Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
For most people who can afford it, yes. North Hampton grades A− overall, 31st of 125 graded towns in New Hampshire. The median household earns $146K. It is healthier than 94% of U.S. towns and its schools rank ahead of 78% of New Hampshire towns. What holds it back is price: homes are expensive, about $926K for a typical one and 8 times the Boston metro’s $116K median household income. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 96% of U.S. towns, with 5 places on the National Register. 22% of the land in North Hampton is conserved, against 18% in New Hampshire’s towns and 4.3% across U.S. towns. Its National Register listings include Little Boar's Head Historic District and North Hampton Town Hall. Only 2 of the 126 New Hampshire towns we compare have a higher typical home value than North Hampton.
Where North Hampton beats most towns.
Little Boar's Head Historic District| Widest gap | North Hampton | NH |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 5.5% | 8.1% |
Census counts: 657 in 1790, 4,538 in 2020. The archive holds 13 old photos and papers going back to 2013 and 6 maps from 1932 on.
5 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
Each subject compared with towns across the country (schools within New Hampshire), ordered by how far North Hampton is from typical.
Its grades run from A+ for jobs and income (better than 96% of comparable towns) to D for cost of living (better than 12%), so the A− overall blends very different results.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around North Hampton. Close and well known come first.
21 mi Ancient siteAmerica's Stonehenge
8 mi MuseumStrawbery Banke
25 mi Theme parkCanobie Lake Park
18 mi LighthouseCape Neddick Light
32 mi MuseumPeabody Essex Museum
9 mi LandmarkFort William and MaryAmerica's Stonehenge: User:Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Strawbery Banke: Ken Gallager (Ken Gallager from en.wikipedia), Public domain · Canobie Lake Park: Alex1961, CC BY-SA 2.0 · Cape Neddick Light: Stefan Hillebrand, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Peabody Essex Museum: Fletcher6, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Fort William and Mary: AlexiusHoratius, CC BY-SA 3.0
Who provides power, water and the rest in North Hampton, 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 North Hampton.
North Hampton trades workers with Portsmouth and other neighbors and has a shorter frost-free season than most of the country, though not than most of New Hampshire; it also has homes that cost more against local pay than most of New Hampshire.
At 8 years of the Boston metro’s $116K median household income, the typical home (about $926K) costs more against local pay than in 97% of New Hampshire towns; that ratio is one input to its D for cost of living.
At $1,805 a month, North Hampton’s median rent is above both the New Hampshire town median ($1,382 a month) and the median of U.S. towns ($1,185 a month). 91% of households own their home in North Hampton. The typical North Hampton home is worth about $926,000, up 0.5% in a year, 81% above the New Hampshire typical home.
| North Hampton | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median rent | $1,805 a month | $1,382 a month | $1,185 a month |
| Households that own their home | 91% | 82% | 73% |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Its public schools are run by the North Hampton School District. Its two schools are below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| North Hampton SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades PK–8 | Grades PK–8 | 268 | A |
| Squamscott River Academy PrivateLargest high schoolGrades 7–12 | Grades 7–12 | 20 | – |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NH on state tests and graduation
Against the 3,015 U.S. towns with household incomes like North Hampton’s, it is healthier than 76%, a smaller edge than it has nationally: part of it comes with its incomes.
26% of North Hampton adults feel lonely. Among 126 New Hampshire towns, just 3 have a lower share of adults who report frequent mental distress than North Hampton. 12% of North Hampton adults say their health is fair or poor.
| North Hampton | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 30% | 33% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 13% | 16% | 17% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 8.5% | 11% | 14% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 82% | 78% | 79% |
| What stands out | North Hampton | NH |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults facing housing insecurity | 5.5% | 8.1% |
| Fewer uninsured adults | 4.7% | 6.8% |
| More adults who have had cancer | 12.2% | 9.8% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Reported crimes fell from 44 to 27 over the last three FBI years, a drop beyond ordinary year-to-year swings. Violent crime is rare: 1 reported in 2025, 0.2 per 1,000 residents.
The violent crime rate in North Hampton is 0.2 per 1,000 residents. New Hampshire has less reported crime than most states, so among its own towns North Hampton sits closer to the middle.
| North Hampton | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 0.2 per 1,000 residents | 0.7 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 5.7 per 1,000 residents | 4.4 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
10 miles of trail in 21 parks and preserves. The biggest park or preserve is Robie Conservation Land, at 98 acres. North Hampton’s trail density is 0.7 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Charles E. Rand Memorial Forest | 1.2 mi | 67 |
| 2. Forest Hills Farm | 1.1 mi | 81 |
| 3. Corbett Farm | 0.5 mi | 69 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The Greenland weather station records that the frost-free season runs about 157 days: shorter than most of the country, but longer than 82% of New Hampshire places with climate records.
North Hampton has chilly, snowy winters and pleasant summers, with plenty of rain. July afternoons reach 81°, January nights drop to 17° and about 65 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
North Hampton has about as many jobs (2,279) as working residents, but only 163 people both live and work here. 25.9% of workers work from home, against 16.8% across New Hampshire.
Most working residents leave North Hampton for work: only 7% work in town. Since 2013, North Hampton has added 128 jobs, to 2,279 in 2023. The top destinations are Portsmouth (18%), Hampton (7%) and Exeter (6%).
| North Hampton | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $146,000 | $103,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 2.9% | 6.8% | 9.6% |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Working residents who work in town | 7.4% | 10% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Expected storm and flood damage is lower than in 58% of U.S. communities. Since 1978, 36 flood insurance claims have been paid out in North Hampton.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
2 within 15 miles of the center of North Hampton
About 3 of every 100 North Hampton residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Hampshire.
5 places in North Hampton on the National Register of Historic Places.
Place in New Hampshire, United States
North Hampton is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4,538 at the 2020 census. The town is located along the Atlantic coast.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
4 towns share a border with North Hampton.
| Town | NH rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North Hampton | #31 | A− | D | A− | A− | A |
| Hampton | #48 | B+ | C− | B+ | A− | A |
| Rye | #17 | A | C− | A+ | A+ | A+ |
| Greenland | #20 | A | D | B+ | A− | A+ |
| Stratham | #11 | A | D | A+ | A− | A+ |
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
For most people who can afford it, yes. North Hampton grades A− overall, better than 84% of U.S. towns and #31 of 125 in New Hampshire. It grades A for health, A− for safety and A− for schools. Cost of living is its weak spot, with a D.
Yes, by national standards. New Hampshire has less crime than most states, so among its own towns North Hampton sits nearer the middle.
Yes. Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades D.
