Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
A town of 6,854, settled in 1766. 2.5 times the library visits per person than the typical New Hampshire town.
Trash: drop-off onlyMeredith grades B overall, 71st among New Hampshire's 125 graded towns, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. Residents are healthier than 85% of U.S. towns on CDC estimates and it has 41 miles of trail. It also does better than most on safety: crime is low: it reports less per resident than 72% of U.S. towns. Its lowest everyday mark is in cost of living: the typical home is worth about $681K, 7.3 years of the Laconia area’s $93K median household income. 34% of residents are 65 or older in Meredith, above both the New Hampshire town median (20%) and the median of U.S. towns (18%). On civic life, just 2 of New Hampshire’s 187 towns do better. The biggest place to walk is Page Pond Community Forest, 793 acres with 4.1 miles of trail.
Where Meredith beats most towns.
Census counts: 881 in 1790, a low of 881 in 1790, 6,662 in 2020. The archive holds 24 old photos and papers going back to 1900 and a map from 1986 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 Meredith is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Meredith, 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 Meredith.
Meredith has a longer frost-free season than almost anywhere else in New Hampshire and is a second-home town, but it has homes that cost more against local pay than most of New Hampshire.
Within New Hampshire it is less healthy than 59% of the 126 graded towns: New Hampshire sets a high bar.
14% of adults report frequent mental distress in Meredith. Meredith beats the New Hampshire average on 4 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 7. 28% of adults feel lonely in Meredith.
| Meredith | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 16% | 17% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 28% | 30% | 33% |
| Binge drink (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 16% | 16% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 32% | 35% |
| What stands out | Meredith | NH |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 6.5% | 8.1% |
| Fewer adults lacking emotional support | 18.5% | 21.6% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 13.1% | 9.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Inter-Lakes Cooperative School District. Two of its 3 schools are below, each with why it’s listed.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Inter-Lakes Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 397 | B− |
| Inter-Lakes High SchoolLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 294 | B |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NH on state tests and graduation
34.6% of homes are seasonal or vacation homes, against 10.1% statewide, which helps explain the older median age.
The median age in Meredith is 55.5 years. Among 126 New Hampshire towns, just 9 have a lower share of children under 18 than Meredith. 46% of Meredith adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more.
| Meredith | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median age | 55.5 years | 44.6 years | 40.5 years |
| Under 18 | 13% | 18% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 46% | 39% | 29% |
48% women, 52% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±4 points. Across New Hampshire, 50.1% of residents are women. Among residents 75 and older, 64% are men (NH 43%).
| Meredith | NH | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 4.2% | 9.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.4% | 8.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 8.1% | 8.7% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 8.9% | 12.7% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 7.9% | 12.4% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.9% | 12.4% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 16.5% | 15.5% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 18.3% | 12.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 15.9% | 7.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.6% | 5.6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 21.9% | 26.8% | 26% |
| Some college | 19.2% | 17.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 8.3% | 9.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 26.8% | 24.5% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 19% | 16.1% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
At 7.3 years of the Laconia area’s $93K median household income, the typical home (about $681K) costs more against local pay than in 92% of New Hampshire towns; that ratio is one input to its C for cost of living.
The typical Meredith home is worth about $681,000, up 3.6% in a year, 33% above the New Hampshire typical home.
| Meredith | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,149 a month | $1,393 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 76% | 82% | 73% |
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Reported crimes fell from 79 to 39 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings.
New Hampshire has less reported crime than most states, so among its own towns Meredith sits closer to the middle.
| Meredith | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 5 per 1,000 residents | 4.4 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.7 per 1,000 residents | 0.7 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
The Lakeport 2 weather station, 6 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 170 days, the #2 highest of 321 New Hampshire places with climate records.
Meredith has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. Meredith’s July high is 81°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 66% of U.S. communities. Since 1981, 5 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Meredith.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Hamlin Recreation and Conservation Area | 5.8 mi | 310 |
| 2. Page Pond Community Forest | 4.1 mi | 793 |
| 3. Meredith Community Forest | 2.9 mi | 186 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Meredith has about as many jobs (3,088) as working residents, but only 631 people both live and work here.
About one in 4 of Meredith’s working residents works in town. Jobs based in Meredith grew to 3,088 in 2023, 507 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Laconia (13%), Concord (6%) and Gilford (4%).
| Meredith | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Work from home | 24% | 16% | 11% |
| Working residents who work in town | 23% | 9.8% | 8% |
| Median household income | $87,000 | $103,000 | $80,000 |
| Average trip to work | 26 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Meredith. Close and well known come first.
9 mi LakeLake Winnipesaukee
33 mi National forestWhite Mountain National Forest
34 mi Scenic railwayConway Scenic Railroad
39 mi Ski areaCannon Mountain104 runs · 2,201 ft vertical
23 mi Ski areaWaterville Valley Resort84 runs · 1,990 ft vertical
37 mi Theme parkStory LandLake Winnipesaukee: No machine-readable author provided. JohnJHenderson~commonswiki assumed (based o, Public domain · White Mountain National Forest: Ken Gallager at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Conway Scenic Railroad: Pi.1415926535, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Cannon Mountain: Mikespenard at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Waterville Valley Resort: MConradWard, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Story Land: AnotherMaker, CC BY-SA 4.0
2 within 15 miles of the center of Meredith
About 3 of every 100 Meredith residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Hampshire.
2 places in Meredith on the National Register of Historic Places.
4 notable people were born in Meredith.
Town in New Hampshire, United States
Meredith is a town in Belknap County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 6,662 at the 2020 census, and an estimated 6,854 in 2025. Meredith is situated in the state's Lakes Region and serves as a major resort town. Meredith Village, the commercial center of the town, lies along the shores of Lake Winnipesaukee, and several other large lakes lie partially or completely within the town borders. It is home to the Stonedam Island Natural Area and the Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad, and it serves as one of the ports of call for the MS Mount Washington. Meredith Village, where 2,527 people resided at the 2020 census, is defined as the Meredith census-designated place, and is located …
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
5 towns share a border with Meredith.
| Town | NH rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meredith | #71 | B | C | B+ | C+ | A− |
| Gilford | #41 | A− | C+ | B+ | B+ | A |
| Laconia | #121 | D | C | C− | D | B+ |
| Center Harbor | — | — | C+ | — | C+ | A− |
| Sanbornton | #73 | B | C | A | C | A |
| New Hampton | — | — | B− | B+ | C− | A− |
Center Harbor and New Hampton have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Center Harbor reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Meredith with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Meredith grades B overall, better than 63% of U.S. towns and #71 of 125 in New Hampshire. It grades A− for health, B+ for safety and C+ for schools.
Yes, by national standards. New Hampshire has less crime than most states, so among its own towns Meredith 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.
4 notable people were born here, including Bradford Anderson and George G. Fogg.
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