Cold River AMC Lodge, 2013
Chatham’s story
259 years in pictures
Census counts: 58 in 1790, a low of 58 in 1790, 341 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2013 and 3 maps from 1942 on.
- 1767Chatham is settled
Photo: Ken_Gallager (talk) (Uploads) · CC BY-SA 3.0
Population
357
2025 Census estimate · +2.6% since 2020
Typical home
$372K
+4.8% in a year
Household income
$66K
median
Median age
48.3
years
Jobs based here
12
A commuter town
Is Chatham a good place to live?
Among 127 New Hampshire towns, just 1 have a lower July high than Chatham. 82% of the land in Chatham is conserved, where New Hampshire’s towns sit at 18% and U.S. towns at 4.3%. The biggest park or preserve is Green Hills Preserve, at 355 acres. Chatham has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
What makes Chatham stand out
Where Chatham beats most towns.
Small town
357 people, and everyone knows the way
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
Nearby towns
StowConwayBartlettJacksonFryeburgChatham
Nearby attractions
All 54 attractions →Mount Washington and 24 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Chatham. Close and well known come first.
Big draw16 mi MountainMount Washington
39 mi LakeLake Winnipesaukee
6 mi Scenic railwayConway Scenic Railroad
6 mi Theme parkStory Land
17 mi National forestWhite Mountain National Forest9 mi Ski areaAttitash Mountain Resort85 runs · 1,662 ft verticalSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Mount Washington: wwoods, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Lake Winnipesaukee: No machine-readable author provided. JohnJHenderson~commonswiki assumed (based o, Public domain · Conway Scenic Railroad: Pi.1415926535, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Story Land: AnotherMaker, CC BY-SA 4.0 · White Mountain National Forest: Ken Gallager at English Wikipedia, Public domain
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Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Chatham: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Chatham, and how to reach them.
PowerEversource24.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
Internet2 providers82% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpLovell Transfer StationDrop-offTown site
Register to voteIn personNew Hampshire has no online registration; you can register in person up to and including Election Day or by mail only in special circumstances (received 13 days before).vote.govWho runs elections hereTown Clerk of ChathamThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP code0381303813 100%Census 2020
EPA SDWIS (Oct 9, 2026) · HIFLD + EIA-861 2025 · Census 2020 ZCTAs · NCES 2024–25 · registration: vote.gov, updated Nov 19, 2024.
The data
Ordered by what stands out in Chatham.
Outdoors
Conserved land covers nearly a third of Chatham
82 miles of trail in 3 parks and preserves. At 1.4 miles per square mile, Chatham’s trail density is against 1.2 in New Hampshire’s towns and 0.4 across U.S. towns.
81.7%conserved
81.7%
conserved · 29,747 of 36,392 acres
82 mi
of trails · 1.4 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Green Hills Preserve | — | 355 |
| 2. Chatham Town Land | — | 52 |
| 3. Hurricane Mountain Common Land | — | 3 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Work & commute
Most of Chatham’s workers commute out: the town has 0.1 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Chatham for work: only 0% work in town. The average trip to work in Chatham is 36 minutes. Among 127 New Hampshire towns, just 8 have a lower median household income than Chatham.
0%work in town
| Chatham | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 36 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $66,000 | $103,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 8.1% | 6.8% | 9.6% |
Where working residents work
In Chatham0%
Conway43%
Bartlett6%
Hart's Location3%
Jackson3%
14 mi
median commute distance
12
jobs based in Chatham
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Housing
A typical Chatham home is worth about $372K
The typical Chatham home is worth about $372,000, up 4.8% in a year, 27% below the New Hampshire typical home.
$372KZillow home value
Typical home value
Chatham$372K
New Hampshire$511K
+4.8%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Natural hazards
High risk in Chatham, with inland flooding at the top
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 70% of U.S. communities.
70risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHurricanes
4
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Climate
In Chatham, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
Chatham has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. Chatham’s January low is 7°F.
84″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter10–30°
Spring28–51°
Summer52–75°
Fall35–55°
Oct 5
typical first frost
May 5
typical last frost
+1.8°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Who lives here
Older than New Hampshire overall
People 65 and older are 27% of residents (20% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 16% of residents (21% statewide). Chatham has grown 2.6% since 2020, to 357 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 38% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 41% across New Hampshire.
48.3median age · NH 43.3
| Chatham | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 48.3 years | 44.8 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 38% | 39% | 29% |
ChathamNew HampshireUnited States
Ages · share of residents
21%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma2%
High school32%
Some college16%
Associate’s11%
Bachelor’s20%
Graduate18%
Women and men · all residents
Somewhere between 37% and 58% women
The Census survey reached too few of Chatham’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±10.5 points. Across New Hampshire, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Chatham | NH | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 7.2% | 9.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 14.2% | 8.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.7% | 8.7% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 8.6% | 12.7% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 8.1% | 12.4% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.9% | 12.4% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 16.7% | 15.5% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 20.7% | 12.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.8% | 7.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 2% | 5.6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 32.1% | 26.8% | 26% |
| Some college | 16.4% | 17.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 11.1% | 9.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 20.3% | 24.5% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 18% | 16.1% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 400, single groups can be off by several points
Health
How healthy Chatham is
Chatham beats the New Hampshire average on 2 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 8. 29% of Chatham adults feel lonely.
| Chatham | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 33% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 16% | 17% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 16% | 16% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 16% | 14% | 19% |
32 measures vs. New Hampshire
2 better22 too close to call8 worse
| What stands out | Chatham | NH |
|---|---|---|
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 81.5% | 76.8% |
| More adults getting cholesterol checked | 90.4% | 88.3% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 14.6% | 8.9% |
The Memorial Hospital
6 mi away · emergency room
None
primary care, dental or mental-health shortage
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Chatham
17pages on Chatham
The big questions
Out and about
Day to day
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Chatham; the nearest are
White Mountains Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Berlin26.4 mi$7,050 in-state tuitionPlymouth State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Plymouth40.3 mi$14,626 in-state tuition
About 6 of every 100 Chatham residents are enrolled in college, about the same as New Hampshire.
Get outside
82 miles of trails in Chatham
81.7% of the town is conserved land, across 3 parks and preserves.
1
Green Hills Preserve355 acres
2
Chatham Town Land52 acres
3
Hurricane Mountain Common Land3 acres
Trails © OpenStreetMap contributors · USGS PAD-US
About Chatham
Town in New Hampshire, United States
Chatham is a town in Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 341 at the 2020 census, and an estimated 357 in 2025. It is located in the White Mountains, and except for the southeastern corner, all of Chatham is in the White Mountain National Forest. The town is home to the Cold River national forest campgrounds.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1767
- Area
- 57 sq mi
- Elevation
- 522 ft
Questions about Chatham
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Chatham, NH a good place to live?
Chatham has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.