Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 7,898, settled in 1812.
Gilford grades A− overall, 41st among New Hampshire's 125 graded towns, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 90% of the country and the median household earns $117K. It also does better than most on schools: its schools outperform 69% of the state's. Its lowest everyday mark is in cost of living: homes are expensive, about $545K for a typical one and 5.9 times the Laconia area’s $93K median household income. 25% of the land in Gilford is conserved, above both New Hampshire’s towns (18%) and U.S. towns (4.3%). Gunstock Mountain Resort, at 1,673 acres with 23.2 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Gilford's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 89% of U.S. towns.
Where Gilford beats most towns.
Census counts: 1,816 in 1820, a low of 661 in 1900, 7,314 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 1815 and 3 maps from 1909 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 Gilford is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Gilford, 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 Gilford.
Gilford has a longer frost-free season than almost anywhere else in New Hampshire and trades workers with Laconia and other neighbors.
The trail density for Gilford comes to 1.6 miles per square mile, above both the New Hampshire town median (1.2) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4). There are 85 miles of trail across 18 parks and preserves.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Gunstock Mountain Resort | 23.2 mi | 1,673 |
| 2. Belknap Mountain State Forest | 8.8 mi | 1,495 |
| 3. Wilson Weeks Town Forest | 6.5 mi | 381 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The Gilford School District runs its public schools. The largest public high school is Gilford High School, with 470 students. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with the reason it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gilford Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–4 | Grades K–4 | 303 | A− |
| Gilford High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 470 | B− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NH on state tests and graduation
14% of Gilford adults say their health is fair or poor. The town does better than the New Hampshire average on 7 of 32 CDC measures and worse on 3. In Gilford, 28% of adults feel lonely, and 29% have obesity.
| Gilford | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 16% | 17% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 30% | 33% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 32% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 20% | 25% |
| What stands out | Gilford | NH |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing food insecurity | 7.2% | 9.5% |
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 6.3% | 8.1% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 12.3% | 9.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
New Hampshire has less reported crime than most states, so among its own towns Gilford sits closer to the middle. Its property crime rate is 8.1 per 1,000 residents.
| Gilford | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 8.1 per 1,000 residents | 4.4 | 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
Nearly two thirds of Gilford’s expected losses from natural hazards come from inland flooding, followed by lightning at 9%. Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in just over two thirds of U.S. communities. 4 flood insurance claims have been paid in the town since 1998.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The Lakeport 2 weather station, 5 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 170 days, the #2 highest of 321 New Hampshire places with climate records.
Among 126 New Hampshire towns, just 7 have a lower midsummer high than Gilford. July afternoons reach 79°, January nights drop to 11° and about 62 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Four-year graduates: 45% of adults 25 and older here, 41% across New Hampshire. Adults 18 to 34 are 14% of residents (21% statewide). Gilford’s midpoint age stands at 48.2 years. It has grown 2.5% since 2020, to 7,898 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate.
| Gilford | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 48.2 years | 44.6 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 45% | 39% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 22% | 20% | 18% |
| Under 18 | 21% | 18% | 22% |
51% women, 49% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±2.8 points. Across New Hampshire, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Gilford | NH | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 10.2% | 9.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.4% | 8.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 4.7% | 8.7% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9% | 12.7% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.3% | 12.4% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 15.3% | 12.4% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 17.3% | 15.5% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 13.7% | 12.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8.1% | 7.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.3% | 5.6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 23.2% | 26.8% | 26% |
| Some college | 16.7% | 17.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.5% | 9.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 22.6% | 24.5% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 22.7% | 16.1% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Gilford has about as many jobs (3,363) as working residents, but only 526 people both live and work here.
Half commute less than 13 miles. Gilford’s average commute comes in at 22 minutes. Only 15% of working residents stay in Gilford for work; the rest commute out. Also worth knowing: since 2013, Gilford has added 723 jobs, to 3,363 in 2023.
| Gilford | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 22 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $117,000 | $103,000 | $80,000 |
| Working residents who work in town | 15% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Work from home | 17% | 16% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The share of households in Gilford who are owner-occupiers: 93%. A typical home in the town is worth about $545,000, up 2.4% in a year, 7% above the New Hampshire typical home.
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Gilford. Close and well known come first.
6 mi LakeLake Winnipesaukeein town Ski areaGunstock Recreation Area73 runs · 1,305 ft vertical
39 mi Scenic railwayConway Scenic Railroad
32 mi Ski areaWaterville Valley Resort84 runs · 1,990 ft vertical
13 mi MuseumCanterbury Shaker Village39 mi Ski areaAttitash Mountain Resort85 runs · 1,662 ft verticalLake Winnipesaukee: No machine-readable author provided. JohnJHenderson~commonswiki assumed (based o, Public domain · Conway Scenic Railroad: Pi.1415926535, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Waterville Valley Resort: MConradWard, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Canterbury Shaker Village: SayCheeeeeese, Public domain
1 within 15 miles of the center of Gilford
About 2 of every 100 Gilford residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Hampshire.
4 places in Gilford on the National Register of Historic Places.
Town in New Hampshire, United States
Gilford is a town in Belknap County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 7,699 at the 2020 census, and an estimated 7,898 in 2025, up from 7,126 at the 2010 census. Situated on Lake Winnipesaukee, Gilford is home to Governors Island, Ellacoya State Beach, Belknap Mountain State Forest, Gunstock Mountain Resort, and the Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion, a seasonal outdoor concert venue. The lakeside village of Glendale lies within Gilford's borders.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
5 towns share a border with Gilford.
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Gilford grades A− overall, better than 78% of U.S. towns and #41 of 125 in New Hampshire. It grades A for health, B+ for safety and B+ for schools. Walkability is its weak spot, with a C−.
Yes, by national standards. New Hampshire has less crime than most states, so among its own towns Gilford 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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