The Meadows in, c. 1910
Freedom’s story
195 years in pictures
Census counts: 926 in 1840, a low of 315 in 1950, 1,689 in 2020. The archive holds 11 old photos and papers going back to 1910 and 3 maps from 1930 on.
- 1831Freedom is settled
Photo: Ken Gallager · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
1,707
2025 Census estimate · +1.2% since 2020
Typical home
$468K
+8.2% in a year
Household income
$66K
median
Median age
60.6
years
Jobs based here
233
A commuter town
Is Freedom a good place to live?
The best of Freedom’s subject grades is an A− for the outdoors; the weakest is a D for incomes. 40% of residents are 65 or older in Freedom, above both the New Hampshire town median (20%) and the median of U.S. towns (18%). Only 3 of New Hampshire’s 187 towns score lower on incomes. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 79% of U.S. towns. 20% of the land in Freedom is conserved, near the New Hampshire town median (18%) and above the median of U.S. towns (4.3%). Freedom Town Forest, at 2,439 acres with 17.6 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Only 16 of New Hampshire’s 187 towns score lower on history. Freedom has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Freedom stand out
Where Freedom beats most towns.
Community nonprofits per 1,000 residents
Freedom8.7
Typical U.S. town3.7
Typical NH town4.6
Civic lifeB+
88% more nonprofits per person
than the typical New Hampshire town
Charities, civic groups and human services; churches not counted.
0historic places
History
Settled in 1831
A long history
A history going back 195 years.
A growing town
Freedom has grown 15% since 2010
1,489 counted in 2010 and 1,689 in 2020; an estimated 1,707 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
How Freedom grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New Hampshire), ordered by how far Freedom is from typical.
Jobs & income$66K median household incomeDOpen →WalkabilityEPA walkability 6.8 of 20; 4.3% of households have no car; 0% of workers walk, bike or ride transitC−Open →Hazard riskinland flooding tops the listCOpen →Cost of livingCOpen →HealthHealthier than 64% of U.S. towns; The Memorial Hospital 15.3 miles awayBOpen →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
OutdoorsA−Open →HistoryB−Open →Civic life5 library visits per resident; 8.7 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsB+Open →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Freedom: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Freedom, and how to reach them.
PowerNew Hampshire Elec Coop24.7¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterFreedom Village Water PrecinctNo health-based violations in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet7 providers96% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpFrom the town’s siteTrash and recycling rulesTown 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 FreedomThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP code0383603836 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 Freedom.
Who lives here
Compared with most of New Hampshire and the rest of the country, the median age in Freedom is higher
Freedom’s median age is 60.6 years. 39% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 41% across New Hampshire. 13% of residents are under 18 in Freedom.
60.6median age · NH 43.3
| Freedom | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 60.6 years | 44.8 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 13% | 18% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 39% | 39% | 29% |
FreedomNew HampshireUnited States
Ages · share of residents
24%
Education · adults 25 and older
No diploma5%
High school24%
Some college15%
Associate’s17%
Bachelor’s25%
Graduate15%
Women and men · all residents
52% women, 48% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±7.5 points. Across New Hampshire, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Freedom | NH | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 6.3% | 9.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 6.6% | 8.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5.4% | 8.7% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 8.6% | 12.7% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 6.3% | 12.4% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 8.2% | 12.4% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 18.5% | 15.5% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 24.1% | 12.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 16.2% | 7.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.9% | 5.6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 24.1% | 26.8% | 26% |
| Some college | 14.6% | 17.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 16.9% | 9.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 24.8% | 24.5% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 14.6% | 16.1% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,700, single groups can be off by several points
Schools
The schools Freedom’s kids attend
Its public schools are run by the Freedom School District. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Freedom Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 52 | B |
NCES · EDFacts
Work & commuteJobs & income grade D
Most of Freedom’s workers commute out: the town has 0.4 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Freedom for work: only 11% work in town. 15% of Freedom residents live below the poverty line. Jobs based in Freedom grew to 233 in 2023, 41 more than in 2013.
11%work in town
| Freedom | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 6.8% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $66,000 | $103,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 11% | 10% | 8% |
Where working residents work
In Freedom11%
Conway14%
Ossipee7%
Madison5%
Manchester5%
21 mi
median commute distance
233
jobs based in Freedom
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
C−
Walkability grade: more walkable than 21% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
OutdoorsA−
For the outdoors, Freedom earns an A−
The trail density in Freedom is 1.3 miles per square mile. 51 miles of trail in 7 parks and preserves.
20%conserved
20%
conserved · 4,820 of 24,101 acres
51 mi
of trails · 1.3 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Freedom Town Forest | 17.6 mi | 2,439 |
| 2. Ossipee Pine Barrens Preserve | 2.1 mi | 1,310 |
| 3. Dr. Melvin A. Harmon Preserve | 1.9 mi | 299 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Climate
In Freedom, expect snowy winters and pleasant summers
Freedom has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 80°, January nights drop to 10° and about 84 inches of snow falls in a winter.
84″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter13–32°
Spring31–54°
Summer54–78°
Fall37–58°
Oct 5
typical first frost
May 7
typical last frost
+1.6°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade C
Freedom faces a high natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 67% of U.S. communities. Since 1998, 6 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Freedom.
67risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHurricanes
6
paid flood claims since 1998
8
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
HealthB
A smaller share of adults in Freedom binge drink than in the typical New Hampshire or U.S. town
No town among the 127 in New Hampshire we compare has a lower share of adults who binge drink than Freedom. Freedom beats the New Hampshire average on 4 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 10. Among 127 New Hampshire towns, just 1 have a higher share of adults who have diabetes than Freedom.
64%healthier than U.S. townsBHealth Grade
| Freedom | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 12% | 16% | 16% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 30% | 33% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 16% | 17% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 12% | 14% |
32 measures vs. New Hampshire
4 better18 too close to call10 worse
| What stands out | Freedom | NH |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer binge drinkers | 12.1% | 15.7% |
| More adults treating high blood pressure | 84.6% | 76.8% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 16.7% | 8.9% |
The Memorial Hospital
15.3 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: primary care
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Safety
Crime reported in Freedom
Freedom's reported crime rate is well below New Hampshire's. Only 5 of the 126 New Hampshire towns we compare have a lower violent crime rate than Freedom. Most reported incidents are property crimes, mainly thefts.
| Freedom | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.2 per 1,000 residents | 4.4 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 0.7 | 1.6 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Freedom0
New Hampshire1.2
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Freedom1.2
New Hampshire8.3
U.S.15.5
0
violent crimes reported in 2025
2
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
HousingCost of living grade C
The typical home in Freedom is valued at about $468K
The typical Freedom home is worth about $468,000, up 8.2% in a year, 8% below the New Hampshire typical home.
$468KZillow home value
Typical home value
Freedom$468K
New Hampshire$511K
+8.2%
value change, 1 year
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Nearby attractions
All 67 attractions →Mount Washington and 26 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Freedom. Close and well known come first.
Big draw32 mi MountainMount Washington
21 mi LakeLake Winnipesaukee
15 mi Scenic railwayConway Scenic Railroad
24 mi National forestWhite Mountain National Forest
20 mi Theme parkStory Land18 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 · White Mountain National Forest: Ken Gallager at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Story Land: AnotherMaker, CC BY-SA 4.0
.jpg){kind=link}
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Freedom
19pages on Freedom
The big questions
Schools1 schoolSafety0 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthBBetter than NH on 4 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingC$468K typical home · up 8.2% in a yearWork & commuteD$66K median household income · 233 jobs hereNatural hazardsCFEMA risk higher than 67% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Freedom; the nearest are
Saint Joseph's College of MaineUniversity or college · Private nonprofit · Standish, ME29.5 mi$44,420 tuitionLakes Region Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Laconia30.1 mi$6,720 in-state tuitionPlymouth State UniversityUniversity or college · Public · Plymouth31.2 mi$14,626 in-state tuition
About 1 of every 100 Freedom residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Hampshire.
A commuter town
89% of working residents leave Freedom for work
Where Freedom’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
233jobs based in Freedom
11%of working residents work in town
21 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
About Freedom
Town in New Hampshire, United States
Freedom is a town located in Carroll County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,689 at the 2020 census, and an estimated 1,707 in 2025, up from 1,489 at the 2010 census. The town's eastern boundary runs along the Maine state border. Ossipee Lake, with a resort and camps, is in the southwest of the town.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1831
- Area
- 38 sq mi
- Elevation
- 440 ft
- ZIP code
- 03836
- Area code
- 603
Freedom’s neighbors
5 towns share a border with Freedom.
OssipeeEffinghamEatonMadisonPorterFreedom
How the neighbors grade
| Town | NH rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freedom | — | — | C | — | — | B |
| Ossipee | #100 | C+ | D | B | B | B+ |
| Effingham | — | — | C | — | B | B+ |
| Eaton | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Madison | #79 | B | C+ | A | C | A |
Freedom and Effingham have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Freedom and Effingham report no FBI crime data of their own. Eaton isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Freedom with a neighbor →
Questions about Freedom
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Freedom, NH expensive?
That is 5.4 years of the area's median household income ($86,463 across the county). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.