Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
The best of Orford’s subject grades are an A for health and safety and an A+ for history; the weakest is a D for hazard risk. On hazard risk, just 8 of New Hampshire’s 187 towns do worse. Only 10 of New Hampshire’s 187 towns score higher on history. The biggest place to walk is Appalachian National Scenic Trail, 1,314 acres with 11 miles of trail. Orford's civic life (library use, community groups, volunteering) is stronger than in 87% of U.S. towns. Orford has fewer than 2,500 residents, so it gets subject grades but no overall grade.
Where Orford beats most towns.
Orford Street Historic District| Widest gap | Orford | NH |
|---|---|---|
| More adults seeing a dentist | 75.3% | 68.8% |
Census counts: 540 in 1790, a peak of 1,829 in 1830, 1,237 in 2020. The archive holds 6 old photos and papers going back to 1800 and 2 maps from 1931 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 Orford is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Orford, 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 Orford.
29% of adults sleep under 7 hours in Orford, below both New Hampshire’s towns (33%) and U.S. towns (36%). 15% of Orford adults binge drink. Orford beats the New Hampshire average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 2.
| Orford | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sleep under 7 hours (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 33% | 36% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 27% | 32% | 35% |
| Yearly checkup (CDC PLACES) | 76% | 78% | 79% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 15% | 16% | 17% |
| What stands out | Orford | NH |
|---|---|---|
| More adults seeing a dentist | 75.3% | 68.8% |
| More adults with arthritis | 31.3% | 27.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Its public schools are run by the Rivendell Interstate School District. Its one school is below.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rivendell AcademyLargest public high schoolGrades 6–12 | Grades 6–12 | 209 | – |
NCES · EDFacts
Orford’s violent crime rate is 0 per 1,000 residents, where New Hampshire’s towns sit at 0.7 and U.S. towns at 1.6. The property crime rate in Orford is 4 per 1,000 residents.
| Orford | 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) | 4 per 1,000 residents | 4.4 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 85% of U.S. communities. Since 1998, 5 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Orford.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Most working residents leave Orford for work: only 3% work in town. Since 2013, Orford has added 147 jobs, to 338 in 2023. The top destinations are Lebanon (16%), Hanover (8%) and Wentworth (5%).
| Orford | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Working residents who work in town | 2.7% | 10% | 8% |
| Work from home | 11% | 16% | 11% |
| Below the poverty line | 5.8% | 6.8% | 9.6% |
| Median household income | $93,000 | $103,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Orford’s July high is 78°F. Orford has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Appalachian National Scenic Trail | 11 mi | 1,314 |
| 2. Appalachian Trail Tract 192-19 | 1.4 mi | 174 |
| 3. Mountain View Farm | 0.8 mi | 145 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The typical Orford home is worth about $429,000, up 2.2% in a year, 16% below the New Hampshire typical home.
Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Children under 18 are 12% of residents (18% statewide); people 65 and older are 26% of residents (20% statewide). 44% of adults 25 and older hold a bachelor’s degree or more in Orford. Only 7 of the 127 New Hampshire towns we compare have a lower share of children under 18 than Orford.
| Orford | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 12% | 18% | 22% |
| Median age | 48.9 years | 44.8 years | 40.5 years |
| Aged 65 or older | 26% | 20% | 18% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 44% | 39% | 29% |
45% women, 55% men
About 122 men for every 100 women (the survey’s margin: ±1.9 points). Across New Hampshire, 50.1% of residents are women. Among residents 75 and older, 73% are men (NH 43%).
| Orford | NH | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 3.8% | 9.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 8.5% | 8.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 5.2% | 8.7% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 13% | 12.7% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 9.8% | 12.4% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 18.2% | 12.4% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 16.1% | 15.5% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 17.7% | 12.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 7.8% | 7.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 2% | 5.6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 26.8% | 26.8% | 26% |
| Some college | 17.1% | 17.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 10.1% | 9.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 24.1% | 24.5% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 19.8% | 16.1% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 1,200, single groups can be off by several points
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Orford. Close and well known come first.
26 mi Ski areaCannon Mountain104 runs · 2,201 ft vertical
35 mi National forestWhite Mountain National Forest
25 mi State parkFranconia Notch State Park
24 mi WaterfallFlume Gorge
26 mi Ski areaWaterville Valley Resort84 runs · 1,990 ft vertical
23 mi Ski areaLoon Mountain Resort80 runs · 2,189 ft verticalCannon Mountain: Mikespenard at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 · White Mountain National Forest: Ken Gallager at English Wikipedia, Public domain · Franconia Notch State Park: Stephen Sokolowski, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Flume Gorge: MyCatIsAChonk, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Waterville Valley Resort: MConradWard, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Loon Mountain Resort: Own work, Public domain
None within 15 miles of Orford; the nearest are
About 5 of every 100 Orford residents are enrolled in college, about the same as New Hampshire.
In a town this size, neighbors are the best guide. Ask them anything.
2 places in Orford on the National Register of Historic Places.
3 notable people were born in Orford.
Town in New Hampshire, United States
Orford is a town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,237 at the 2020 census, unchanged from the 2010 census. The Appalachian Trail crosses in the east.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Home to 2 places on the National Register of Historic Places.
That is 5.2 years of the area's median household income ($83,269 across the Lebanon-Claremont, NH-VT 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.
3 notable people were born here, including Gilman Marston and Thomas Low Nichols.
