Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Pembroke grades C+ overall, 92nd of 125 graded towns in New Hampshire, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. Crime is low: it reports less per resident than 75% of U.S. towns and it has 33 miles of trail. It also does better than most on health: CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 61% of the country. Its lowest everyday mark is in cost of living: homes are expensive, about $473K for a typical one and 4.9 times the Concord area’s $97K median household income. History is its standout character grade: an A+, better than 96% of U.S. towns, with 2 places on the National Register. Pembroke’s trail density is 1.5 miles per square mile, above both the New Hampshire town median (1.2) and the median of U.S. towns (0.4). Its National Register listings include Jacob Noyes Block and Suncook Village Commercial-Civic Historic District. Only 6 of the 126 New Hampshire towns we compare have a higher share of children under 18 than Pembroke.
Where Pembroke beats most towns.
Census counts: 956 in 1790, 7,207 in 2020. The archive holds 12 old photos and papers going back to 2016 and 5 maps from 1921 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 Pembroke is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Pembroke, 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 Pembroke.
Pembroke is healthy by national standards but behind most towns in New Hampshire; it also reports violent crime at about twice the New Hampshire rate and has poverty well above the New Hampshire rate.
For Pembroke, that is below New Hampshire’s towns (18%) and close to U.S. towns (4.3%). Whittemore Town Forest, at 135 acres with 1.5 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Whittemore Town Forest | 1.5 mi | 135 |
| 2. White Sands Conservation Area | 0.7 mi | 34 |
| 3. Memorial Field | 0.4 mi | 26 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
Its public schools are run by the Pembroke School District. Two of its 5 schools are below, each with why it’s listed. The largest public high school is Pembroke Academy, with 744 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strong Foundations Charter SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–8 | Grades K–8 | 337 | C |
| Pembroke AcademyLargest public high schoolGrades 9–12 | Grades 9–12 | 744 | C+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NH on state tests and graduation
Violent crime runs at 2.6 per 1,000 residents, about twice the New Hampshire rate; the Safety Grade counts each violent crime four times, so this weighs most on its A−.
Pembroke’s violent crime rate is 2.6 per 1,000 residents. New Hampshire has less reported crime than most states, so among its own towns Pembroke sits closer to the middle. Pembroke’s property crime rate is 2 per 1,000 residents.
| Pembroke | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2.6 per 1,000 residents | 0.7 | 1.6 |
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 2 per 1,000 residents | 4.5 | 9.9 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
Most working residents leave Pembroke for work: only 8% work in town. 15% of Pembroke residents live below the poverty line. Jobs based in Pembroke grew to 2,528 in 2023, 417 more than in 2013.
| Pembroke | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Below the poverty line | 15% | 6.7% | 9.6% |
| Work from home | 17% | 16% | 11% |
| Average trip to work | 25 minutes | 28 minutes | 25 minutes |
| Median household income | $90,000 | $103,000 | $80,000 |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
Pembroke has cold, snowy winters and pleasant summers. July afternoons reach 82°, January nights drop to 13° and about 68 inches of snow falls in a winter.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Within New Hampshire it is less healthy than 92% of the 126 graded towns: New Hampshire sets a high bar. All 5 graded neighbors score healthier than its B, from Allenstown (B) to Bow (A+).
26% of adults have been diagnosed with depression in Pembroke. Pembroke beats the New Hampshire average on 1 of 32 CDC measures and trails it on 12. 18% of adults report frequent mental distress in Pembroke.
| Pembroke | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Depression (CDC PLACES) | 26% | 23% | 23% |
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 18% | 16% | 17% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 36% | 32% | 35% |
| Smoke cigarettes (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 11% | 14% |
| What stands out | Pembroke | NH |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer adults who have had cancer | 8.9% | 9.8% |
| More older adults who have lost all their teeth | 13.9% | 8.9% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
15% of residents live below the poverty line, against 7.2% across New Hampshire, which weighs on its B for jobs and income.
Children under 18 are 24% of residents (18% statewide). Pembroke has grown 5.2% since 2020, to 7,579 residents in the Census Bureau’s 2025 estimate. 32% of adults 25 and older have a bachelor’s degree or more, vs 41% across New Hampshire.
| Pembroke | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aged 65 or older | 16% | 20% | 18% |
| Median age | 41.9 years | 45 years | 40.5 years |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 32% | 39% | 29% |
52% women, 48% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.2 points. Across New Hampshire, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Pembroke | NH | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 12.2% | 9.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 11.8% | 8.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7% | 8.7% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 12.2% | 12.7% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 15.9% | 12.4% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 12.6% | 12.4% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 11.9% | 15.5% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 10.9% | 12.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 5.5% | 7.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 4.4% | 5.6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 32.7% | 26.8% | 26% |
| Some college | 15.9% | 17.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 14.8% | 9.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 17.3% | 24.5% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 14.8% | 16.1% | 14.1% |
Census population estimates, 2025 · U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 62% of U.S. communities. Since 1984, 31 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Pembroke.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
Typical home values rose 5.3% in the year to September 2026.
| Pembroke | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 67% | 82% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,218 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 Pembroke. Close and well known come first.
30 mi LakeLake Winnipesaukee
40 mi MountainMount Monadnock
25 mi Ancient siteAmerica's Stonehenge
28 mi Theme parkCanobie Lake Park
13 mi Stadium & arenaSNHU Arena
14 mi MuseumCanterbury Shaker VillageLake Winnipesaukee: No machine-readable author provided. JohnJHenderson~commonswiki assumed (based o, Public domain · Mount Monadnock: Jonwmcinenrey, CC BY-SA 4.0 · 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 · Canterbury Shaker Village: SayCheeeeeese, Public domain
6 within 15 miles of the center of Pembroke
About 4 of every 100 Pembroke residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Hampshire.
Where Pembroke’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
2 places in Pembroke on the National Register of Historic Places.
Town in New Hampshire, United States
Pembroke is a town in Merrimack County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 7,207 at the 2020 census. Pembroke includes part of the village of Suncook. The center of population of New Hampshire is close to the Pembroke town center.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
6 towns share a border with Pembroke.
| Town | NH rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pembroke | #92 | C+ | C | A− | B− | B |
| Concord | #98 | C+ | C− | B− | C− | A− |
| Allenstown | #88 | B− | B− | B+ | C− | B |
| Suncook | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Bow | #16 | A | C− | A | A− | A+ |
| Chichester | #65 | B+ | D | B | B | A |
| Epsom | #38 | A− | C | A− | B | A |
Suncook isn’t graded (fewer than 1,000 residents, or not enough data). Compare Pembroke with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
Pembroke grades C+ overall, better than 44% of U.S. towns and #92 of 125 in New Hampshire. It grades B for health, A− for safety and B− for schools. Walkability is its weak spot, with a C−.
Yes, by national standards. New Hampshire has less crime than most states, so among its own towns Pembroke 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.
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