Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Home to 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Henniker grades A− overall, 34th of 125 graded towns in New Hampshire, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. Residents are healthier than 89% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates and crime is low: it reports less per resident than 79% of U.S. towns. It also does better than most on incomes: the median household earns $95K. Its lowest everyday mark is in cost of living: homes are expensive, about $493K for a typical one and 5.1 times the Concord area’s $97K median household income. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 92% of U.S. towns, with 2 places on the National Register. Only 15 of New Hampshire’s 187 towns score higher on walkability. 19% of the land in Henniker is conserved, close to New Hampshire’s towns (18%) and above U.S. towns (4.3%). Henniker is home to New England College.
Where Henniker beats most towns.
Henniker Town Hall| Widest gap | Henniker | NH |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.3% | 9.8% |
Census counts: 1,127 in 1790, a low of 1,127 in 1790, 6,185 in 2020. The archive holds 18 old photos and papers going back to 1786 and 4 maps from 1926 on.
2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New Hampshire), ordered by how far Henniker is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Henniker, 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 Henniker.
Henniker is shaped by its college students, has commutes shorter than most of New Hampshire and is healthy by national standards but mid-pack in New Hampshire.
Within New Hampshire it is healthier than 64% of the 126 graded towns: New Hampshire sets a high bar. Its widest gap with New Hampshire is cancer: 6.3% of its 5,338 adults have had cancer, against 9.8% statewide.
23% of adults have high blood pressure in Henniker, below both the New Hampshire town median (34%) and the median of U.S. towns (35%). 6.2% of Henniker adults have diabetes. Only 6 of the 126 New Hampshire towns we compare have a higher share of adults who have been diagnosed with depression than Henniker.
| Henniker | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| High blood pressure (CDC PLACES) | 23% | 34% | 35% |
| Diabetes (CDC PLACES) | 6.2% | 9.5% | 12% |
| Frequent physical distress (CDC PLACES) | 9.6% | 12% | 14% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 8.3% | 11% | 14% |
| What stands out | Henniker | NH |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 6.3% | 9.8% |
| Fewer adults with diabetes | 6.2% | 9.4% |
| More adults in frequent mental distress | 18.5% | 15.3% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Henniker School District. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Henniker Community SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 402 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NH on state tests and graduation
Henniker’s trail density is 1.4 miles per square mile. Hopkinton-Everett Reservoir, at 1,761 acres with 9.1 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. 60 miles of trail in 18 parks and preserves.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Hopkinton-Everett Reservoir | 9.1 mi | 1,761 |
| 2. Contoocook River Access | 0.6 mi | 25 |
| 3. Dudley Pond Forest | 0.5 mi | 238 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
27% of residents are enrolled in college, against 6% statewide, which pulls the median age down.
The median age in Henniker is 31.1 years. Adults 18 to 34 are 38% of residents (21% statewide); adults 35 to 64 are 30% of residents (40% statewide). 15% of residents are under 18 in Henniker.
| Henniker | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 31.1 years | 45 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 15% | 18% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 42% | 39% | 29% |
47% women, 53% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±5.1 points. Across New Hampshire, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Henniker | NH | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 8.9% | 9.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 6.4% | 8.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 29% | 8.7% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 9.3% | 12.7% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 7.5% | 12.4% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 8.9% | 12.4% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 13.4% | 15.5% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 13.8% | 12.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 2.7% | 7.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 0.6% | 5.6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 24.6% | 26.8% | 26% |
| Some college | 14.2% | 17.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 19.2% | 9.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 27.6% | 24.5% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 13.9% | 16.1% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
New Hampshire has less reported crime than most states, so among its own towns Henniker sits closer to the middle.
| Henniker | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 3.5 per 1,000 residents | 4.5 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.8 per 1,000 residents | 0.7 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The average commute for its 2,378 working residents takes 20.2 minutes, against 26.7 across New Hampshire.
Most working residents leave Henniker for work: only 16% work in town. Among 126 New Hampshire towns, just 8 have a lower average trip to work than Henniker. Since 2013, Henniker has added 91 jobs, to 1,631 in 2023.
| Henniker | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Average trip to work | 20 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 16% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Below the poverty line | 12% | 6.7% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $95,000 | $103,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Henniker has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 82°, January nights drop to 12° and about 68 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 57% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Henniker since 1987.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
The typical Henniker home is worth about $493,000, up 2.4% in a year, close to the New Hampshire typical home.
| Henniker | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 65% | 82% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,081 a month | $1,393 a month | $1,185 a month |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Henniker. Close and well known come first.
26 mi MountainMount Monadnock
39 mi LakeLake Winnipesaukee
39 mi Ancient siteAmerica's Stonehengein town Ski areaPats Peak39 runs · 751 ft vertical
39 mi Theme parkCanobie Lake Park
23 mi Stadium & arenaSNHU ArenaMount Monadnock: Jonwmcinenrey, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Lake 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
2 within 15 miles of the center of Henniker
College town 27 of every 100 Henniker residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Hampshire.
4,836 counted in 2010 and 6,185 in 2020; an estimated 6,256 in 2025.
U.S. Census 2010 & 2020 counts · Census Bureau estimate, July 1, 2025
2 places in Henniker on the National Register of Historic Places.
7 notable people were born in Henniker.
Town in New Hampshire, United States
Henniker is a town in Merrimack County, New Hampshire, United States. As of the 2020 census, the reported total population of the town was 6,185, although the figure, 27.9% greater than the 2010 population, has been questioned by local officials. Henniker is home to New England College and Pats Peak Ski Area. Henniker is a college town and resort area, featuring both skiing and white-water kayaking. The main village of the town, where 3,166 people resided at the 2020 census, is defined as the Henniker census-designated place (CDP), and is located along the Contoocook River at the junction of New Hampshire Route 114 with Old Concord Road. The town also includes the village of West Henniker.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
3 towns share a border with Henniker.
| Town | NH rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Henniker | #34 | A− | C+ | A− | B− | A |
| Hillsborough | #93 | C+ | C+ | B+ | D | B+ |
| Hopkinton | #6 | A+ | C+ | A+ | A− | A |
| Weare | #74 | B | C− | A | C− | A |
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Henniker grades A− overall, better than 83% of U.S. towns and #34 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 Henniker 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+.
7 notable people were born here, including Amy Beach and James W. Patterson.
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