Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Epsom grades A− overall, ranked 38th of 125 in New Hampshire, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. It is healthier than 86% of U.S. towns and crime is low: it reports less per resident than 83% of U.S. towns. On the other side, FEMA rates its natural-hazard risk higher than 75% of U.S. communities, with inland flooding at the top. Epsom’s trail density is 1.3 miles per square mile, close to New Hampshire’s towns (1.2) and above U.S. towns (0.4). On the outdoors, just 18 of New Hampshire’s 187 towns do worse. The biggest place to walk is Epsom Town Forest, 654 acres with 6.2 miles of trail.
Where Epsom beats most towns.
Census counts: 799 in 1790, a low of 655 in 1920, 4,834 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1930 and 5 maps from 1921 on.
1 place on the National Register of Historic Places.
Epsom takes its name from Epsom in Surrey, England, 3,250 miles across the Atlantic.
UKUK editionEpsom, settled in 1727, takes its name from Epsom, a large town in Surrey, 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.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New Hampshire), ordered by how far Epsom is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Epsom, 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 Epsom.
Epsom pairs an A− overall with homes cheaper than the New Hampshire norm and is healthy by national standards but mid-pack in New Hampshire.
That puts Epsom below the New Hampshire town median (18%) but above the median of U.S. towns (4.3%). 46 miles of trail in 8 parks and preserves.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Epsom Town Forest | 6.2 mi | 654 |
| 2. Webster Park | 0.7 mi | 25 |
| 3. Conservation Easement 1 | 0.5 mi | 74 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Epsom School District. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Epsom Central SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–8 | Grades K–8 | 378 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NH on state tests
Within New Hampshire it is less healthy than 51% of the 126 graded towns: New Hampshire sets a high bar.
28% of Epsom adults feel lonely. Epsom beats the New Hampshire average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 0. 14% of Epsom adults binge drink.
| Epsom | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 30% | 33% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 16% | 16% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 16% | 17% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 81% | 78% | 79% |
| What stands out | Epsom | NH |
|---|---|---|
| More adults seeing a dentist | 71.5% | 68.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
New Hampshire has less reported crime than most states, so among its own towns Epsom sits closer to the middle.
| Epsom | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.3 per 1,000 residents | 4.5 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1 per 1,000 residents | 0.7 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Most working residents leave Epsom for work: only 7% work in town. The average trip to work in Epsom is 31 minutes. Jobs based in Epsom grew to 1,299 in 2023, 195 more than in 2013.
| Epsom | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 31 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 3.4% | 6.8% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $98,000 | $103,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 13% | 16% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Since 1984, 18 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Epsom.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Epsom has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 82°, January nights drop to 14° and about 68 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Adults 18 to 34 are 17% of residents (21% statewide). Epsom’s median age is 47.1 years. Epsom has grown 4.6% since 2020, to 5,057 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Epsom | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 47.1 years | 44.6 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 41% | 39% | 29% |
| Under 18 | 18% | 18% | 22% |
| Aged 65 or older | 21% | 20% | 18% |
54% women, 46% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.6 points. Across New Hampshire, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Epsom | NH | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10.5% | 9.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 7.8% | 8.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 6.7% | 8.7% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 10.7% | 12.7% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.1% | 12.4% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 13.8% | 12.4% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 17.8% | 15.5% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 15.3% | 12.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.4% | 7.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 5.5% | 5.6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 27.4% | 26.8% | 26% |
| Some college | 15.9% | 17.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.7% | 9.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 28.5% | 24.5% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 12.1% | 16.1% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Epsom grades A− overall with a typical home of about $481K, below the New Hampshire typical value; only 7 of the 46 New Hampshire towns graded A− or better can say that. 71.2% of renter households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, against 48.2% across New Hampshire.
The typical Epsom home is worth about $481,000, up 1.7% in a year, 6% below the New Hampshire typical home. 88% of households own their home in Epsom.
| Epsom | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 88% | 82% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,212 a month | $1,393 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Epsom. Close and well known come first.
27 mi LakeLake Winnipesaukee
26 mi Ancient siteAmerica's Stonehenge
29 mi Theme parkCanobie Lake Park
16 mi Stadium & arenaSNHU Arena
38 mi LighthouseCape Neddick Light
13 mi MuseumCanterbury Shaker VillageLake Winnipesaukee: No machine-readable author provided. JohnJHenderson~commonswiki assumed (based o, Public domain · America's Stonehenge: User:Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Canobie Lake Park: Alex1961, CC BY-SA 2.0 · SNHU Arena: Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0 · Cape Neddick Light: Stefan Hillebrand, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Canterbury Shaker Village: SayCheeeeeese, Public domain
4 within 15 miles of the center of Epsom
About 5 of every 100 Epsom residents are enrolled in college, about the same as New Hampshire.
Where Epsom’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
Town in New Hampshire, United States
Epsom is a town in Merrimack County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4,834 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
5 towns share a border with Epsom.
| Town | NH rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Epsom | #38 | A− | C | A− | B | A |
| Chichester | #65 | B+ | D | B | B | A |
| Pittsfield | #101 | C+ | C | A− | C− | B |
| Allenstown | #88 | B− | B− | B+ | C− | B |
| Pembroke | #92 | C+ | C | A− | B− | B |
| Deerfield | #23 | A | C+ | A+ | B | A |
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Epsom grades A− overall, better than 80% of U.S. towns and #38 of 125 in New Hampshire. It grades A for health, A− for safety and B for schools. Hazard risk is its weak spot, with a C−.
Yes, by national standards. New Hampshire has less crime than most states, so among its own towns Epsom sits nearer the middle.
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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