Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 1,049. 2.9 times the nonprofits per person than the typical New Hampshire town.
Trash & recyclingThe best of Center Harbor’s subject grades are an A− for health and the outdoors and an A for civic life. Center Harbor’s median age is 60.4 years, above both New Hampshire’s towns (44.8 years) and U.S. towns (40.5 years). Among 126 New Hampshire towns, just 5 have a lower violent crime rate than Center Harbor. Only 9 of New Hampshire’s 187 towns score higher on civic life. Centre Harbor Village Historic District is on the National Register of Historic Places. Center Harbor has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Center Harbor beats most towns.
Centre Harbor Village Historic DistrictIn 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 Center Harbor is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Census counts: 263 in 1800, a low of 263 in 1800, 1,040 in 2020. The archive holds 23 old photos and papers going back to 1850 and 4 maps from 1909 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Explore the history →Who provides power, water and the rest in Center Harbor, 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 Center Harbor.
People 65 and older are 39% of residents (20% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 10% of residents (21% statewide). 12% of Center Harbor residents are under 18, below both the New Hampshire town median (18%) and the median of U.S. towns (22%). 47% of Center Harbor adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more.
| Center Harbor | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 12% | 18% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 47% | 39% | 29% |
50% women, 50% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4.8 points. Across New Hampshire, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Center Harbor | NH | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.8% | 9.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 3.1% | 8.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 4.9% | 8.7% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 4.7% | 12.7% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.9% | 12.4% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 7.7% | 12.4% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 19.3% | 15.5% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 25.3% | 12.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 14.1% | 7.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.5% | 5.6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 28.3% | 26.8% | 26% |
| Some college | 17.3% | 17.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 2.8% | 9.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 25.2% | 24.5% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 21.9% | 16.1% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,000, single groups can be off by several points
The typical Center Harbor home is worth about $719,000, up 3.7% in a year, 41% above the New Hampshire typical home. 91% of households own their home in Center Harbor.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Among 127 New Hampshire towns, just 1 have a lower share of adults who binge drink than Center Harbor. Center Harbor beats the New Hampshire average on 5 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 10.
| Center Harbor | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 16% | 16% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 16% | 17% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 41% | 34% | 35% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 30% | 33% |
| What stands out | Center Harbor | NH |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 6.5% | 8.1% |
| Fewer binge drinkers | 13% | 15.7% |
| More adults with heart disease | 8.6% | 6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Center Harbor has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Center Harbor’s July high is 81°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Most working residents leave Center Harbor for work: only 4% work in town. Jobs based in Center Harbor grew to 360 in 2023, 67 more than in 2013. The median household income in Center Harbor is $104,000.
| Center Harbor | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 2% | 6.8% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.1% | 10% | 8% |
| Median household income | $104,000 | $103,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
15 miles of trail in 9 parks and preserves. The biggest place to walk is Fogg Hill Conservation Area, 234 acres with 1.7 miles of trail.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Chamberlain Reynolds Memorial Forest | 3.9 mi | 177 |
| 2. Center Harbor Woods | 2.8 mi | 217 |
| 3. Belknap Woods | 2.2 mi | 90 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Center Harbor's reported crime rate is well below New Hampshire's. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts. No violent crimes were reported in 2025.
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 59% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Center Harbor since 2008.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Center Harbor. Close and well known come first.
12 mi LakeLake Winnipesaukee
28 mi National forestWhite Mountain National Forest
31 mi Scenic railwayConway Scenic Railroad
34 mi Ski areaCannon Mountain104 runs · 2,201 ft vertical
18 mi Ski areaWaterville Valley Resort84 runs · 1,990 ft vertical
33 mi Theme parkStory LandLake 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 · Story Land: AnotherMaker, CC BY-SA 4.0
2 within 15 miles of the center of Center Harbor
About 1 of every 100 Center Harbor residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Hampshire.
4 notable people were born in Center Harbor.
Town in New Hampshire, United States
Center Harbor is a town in Belknap County, New Hampshire, United States. As of the 2020 census, the town had a population of 1,040, and an estimated 1,049 in 2025. It is situated between Lake Winnipesaukee and Squam Lake.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
2.9 times the nonprofits per person than the typical New Hampshire town.
That is 7.7 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+.
Center Harbor has 1 place on the National Register of Historic Places. 4 notable people were born here, including Phoebe Foster and Maud Worcester Makemson.
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