Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Bethlehem grades B+ overall, 61st among New Hampshire's 125 graded towns, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 94% of the country and crime is low: it reports less per resident than 77% of U.S. towns. It also does better than most on schools: its schools rank ahead of 74% of New Hampshire towns. Its lowest everyday mark is in incomes: the median household income is $85K, and 10% of residents live below the poverty line. A typical home there costs about $356K, 4.3 years of the Lebanon area’s $83K median household income. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 93% of U.S. towns, with 3 places on the National Register. 59% of the land in Bethlehem is conserved, against 18% in New Hampshire’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. On civic life, just 10 of New Hampshire’s 187 towns do better. The biggest place to walk is Lincoln Woods Scenic Area, 2,184 acres with 3.1 miles of trail.
Where Bethlehem beats most towns.
Census counts: 171 in 1800, a low of 171 in 1800, 2,484 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1883 and 4 maps from 1900 on.
3 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New Hampshire), ordered by how far Bethlehem is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Bethlehem. Close and well known come first.
Big draw15 mi MountainMount Washingtonin town Ski areaBretton Woods Ski Area90 runs · 1,395 ft vertical
8 mi Ski areaCannon Mountain104 runs · 2,201 ft vertical
15 mi National forestWhite Mountain National Forest
9 mi State parkFranconia Notch State Park
12 mi WaterfallFlume GorgeMount Washington: wwoods, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Cannon Mountain: Mikespenard at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · White Mountain National Forest: Ken Gallager at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Franconia Notch State Park: Stephen Sokolowski, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Flume Gorge: MyCatIsAChonk, CC BY-SA 4.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Bethlehem, 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 Bethlehem.
Bethlehem is a second-home town, has a shorter frost-free season than nearly all U.S. towns and keeps more of its land conserved than most of New Hampshire.
Its 34,038 conserved acres are a larger share of the town than in 98% of New Hampshire towns.
146 miles of trail in 17 parks and preserves. Bethlehem’s trail density is 1.6 miles per square mile, where New Hampshire’s towns sit at 1.2 and U.S. towns at 0.4.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Lincoln Woods Scenic Area | 3.1 mi | 2,184 |
| 2. The Rocks Estate | 2.2 mi | 1,286 |
| 3. Ammonoosuc River Forest | 1.8 mi | 271 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Profile School District. Three of its 5 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bethlehem Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 142 | B− |
| Profile Senior High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 133 | A− |
| Profile Junior High SchoolTop results in townGrades 7–8 | Grades 7–8 | 83 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NH on state tests and graduation
Its A for health tops all 3 graded neighbors; Franconia (A) comes closest.
27% of adults have obesity in Bethlehem. Bethlehem beats the New Hampshire average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 9.3% of adults have diabetes in Bethlehem.
| Bethlehem | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 32% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 33% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 16% | 17% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 33% |
| What stands out | Bethlehem | NH |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with obesity | 26.6% | 31.8% |
| More adults seeing a dentist | 73.4% | 68.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
New Hampshire has less reported crime than most states, so among its own towns Bethlehem sits closer to the middle.
| Bethlehem | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 7 per 1,000 residents | 4.4 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.8 per 1,000 residents | 0.7 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The average commute for its 1,058 working residents takes 20.3 minutes, against 26.7 across New Hampshire. 31.2% of workers work from home, against 16.8% across New Hampshire.
Bethlehem’s average trip to work is 20 minutes. Since 2013, Bethlehem has added 104 jobs, to 506 in 2023. The top destinations are Littleton (21%), Franconia (12%) and Carroll (5%).
| Bethlehem | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $85,000 | $103,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The typical Bethlehem home is worth about $356,000, about the same as a year ago, 30% below the New Hampshire typical home.
| Bethlehem | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 75% | 82% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,174 a month | $1,393 a month | $1,185 a month |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
The Bethlehem 2 weather station records that the frost-free season runs about 116 days, shorter than in 98% of U.S. towns. The Bethlehem 2 weather station records that 101 inches of snow fall in a normal winter, more than in 97% of U.S. towns.
The July high in Bethlehem is 79°F. Bethlehem has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
15.4% of homes are seasonal or vacation homes, against 10.1% statewide, which helps explain the older median age.
People 65 and older are 28% of residents (20% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 14% of residents (21% statewide). 45% of Bethlehem adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more. Bethlehem has grown 3.2% since 2020, to 2,575 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Bethlehem | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 28% | 20% | 18% |
| Median age | 50.6 years | 44.6 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 45% | 39% | 29% |
53% women, 47% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.6 points. Across New Hampshire, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Bethlehem | NH | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 11.9% | 9.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 5.7% | 8.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 1.1% | 8.7% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 12.4% | 12.7% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 7.5% | 12.4% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 17.6% | 12.4% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 15.6% | 15.5% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 17.6% | 12.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 10.6% | 7.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 3% | 5.6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 25.8% | 26.8% | 26% |
| Some college | 14.2% | 17.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11.9% | 9.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 21.3% | 24.5% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 23.8% | 16.1% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 2,600, single groups can be off by several points
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 67% of U.S. communities.
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
None within 15 miles of Bethlehem; the nearest are
About 1 of every 100 Bethlehem residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Hampshire.
58.9% of the town is conserved land, across 17 parks and preserves.
3 places in Bethlehem on the National Register of Historic Places.
Town in New Hampshire, United States
Bethlehem is a hillside town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,484 at the 2020 census. It is home to Cushman and Strawberry Hill state forests. The eastern half of the town is within the White Mountain National Forest. The Appalachian Trail crosses a small portion of the town in the south. The main village of the town, where 826 people resided at the 2020 census, is defined as the Bethlehem census-designated place (CDP), and is located at the junction of U.S. Route 302 with New Hampshire Route 142. The town also includes the villages of Maplewood and Pierce Bridge.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
6 towns share a border with Bethlehem.
| Town | NH rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bethlehem | #61 | B+ | C | A− | B+ | A |
| Carroll | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Littleton | #113 | C− | C | B− | C+ | C+ |
| Franconia | — | — | D | — | A | A |
| Whitefield | #117 | C− | D | A+ | C− | B− |
| Sugar Hill | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Hart's Location | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Franconia has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Franconia reports no FBI crime data of its own. Carroll, Sugar Hill and Hart's Location aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Bethlehem with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Bethlehem grades B+ overall, better than 67% of U.S. towns and #61 of 125 in New Hampshire. It grades A for health, A− for safety and B+ for schools.
Yes, by national standards. New Hampshire has less crime than most states, so among its own towns Bethlehem sits nearer the middle.
