of trail in 8 parks and preserves. Berlin’s trail density is 1.0 miles per square mile, against 1.2 in New Hampshire’s towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Jericho Mountain State Park | 29.8 mi | 7,747 |
| 2. Cascade Hill Forest | 2.1 mi | 687 |
| 3. Twitchell Environmental Study Area | — | 303 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Berlin Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 412 | C |
| Berlin Senior High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 303 | C− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NH on state tests and graduation
Values fell 3.4% in the past year while the New Hampshire typical home rose 2.9%.
The median rent in Berlin is $815 a month. The typical Berlin home is worth about $184,000, 64% below the New Hampshire typical home. 63% of Berlin households own their home.
| Berlin | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 63% | 82% | 73% |
| Median rent | $815 a month | $1,393 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Against the 4,062 U.S. towns with household incomes like Berlin’s, it is healthier than 65%, so its C− isn’t only a matter of income.
31% of adults get no exercise outside work in Berlin. No town among the 126 in New Hampshire we compare has a higher share of adults who say their health is fair or poor than Berlin. 35% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Berlin.
| Berlin | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 20% | 25% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 12% | 14% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 14% | 19% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 9.5% | 12% |
| What stands out | Berlin | NH |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 21.5% | 8.9% |
| More adults facing food insecurity | 17.7% | 9.5% |
| More adults facing a utility shut-off | 9.5% | 5.4% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
The average commute for its 3,665 working residents takes 18.7 minutes, against 26.7 across New Hampshire.
About one in 3 of Berlin’s working residents works in town. Berlin’s average trip to work is 19 minutes. Of the 126 New Hampshire towns we compare, none has a lower median household income than Berlin.
| Berlin | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 33% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Average trip to work | 19 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $45,000 | $103,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 68% of U.S. communities. Since 2017, 2 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Berlin.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The Berlin weather station, 5 miles away, records that 82 inches of snow fall in a normal winter, more than in 95% of U.S. towns. July afternoons average 77.4°, cooler than in 96% of U.S. towns; January nights average 5°.
Berlin has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Only 1 of the 126 New Hampshire towns we compare have a lower July high than Berlin.
| Berlin | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| July high | 77°F | 82°F | 85°F |
| January low | 5°F | 13°F | 22°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
At 22 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports more crime than 92% of New Hampshire’s graded towns. Violent crime runs at 3.4 per 1,000 residents, 3 times the New Hampshire rate; the Safety Grade counts each violent crime four times, so this weighs most on its C+. Reported crimes rose from 124 to 144 over the last three FBI years, a rise beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
No town among the 125 in New Hampshire we compare has a higher violent crime rate than Berlin.
| Berlin | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.4 per 1,000 residents | 0.7 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 12.3 per 1,000 residents | 4.4 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Berlin. Close and well known come first.
Big draw15 mi MountainMount Washington
27 mi National forestWhite Mountain National Forest
31 mi Scenic railwayConway Scenic Railroad
30 mi Ski areaCannon Mountain104 runs · 2,201 ft vertical
12 mi Theme parkSanta's Village
26 mi Theme parkStory LandMount Washington: wwoods, CC BY-SA 3.0 · White Mountain National Forest: Ken Gallager at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Conway Scenic Railroad: Pi.1415926535, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Cannon Mountain: Mikespenard at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Santa's Village: Alex McLeod, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Story Land: AnotherMaker, CC BY-SA 4.0
1 within 15 miles of the center of Berlin
About 3 of every 100 Berlin residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Hampshire.
61.9% of the town is conserved land, across 8 parks and preserves.
6 places in Berlin on the National Register of Historic Places.
13 notable people were born in Berlin.
City in New Hampshire, United States
Berlin ( BUR-lin) is the only city in Coös County, New Hampshire, United States. Located along the Androscoggin River, it is the northernmost city in New Hampshire. The population was 9,425 at the 2020 census, down from 10,051 at the 2010 census. It includes the village of Cascade in the south part of the city. Located in New Hampshire's Great North Woods Region or "North Country", Berlin sits at the edge of the White Mountains, and the city's boundaries extend into the White Mountain National Forest. Berlin is home to the Berlin and Coos County Historical Society's Moffett House Museum & Genealogy Center, Service Credit Union Heritage Park, the Berlin Fish Hatchery, and the White Mountains…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
2 towns share a border with Berlin.
Milan has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Milan reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Berlin with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Berlin grades D− overall, better than 4% of U.S. towns. It grades C− for health, C+ for safety and D for schools. Jobs & income is its weak spot, with a D.
New Hampshire has less crime than most states, so among its own towns Berlin sits nearer the middle.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
13 notable people were born here, including Earl Tupper and Michael Durant.
