Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Home to 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Dorchester’s average trip to work is 40 minutes, against 28 minutes in New Hampshire’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Of the 127 New Hampshire towns we compare, none has a lower share of working residents who work in town than Dorchester. Dorchester’s trail density is 2.5 miles per square mile, where New Hampshire’s towns sit at 1.2 and U.S. towns at 0.4. Green Woodlands, at 11,226 acres with 70 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Dorchester has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real.
Where Dorchester beats most towns.
Census counts: 175 in 1790, a low of 91 in 1960, 339 in 2020. The archive holds 4 old photos and papers going back to 1902 and 2 maps from 1974 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Dorchester takes its name from Dorchester in Dorset, England, 3,180 miles across the Atlantic.
UKUK editionDorchester, settled in 1772, takes its name from Dorchester, a large town in Dorset, England.
Named after: each U.S. town’s Wikipedia article. Grades compare each town with towns in its own country, so they aren’t a head-to-head.
Who provides power, water and the rest in Dorchester, 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 Dorchester.
People 65 and older are 40% of residents (20% statewide); adults 18 to 34 are 6% of residents (21% statewide). The median age in Dorchester is 56 years. 36% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 41% across New Hampshire.
| Dorchester | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 56 years | 44.8 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 11% | 18% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 36% | 39% | 29% |
Somewhere between 41% and 62% women
The Census survey reached too few of Dorchester’s residents to say more: its margin here is ±10.4 points. Across New Hampshire, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Dorchester | NH | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 7.6% | 9.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 3.7% | 8.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 1% | 8.7% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 4.9% | 12.7% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 17.3% | 12.4% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 10.2% | 12.4% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 15.6% | 15.5% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 35.9% | 12.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 3.9% | 7.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 6.9% | 5.6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 35.3% | 26.8% | 26% |
| Some college | 17.5% | 17.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 4.4% | 9.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 30.8% | 24.5% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 5% | 16.1% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 300, single groups can be off by several points
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 81% of U.S. communities. Since 2000, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Dorchester.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
19% of residents live below the poverty line in Dorchester. Most working residents leave Dorchester for work: only 1% work in town. The top destinations are Lebanon (21%), Hanover (11%) and Lyme (5%).
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The typical Dorchester home is worth about $350,000, up 11.5% in a year, 32% below the New Hampshire typical home. 96% of Dorchester households own their home.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Dorchester’s July high is 78°F. Dorchester has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Green Woodlands | 70 mi | 11,226 |
| 2. Bear Hill Conservancy Land | 4.1 mi | 1,975 |
| 3. Baker River Site #8 | 0.3 mi | 155 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Dorchester beats the New Hampshire average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 4. Among 127 New Hampshire towns, just 5 have a lower share of adults who have obesity than Dorchester.
| Dorchester | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 32% | 35% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 31% | 33% | 36% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 16% | 17% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 16% | 16% |
| What stands out | Dorchester | NH |
|---|---|---|
| More adults with heart disease | 7.3% | 6% |
| More adults with arthritis | 32.7% | 27.6% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.6% | 9.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Dorchester. Close and well known come first.
35 mi LakeLake Winnipesaukee
33 mi Ski areaCannon Mountain104 runs · 2,201 ft vertical
38 mi National forestWhite Mountain National Forest6 mi Ski areaDartmouth Skiway48 runs · 991 ft vertical
27 mi Ski areaWaterville Valley Resort84 runs · 1,990 ft vertical
31 mi State parkFranconia Notch State ParkLake Winnipesaukee: No machine-readable author provided. JohnJHenderson~commonswiki assumed (based o, Public domain · Cannon Mountain: Mikespenard at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · White Mountain National Forest: Ken Gallager at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Waterville Valley Resort: MConradWard, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Franconia Notch State Park: Stephen Sokolowski, CC BY-SA 3.0
1 within 15 miles of the center of Dorchester
About 1 of every 100 Dorchester residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Hampshire.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
2 places in Dorchester on the National Register of Historic Places.
Town in New Hampshire, United States
Dorchester is a town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 339 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.
Dorchester has fewer than 1,000 residents, too few for fair grades; the figures below are still real. Home to 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
.jpg){kind=link}
