Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Because it does well by almost any measure. Goffstown earns an A, 14th of 125 graded towns in New Hampshire. The median household earns $114K, it is healthier than 87% of U.S. towns, and it reports less crime per resident than 86% of U.S. towns. Its lowest mark, a C+, is in cost of living. Goffstown’s trail density is 2.6 miles per square mile, above both the New Hampshire town median (1.2) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4). Goffstown is home to Saint Anselm College. Goffstown has 8 places on the National Register.
Where Goffstown beats most towns.
Census counts: 1,275 in 1790, a low of 1,275 in 1790, 18,577 in 2020. The archive holds 24 old photos and papers going back to 1892 and 5 maps from 1927 on.
8 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New Hampshire), ordered by how far Goffstown is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Goffstown, 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 Goffstown.
Goffstown gets more snow than most of the country, though not than most of New Hampshire and is healthy by national standards but mid-pack in New Hampshire; it also has a long record of flood insurance claims.
Goffstown sits close to New Hampshire’s towns (18%) and above U.S. towns (4.3%) on this measure. 95 miles of trail in 18 parks and preserves. The biggest place to walk is Water Precinct Land, 654 acres with 14.1 miles of trail.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Water Precinct Land | 14.1 mi | 654 |
| 2. South Uncanoonuc Mountain | 4.3 mi | 158 |
| 3. Blackbriar Woods Preserve | 2.1 mi | 129 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Goffstown School District. Two of its 6 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Goffstown High School, with 1,008 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mountain View Middle SchoolLargest public middle schoolGrades 5–8 | Grades 5–8 | 880 | B+ |
| Goffstown High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 1,008 | A− |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NH on state tests and graduation
Within New Hampshire it is healthier than 52% of the 126 graded towns: New Hampshire sets a high bar.
11% of adults report frequent physical distress in Goffstown. Goffstown tracks New Hampshire closely on all 32 CDC measures. 8.8% of adults have diabetes in Goffstown.
| Goffstown | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 11% | 12% | 14% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 8.8% | 9.5% | 12% |
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 34% | 35% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 14% | 19% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
New Hampshire has less reported crime than most states, so among its own towns Goffstown sits closer to the middle.
| Goffstown | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 4.2 per 1,000 residents | 4.5 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.6 per 1,000 residents | 0.7 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Most working residents leave Goffstown for work: only 8% work in town. Jobs based in Goffstown grew to 4,935 in 2023, 280 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Manchester (23%), Bedford (7%) and Nashua (6%).
| Goffstown | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $114,000 | $103,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 28 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Below the poverty line | 6.4% | 6.8% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 14% | 16% | 11% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
The Massabesic Lake weather station, 8 miles away, records that 53 inches of snow fall in a normal winter: more than most of the country, but less than 94% of New Hampshire places with climate records. July afternoons average 82.2°: cooler than most of the country, but hotter than 81% of New Hampshire places with climate records; January nights average 13.9°.
Goffstown has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Goffstown’s January low is 14°F.
| Goffstown | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January low | 14°F | 13°F | 22°F |
| July high | 82°F | 81°F | 85°F |
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Adults 18 to 34 are 26% of residents (21% statewide). 16% of Goffstown residents are under 18. 43% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 41% across New Hampshire.
| Goffstown | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 16% | 18% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 43% | 39% | 29% |
| Median age | 41.3 years | 45 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 19% | 20% | 18% |
53% women, 47% men
About 88 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±2.2 points). Across New Hampshire, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Goffstown | NH | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 9.9% | 9.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 6.2% | 8.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 15% | 8.7% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 10.6% | 12.7% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 12.6% | 12.4% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.4% | 12.4% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 15.4% | 15.5% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 11% | 12.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 8% | 7.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 3.1% | 5.6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 30% | 26.8% | 26% |
| Some college | 14.8% | 17.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 9.2% | 9.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 26% | 24.5% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 16.8% | 16.1% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
The typical Goffstown home is worth about $491,000, up 1% in a year, close to the New Hampshire typical home.
| Goffstown | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 83% | 82% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,231 a month | $1,393 a month | $1,185 a month |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
119 flood insurance claims have been filed here, and 25 properties have flooded more than once.
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 52% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 119 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Goffstown.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Goffstown. Close and well known come first.
30 mi MountainMount Monadnock
21 mi Ancient siteAmerica's Stonehenge
5 mi Stadium & arenaSNHU Arena
22 mi Theme parkCanobie Lake Park
5 mi MuseumCurrier Museum of Art
39 mi National Historical ParkMinute Man National Historical Park993K visitors a yearMount Monadnock: Jonwmcinenrey, CC BY-SA 4.0 · America's Stonehenge: User:Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0 · SNHU Arena: Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0 · Canobie Lake Park: Alex1961, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Currier Museum of Art: Struthious Bandersnatch, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Minute Man National Historical Park: Daderot at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0
6 within 15 miles of the center of Goffstown
College town 15 of every 100 Goffstown residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Hampshire.
8 places in Goffstown on the National Register of Historic Places.
6 notable people were born in Goffstown.
Town in New Hampshire, United States
Goffstown is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 18,577 at the 2020 census. The compact center of town, where 3,366 people resided at the 2020 census, is defined by the U.S. Census Bureau as the Goffstown census-designated place and is located at the junctions of New Hampshire routes 114 and 13. Goffstown also includes the villages of Grasmere and Pinardville. The town is home to Saint Anselm College (and its New Hampshire Institute of Politics), the Goffstown Giant Pumpkin Regatta, and was the location of the New Hampshire State Prison for Women, prior to the prison's relocation to Concord in 2018.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
5 towns share a border with Goffstown.
| Town | NH rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goffstown | #14 | A | C+ | A | B+ | A |
| New Boston | #12 | A | C+ | A+ | A | A |
| Bedford | #10 | A | D | A− | A | A+ |
| Dunbarton | #35 | A− | C | A | B | A |
| Manchester | #120 | C− | C− | C | D− | B+ |
| Weare | #74 | B | C− | A | C− | A |
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Yes, by almost any measure. Goffstown grades A overall, better than 93% of U.S. towns and #14 of 125 in New Hampshire. It grades A for health, A for safety and B+ for schools.
Yes, by national standards. New Hampshire has less crime than most states, so among its own towns Goffstown sits nearer the middle.
That is 4.7 years of the area's median household income ($103,545 across the Manchester-Nashua, NH metro area). Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C+.
6 notable people were born here, including Mary Nichols and Joshua Friedel.
