Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Derry grades B overall, 81st among New Hampshire's 125 graded towns. Residents are healthier than 86% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates. The median household earns $109K. The catch is cost: homes are expensive, about $503K for a typical one and 4.3 times the Boston metro’s $116K median household income. Derry has 4 places on the National Register of Historic Places, among them Robert Frost Homestead and Matthew Thornton House. Only 10 of the 126 New Hampshire towns we compare have a lower share of residents 65 or older than Derry. The biggest park or preserve is Cole Marsh Conservation Area, at 277 acres.
Where Derry beats most towns.
Robert Frost Homestead is one of 2 National Historic Landmarks here, the National Register’s top tier.
Census counts: 2,178 in 1830, 34,317 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1847 and 6 maps from 1905 on.
4 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New Hampshire), ordered by how far Derry is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Derry. Close and well known come first.
Big draw39 mi Stadium & arenaFenway Park
5 mi Ancient siteAmerica's Stonehenge
Big draw39 mi MuseumIsabella Stewart Gardner Museum
31 mi LakeWalden Pond
38 mi AttractionFreedom Trail
7 mi Theme parkCanobie Lake ParkFenway Park: Gatorfan252525, CC BY-SA 4.0 · America's Stonehenge: User:Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum: Sean Dungan, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Walden Pond: Victorgrigas, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Freedom Trail: Ingfbruno, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Canobie Lake Park: Alex1961, CC BY-SA 2.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in Derry, 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 Derry.
Derry sends many workers across the state line to Boston, is healthy by national standards but mid-pack in New Hampshire and has colder winter nights than most of the country, though not than most of New Hampshire.
Within New Hampshire it is less healthy than 54% of the 126 graded towns: New Hampshire sets a high bar.
8.5% of adults have diabetes in Derry, below both the New Hampshire town median (9.5%) and the median of U.S. towns (12%). Derry beats the New Hampshire average on 4 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2. 14% of adults say their health is fair or poor in Derry.
| Derry | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 8.5% | 9.5% | 12% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 14% | 19% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 17% | 16% | 16% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 77% | 78% | 79% |
| What stands out | Derry | NH |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults with heart disease | 5% | 6% |
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 8.3% | 9.8% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 11.1% | 8.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Each of its 7 graded neighbors has a higher School Grade than its C, Windham highest at A.
Two of its 11 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gilbert H. Hood Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 7–8 | Grades 7–8 | 696 | C+ |
| Pinkerton AcademyLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 2,990 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NH on state tests
22% of working residents cross a state line to work, Boston among the top destinations.
Most working residents leave Derry for work: only 11% work in town. Derry’s average trip to work is 31 minutes, against 28 minutes in New Hampshire’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Jobs based in Derry grew to 9,197 in 2023, 1,458 more than in 2013.
| Derry | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 31 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 4% | 6.8% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $109,000 | $103,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 16% | 16% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
New Hampshire has less reported crime than most states, so among its own towns Derry sits closer to the middle.
| Derry | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 6.2 per 1,000 residents | 4.4 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.4 per 1,000 residents | 0.7 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
January nights average 15.1°: colder than most of the country, but milder than 88% of New Hampshire places with climate records; July afternoons average 82.6°.
Derry has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers. About 76 inches of snow falls in a winter. The January low in Derry is 15°F.
| Derry | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 15°F | 13°F | 22°F |
| July high | 83°F | 81°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
28 miles of trail in 21 parks and preserves. Derry’s trail density is 0.8 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Quail Hill Conservation Area | 0.9 mi | 26 |
| 2. Robert Frost Historic Site | 0.6 mi | 64 |
| 3. Weber Town Forest | 0.3 mi | 225 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
People 65 and older are 15% of residents (20% statewide). 37% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 41% across New Hampshire.
| Derry | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 40.3 years | 45 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 21% | 18% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 37% | 39% | 29% |
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±1.7 points. Across New Hampshire, 50.1% of residents are women. Median age: women 41.2, men 39.4.
| Derry | NH | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10.3% | 9.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.3% | 8.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.7% | 8.7% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 14% | 12.7% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 14.1% | 12.4% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12% | 12.4% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 16.4% | 15.5% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.3% | 12.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 4.8% | 7.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6.2% | 5.6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 28.6% | 26.8% | 26% |
| Some college | 18.2% | 17.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.7% | 9.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 24.6% | 24.5% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 12.8% | 16.1% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 58% of U.S. communities. Since 1994, 27 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Derry.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Its typical home is the least expensive on its borders; Sandown is next at $562K.
The typical Derry home is worth about $503,000, up 3.3% in a year, close to the New Hampshire typical home. 70% of Derry households own their home.
| Derry | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,547 a month | $1,382 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 70% | 82% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
11 within 15 miles of the center of Derry
About 6 of every 100 Derry residents are enrolled in college, about the same as New Hampshire.
Where Derry’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
4 places in Derry on the National Register of Historic Places.
17 notable people were born in Derry.
Town in New Hampshire, United States
Derry is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 34,317 at the 2020 census. Although it is a town and not a city, Derry is the most populous community in Rockingham County and the 4th most populous in the state. The town's nickname, "Spacetown", derives from the fact that Derry is the birthplace of Alan Shepard, the first astronaut from the United States in space. Derry was also for a time the home of the poet Robert Frost and his family. The Derry census-designated place, with a 2020 population of 22,879, occupies the central part of the town, extending from Derry's downtown in the west to the town of Hampstead in the east. The town also includes the v…
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
7 towns share a border with Derry.
All 7 graded towns on its borders grade higher than its B; Sandown (B) is closest.
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. Derry grades B overall, better than 55% of U.S. towns and #81 of 125 in New Hampshire. It grades A for health, B+ for safety and C for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a C−.
Yes, by national standards. New Hampshire has less crime than most states, so among its own towns Derry sits nearer the middle.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C−.
17 notable people were born here, including Alan Shepard and Matt Taven.
