SunriseLakeNH, 2008
Middleton’s story
277 years in pictures
Census counts: 617 in 1790, a low of 174 in 1920, 1,823 in 2020. The archive holds 3 old photos and papers going back to 2008 and 4 maps from 1919 on.
- 1749Middleton is settled
Photo: Ken Gallager · CC BY-SA 4.0
Population
1,863
2025 Census estimate · +2.3% since 2020
Typical home
$431K
+1.2% in a year
Household income
$102K
median
Median age
43.5
years
Jobs based here
209
A commuter town
Is Middleton a good place to live?
Middleton’s best subject grades are an A− for health and an A for civic life and the outdoors; its weakest is a D− for schools. Middleton’s average trip to work is 39 minutes, against 28 minutes in New Hampshire’s towns and 25 minutes across U.S. towns. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 85% of U.S. towns. Among 127 New Hampshire towns, just 1 have a lower share of working residents who work in town than Middleton. Middleton’s trail density is 1.9 miles per square mile, where New Hampshire’s towns sit at 1.2 and U.S. towns at 0.4. The biggest place to walk is Moose Mountains Reservation, 1,986 acres with 15.5 miles of trail. On civic life, just 18 of New Hampshire’s 187 towns do better. Middleton has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
What makes Middleton stand out
Where Middleton beats most towns, and one thing worth knowing.
A commuter town
97% of working residents leave Middleton for work
Where Middleton’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
209jobs based in Middleton
3%of working residents work in town
22 mimedian commute distance
Census LEHD 2023
How Middleton grades
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New Hampshire), ordered by how far Middleton is from typical.
SchoolsD−Open →WalkabilityEPA walkability 4.7 of 20; 2.5% of households have no car; 0.8% of workers walk, bike or ride transitDOpen →HealthHuggins Hospital 9.4 miles awayA−Open →Hazard riskFEMA risk higher than 39% of U.S. communities; inland flooding tops the listBOpen →Jobs & income$102K median household incomeBOpen →Cost of livingB−Open →
Character Graded, but not part of the overall grade.
Outdoors20% conserved landAOpen →History1 notable person born hereB−Open →Civic life5.5 community nonprofits per 1,000 residentsAOpen →
Described, not graded Taste, not quality: snow or an older crowd is neither good nor bad.
Climate–Open →Housing market–Open →Who lives hereMedian age 43.5; 23% of adults have a four-year degree–Open →
How TownRatings grades towns →
Getting set up
The full setup list →Moving to Middleton: who provides what
Who provides power, water and the rest in Middleton, and how to reach them.
PowerEversource24.2¢/kWh · EIA 2025HIFLD · EIA
WaterSunrise Estates water system1 health-based violation in 5 years · EPAEPA
Internet5 providers96% of addresses get 100/20 MbpsFCC
Trash & dumpPinard Waste SystemsTrash haulerTown 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 MiddletonThe town itself; contacts on the Handbook page.FVAP, Sep 2025
ZIP codes03887, 0383503887 98% · 03835 2%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 Middleton.
SchoolsD−
Middleton’s schools rank behind 96% of New Hampshire districts
Its public schools are run by the Middleton School District. Its one school is below.
4%of NH districts it outscoresD−School Grade
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Middleton Elementary SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–6 | Grades PK–6 | 155 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NH on state tests
HealthA−
Middleton is healthier than 77% of U.S. towns
Middleton beats the New Hampshire average on 0 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 3. 26% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Middleton.
77%healthier than U.S. townsA−Health Grade
| Middleton | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 23% | 23% |
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 32% | 33% | 36% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 33% | 30% | 33% |
| Fair or poor health (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 14% | 19% |
32 measures vs. New Hampshire
0 better29 too close to call3 worse
| What stands out | Middleton | NH |
|---|---|---|
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 12.3% | 8.9% |
| More adults with depression | 25.7% | 22.7% |
| Fewer adults seeing a dentist | 65% | 68.8% |
Huggins Hospital
9.4 mi away · emergency room
1 of 3
care shortages: primary care
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Work & commuteJobs & income grade B
Most of Middleton’s workers commute out: the town has 0.2 jobs for each of them
Most working residents leave Middleton for work: only 3% work in town. Jobs based in Middleton grew to 209 in 2023, 48 more than in 2013. The top destinations are Rochester (11%), Dover (10%) and Portsmouth (10%).
3%work in town
| Middleton | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 5.8% | 6.8% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $102,000 | $103,000 | $80,000 |
| Work from home | 14% | 16% | 11% |
Where working residents work
In Middleton3%
Rochester11%
Dover10%
Portsmouth10%
Wolfeboro6%
22 mi
median commute distance
209
jobs based in Middleton
A commuter town
jobs vs. working residents
D
Walkability grade: more walkable than 15% of U.S. towns
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
19.5%conserved
19.5%
conserved · 2,293 of 11,774 acres
34 mi
of trails · 1.9 per sq mi
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Moose Mountains Reservation | 15.5 mi | 1,986 |
| 2. Middleton Town Forest | 0.4 mi | 112 |
| 3. Ellis R. Hatch Jr. Wildlife Management Area | 0.2 mi | 288 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Climate
Snowy winters and pleasant summers in Middleton
Middleton has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. Middleton’s July high is 81°F.
62″snow a winter
Typical low → high °F
Winter15–33°
Spring32–55°
Summer55–78°
Fall38–59°
Sep 30
typical first frost
May 16
typical last frost
+1.5°
vs. the 20th-century average
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
HousingCost of living grade B−
The typical home in Middleton is valued at about $431K
The typical Middleton home is worth about $431,000, up 1.2% in a year, 16% below the New Hampshire typical home. 97% of Middleton households own their home.
$431KZillow home value
| Middleton | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 97% | 82% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,500 a month | $1,388 a month | $1,185 a month |
Typical home value
Middleton$431K
New Hampshire$511K
+1.2%
value change, 1 year
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Natural hazardsHazard risk grade B
Middleton faces a low natural-hazard risk, led by inland flooding
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 61% of U.S. communities. One flood insurance claim has been paid in Middleton since 2007.
39risk score of 100
FEMA risk score
Inland floodingHurricanes
1
paid flood claims since 2007
9
federal disasters paid out here
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Safety
Crime reported in Middleton
Middleton's reported crime rate is well below New Hampshire's. Among 126 New Hampshire towns, just 5 have a lower violent crime rate than Middleton. The property crime rate in Middleton is 2.7 per 1,000 residents.
| Middleton | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0 per 1,000 residents | 0.7 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.7 per 1,000 residents | 4.4 | 9.9 |
Violent crime per 1,000 residents
Middleton0
New Hampshire1.2
U.S.3.3
Property crime per 1,000 residents
Middleton2.7
New Hampshire8.3
U.S.15.5
0
violent crimes reported in 2025
5
property crimes reported in 2025
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Nearby attractions
All 78 attractions →Lake Winnipesaukee and 32 more within 40 miles
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Middleton. Close and well known come first.
15 mi LakeLake Winnipesaukee
39 mi Scenic railwayConway Scenic Railroad
33 mi LighthouseCape Neddick Light
32 mi MuseumStrawbery Banke
40 mi Stadium & arenaSNHU Arena
30 mi MuseumSeashore Trolley MuseumSources: National Park Service · ski areas © OpenSkiMap / OpenStreetMap contributors · Wikidata · Wikipedia readership · photos via Wikimedia Commons
Photo credits
Lake Winnipesaukee: No machine-readable author provided. JohnJHenderson~commonswiki assumed (based o, Public domain · Conway Scenic Railroad: Pi.1415926535, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Cape Neddick Light: Stefan Hillebrand, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Strawbery Banke: Ken Gallager (Ken Gallager from en.wikipedia), Public domain · SNHU Arena: Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0 · Seashore Trolley Museum: Rene Schwietzke from Jena, Germany, CC BY 2.0
.jpg){kind=link}
Keep exploring
Everything we know about Middleton
20pages on Middleton
The big questions
SchoolsD−Behind 96% of NH districts · 1 schoolSafety0 violent crimes per 1,000 residents (2025)HealthA−Better than NH on 0 of 32 CDC measuresCost of livingB−$431K typical home · up 1.2% in a yearWork & commuteB$102K median household income · 209 jobs hereNatural hazardsBFEMA risk higher than 39% of U.S. communities · inland flooding
Out and about
The story
After high school
Colleges nearby
None within 15 miles of Middleton; the nearest are
Lakes Region Community CollegeCommunity college · Public · Laconia19.7 mi$6,720 in-state tuitionUniversity of New HampshireUniversity or college · Public · Durham25 mi$19,202 in-state tuition
About 3 of every 100 Middleton residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Hampshire.
About Middleton
Town in New Hampshire, United States
Middleton is a town in Strafford County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,823 at the 2020 census.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
- Established
- 1749
- Area
- 19 sq mi
- Elevation
- 771 ft
- ZIP code
- 03887
- Area code
- 603
Middleton’s neighbors
4 towns share a border with Middleton.
BrookfieldUnionMiltonWakefieldMiddleton
How the neighbors grade
| Town | NH rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Middleton | — | — | B− | — | D− | A− |
| Brookfield | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Union | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Milton | #112 | C | C+ | B | D− | B |
| Wakefield | #97 | C+ | C+ | A | D | B+ |
Middleton has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade. Middleton reports no FBI crime data of its own. Brookfield and Union aren’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Middleton with a neighbor →
Questions about Middleton
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Is Middleton, NH expensive?
That is 3.7 years of the area's median household income ($115,863 across the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-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 B−.