Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The best of Bridgewater’s subject grades is an A− for health; the weakest is a D for hazard risk. 33% of residents are 65 or older in Bridgewater, against 20% in New Hampshire’s towns and 18% across U.S. towns. No town among the 126 in New Hampshire we compare has a lower property crime rate than Bridgewater. Bridgewater is more walkable than 69% of U.S. towns. 2.8% of the land in Bridgewater is conserved, below the New Hampshire town median (18%) and near the median of U.S. towns (4.3%). Only 5 of New Hampshire’s 187 towns score lower on the outdoors. The biggest park or preserve is Bridgewater Town Forest, at 62 acres. Bridgewater has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Bridgewater beats most towns.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New Hampshire), ordered by how far Bridgewater is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 281 in 1790, a low of 151 in 1930, 1,160 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 2016 and 4 maps from 1925 on.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Bridgewater, 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 Bridgewater.
26% of adults have obesity in Bridgewater. Bridgewater beats the New Hampshire average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 3. 31% of adults have high blood pressure in Bridgewater.
| Bridgewater | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 73% | 78% | 79% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 32% | 35% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 34% | 35% |
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 23% | 23% |
| What stands out | Bridgewater | NH |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with obesity | 26.4% | 31.8% |
| More adults without reliable transportation | 7% | 5.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Newfound Area School District. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bridgewater-Hebron Village SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–5 | Grades PK–5 | 137 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NH on state tests and graduation
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 79% of U.S. communities. Since 1986, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Bridgewater.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Most working residents leave Bridgewater for work: only 5% work in town. Since 2013, Bridgewater has added 60 jobs, to 155 in 2023. Bridgewater’s average trip to work is 30 minutes.
| Bridgewater | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 8% | 16% | 11% |
| Average trip to work | 30 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 6.8% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 5.1% | 10% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The median age in Bridgewater is 58.3 years. Only 4 of the 127 New Hampshire towns we compare have a lower share of children under 18 than Bridgewater. Bridgewater has grown 2.3% since 2020, to 1,185 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Bridgewater | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 58.3 years | 44.8 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 11% | 18% | 22% |
Somewhere between 38% and 62% women
The Census survey reached too few of Bridgewater’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±11.7 points. Across New Hampshire, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Bridgewater | NH | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 6.1% | 9.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 4.7% | 8.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.3% | 8.7% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13.3% | 12.7% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 7.8% | 12.4% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 9.2% | 12.4% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 19.5% | 15.5% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 19.6% | 12.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 13.5% | 7.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 7.8% | 5.6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 27.9% | 26.8% | 26% |
| Some college | 21.7% | 17.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.8% | 9.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 18.4% | 24.5% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 14.4% | 16.1% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,200, single groups can be off by several points
Bridgewater has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. Only 5 of the 127 New Hampshire towns we compare have a lower July high than Bridgewater.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Bridgewater's reported crime rate is well below New Hampshire's. No violent crimes were reported in 2025.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The typical Bridgewater home is worth about $551,000, up 5.5% in a year, 8% above the New Hampshire typical home.
| Bridgewater | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,125 a month | $1,388 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 80% | 82% | 73% |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Only 8 of the 127 New Hampshire towns we compare have a lower trail density than Bridgewater. 12 miles of trail in 2 parks and preserves.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Bridgewater Town Forest | — | 62 |
| 2. Sawhegenet Falls Recreation Area | — | 13 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Bridgewater. Close and well known come first.
19 mi LakeLake Winnipesaukee
34 mi National forestWhite Mountain National Forest
39 mi Scenic railwayConway Scenic Railroad
36 mi Ski areaCannon Mountain104 runs · 2,201 ft vertical
23 mi Ski areaWaterville Valley Resort84 runs · 1,990 ft vertical
31 mi WaterfallFlume GorgeLake Winnipesaukee: No machine-readable author provided. JohnJHenderson~commonswiki assumed (based o, Public domain · 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 · Waterville Valley Resort: MConradWard, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Flume Gorge: MyCatIsAChonk, CC BY-SA 4.0
2 within 15 miles of the center of Bridgewater
About 1 of every 100 Bridgewater residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Hampshire.
Where Bridgewater’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Town in New Hampshire, United States
Bridgewater is a town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,160 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
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