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New Hampshire rankings · Civic life

Towns with the most civic life in New Hampshire

Meredith ranks first on civic life among New Hampshire’s 126 towns of 2,500+; 35 of the 126 grade A− or better on civic life nationally.

The Civic life grade, a character grade (not part of the overall): library visits per resident (IMLS), community nonprofits (IRS) and volunteering groups. How grades work

#1

Meredith

Belknap County · 6,854 people
A+

Civic life grade, better than 98% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #71 of 125 in NH

#2

Tamworth

Carroll County · 2,895 people
A+

Civic life grade, better than 96% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #82 of 125 in NH

#3

Peterborough

Hillsborough County · 6,499 people
A+

Civic life grade, better than 95% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #36 of 125 in NH

All 126 towns

Civic life grade, best first (the letter is national). Towns with the same score share a rank; the overall grade and state rank are beside each.

126 towns ranked. Not here? See why a town may be missing.

#TownGradeOverall
1MeredithBelknap County · 6,854 peopleA+better than 98% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #71 of 125
2TamworthCarroll County · 2,895 peopleA+better than 96% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #82 of 125
3PeterboroughHillsborough County · 6,499 peopleA+better than 95% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #36 of 125
4ConwayCarroll County · 10,308 peopleAbetter than 94% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #115 of 125
5PlymouthGrafton County · 6,721 peopleAbetter than 94% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #78 of 125
6BethlehemGrafton County · 2,575 peopleAbetter than 93% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #61 of 125
7BristolGrafton County · 3,251 peopleAbetter than 92% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #106 of 125
8HanoverGrafton County · 12,054 peopleAbetter than 92% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #15 of 125
9JaffreyCheshire County · 5,633 peopleAbetter than 92% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #56 of 125
10AmherstHillsborough County · 11,985 peopleAbetter than 92% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #21 of 125
11TuftonboroCarroll County · 2,678 peopleAbetter than 91% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #42 of 125
12KeeneCheshire County · 23,072 peopleAbetter than 89% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #103 of 125
13GilfordBelknap County · 7,898 peopleAbetter than 89% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #41 of 125
14MoultonboroughCarroll County · 5,293 peopleAbetter than 88% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #55 of 125
15Mont VernonHillsborough County · 2,698 peopleAbetter than 88% of U.S. towns·Overall A+ · #2 of 125
16RyeRockingham County · 5,689 peopleAbetter than 88% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #17 of 125
17FitzwilliamCheshire County · 2,500 peopleAbetter than 87% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #118 of 125
18LittletonGrafton County · 6,003 peopleAbetter than 86% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #113 of 125
19StrathamRockingham County · 7,735 peopleAbetter than 86% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #11 of 125
20Durham College campusStrafford County · 15,346 peopleAbetter than 86% of U.S. towns·Overall A+
21PortsmouthRockingham County · 23,028 peopleA−better than 84% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #33 of 125
22WolfeboroCarroll County · 6,637 peopleA−better than 84% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #66 of 125
23BartlettCarroll County · 3,335 peopleA−better than 83% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #108 of 125
24WarnerMerrimack County · 2,902 peopleA−better than 82% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #30 of 125
25LaconiaBelknap County · 17,246 peopleA−better than 82% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #121 of 125
26ConcordMerrimack County · 44,597 peopleA−better than 81% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #98 of 125
27New LondonMerrimack County · 4,411 peopleA−better than 81% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #29 of 125
28SunapeeSullivan County · 3,442 peopleA−better than 81% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #64 of 125
29NorthfieldMerrimack County · 5,081 peopleA−better than 79% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #86 of 125
30NewmarketRockingham County · 9,647 peopleA−better than 79% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #37 of 125
31HopkintonMerrimack County · 6,120 peopleA−better than 79% of U.S. towns·Overall A+ · #6 of 125
32GorhamCoos County · 2,661 peopleA−better than 78% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #89 of 125
33LeeStrafford County · 4,563 peopleA−better than 78% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #13 of 125
34WindhamRockingham County · 16,259 peopleA−better than 76% of U.S. towns·Overall A+ · #5 of 125
35KingstonRockingham County · 6,288 peopleA−better than 76% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #57 of 125
36HollisHillsborough County · 8,819 peopleB+better than 75% of U.S. towns·Overall A+ · #1 of 125
37New DurhamStrafford County · 2,890 peopleB+better than 74% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #58 of 125
38PlaistowRockingham County · 7,848 peopleB+better than 74% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #43 of 125
39LancasterCoos County · 3,218 peopleB+better than 74% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #105 of 125
40WhitefieldCoos County · 2,535 peopleB+better than 73% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #117 of 125
41ExeterRockingham County · 16,213 peopleB+better than 72% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #28 of 125
42BrooklineHillsborough County · 5,858 peopleB+better than 70% of U.S. towns·Overall A+ · #4 of 125
43HampsteadRockingham County · 9,110 peopleB+better than 70% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #18 of 125
44LebanonGrafton County · 15,481 peopleB+better than 70% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #62 of 125
45WalpoleCheshire County · 3,706 peopleB+better than 70% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #94 of 125
46ChesterfieldCheshire County · 3,684 peopleB+better than 70% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #80 of 125
47BedfordHillsborough County · 23,973 peopleB+better than 69% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #10 of 125
48MadisonCarroll County · 2,728 peopleB+better than 69% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #79 of 125
49AntrimHillsborough County · 2,757 peopleB+better than 68% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #68 of 125
50DoverStrafford County · 34,623 peopleB+better than 68% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #60 of 125
51HillsboroughHillsborough County · 6,134 peopleB+better than 67% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #93 of 125
52WiltonHillsborough County · 4,015 peopleB+better than 67% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #63 of 125
53GilmantonBelknap County · 4,060 peopleB+better than 66% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #22 of 125
54BowMerrimack County · 8,415 peopleB+better than 65% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #16 of 125
55NewportSullivan County · 6,417 peopleBbetter than 64% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #116 of 125
56BarringtonStrafford County · 9,642 peopleBbetter than 61% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #44 of 125
57GranthamSullivan County · 3,482 peopleBbetter than 61% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #25 of 125
58WinchesterCheshire County · 4,281 peopleBbetter than 60% of U.S. towns·Overall D− · #125 of 125
59HennikerMerrimack County · 6,256 peopleBbetter than 60% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #34 of 125
60BrentwoodRockingham County · 4,923 peopleBbetter than 59% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #19 of 125
61HaverhillGrafton County · 4,667 peopleBbetter than 59% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #99 of 125
62PlainfieldSullivan County · 2,560 peopleBbetter than 59% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #27 of 125
63North HamptonRockingham County · 4,526 peopleBbetter than 59% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #31 of 125
64PittsfieldMerrimack County · 4,148 peopleBbetter than 58% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #101 of 125
65HooksettMerrimack County · 15,346 peopleBbetter than 58% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #24 of 125
66RindgeCheshire County · 6,502 peopleBbetter than 57% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #54 of 125
67FranklinMerrimack County · 8,839 peopleBbetter than 55% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #102 of 125
68StraffordStrafford County · 4,338 peopleB−better than 54% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #72 of 125
69CharlestownSullivan County · 4,924 peopleB−better than 54% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #110 of 125
70EppingRockingham County · 7,973 peopleB−better than 53% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #87 of 125
71NottinghamRockingham County · 5,490 peopleB−better than 53% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #26 of 125
72GreenlandRockingham County · 4,143 peopleB−better than 53% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #20 of 125
73WakefieldCarroll County · 5,558 peopleB−better than 50% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #97 of 125
74CamptonGrafton County · 3,436 peopleB−better than 49% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #76 of 125
75EnfieldGrafton County · 4,470 peopleB−better than 48% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #77 of 125
76HamptonRockingham County · 16,381 peopleB−better than 48% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #48 of 125
77WeareHillsborough County · 9,291 peopleB−better than 47% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #74 of 125
78AtkinsonRockingham County · 7,397 peopleB−better than 47% of U.S. towns·Overall A+ · #7 of 125
79LitchfieldHillsborough County · 8,704 peopleB−better than 46% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #32 of 125
80AltonBelknap County · 6,036 peopleC+better than 45% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #85 of 125
81NorthwoodRockingham County · 4,757 peopleC+better than 44% of U.S. towns·Overall A+ · #9 of 125
82LondonderryRockingham County · 27,844 peopleC+better than 44% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #40 of 125
83CandiaRockingham County · 4,248 peopleC+better than 44% of U.S. towns·Overall A+ · #3 of 125
84DerryRockingham County · 33,990 peopleC+better than 42% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #81 of 125
85RollinsfordStrafford County · 2,621 peopleC+better than 41% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #69 of 125
86ClaremontSullivan County · 13,032 peopleC+better than 40% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #123 of 125
87BarnsteadBelknap County · 5,038 peopleC+better than 40% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #90 of 125
88PelhamHillsborough County · 14,828 peopleC+better than 39% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #39 of 125
89RochesterStrafford County · 33,716 peopleC+better than 38% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #95 of 125
90GoffstownHillsborough County · 18,607 peopleC+better than 38% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #14 of 125
91EpsomMerrimack County · 5,057 peopleC+better than 37% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #38 of 125
92BerlinCoos County · 9,502 peopleC+better than 36% of U.S. towns·Overall D− · #124 of 125
93SeabrookRockingham County · 8,430 peopleC+better than 35% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #119 of 125
94MilfordHillsborough County · 16,686 peopleC+better than 35% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #50 of 125
95TiltonBelknap County · 4,092 peopleCbetter than 34% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #104 of 125
96CanaanGrafton County · 3,833 peopleCbetter than 34% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #96 of 125
97PembrokeMerrimack County · 7,579 peopleCbetter than 33% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #92 of 125
98SomersworthStrafford County · 12,171 peopleCbetter than 32% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #109 of 125
99DanvilleRockingham County · 4,650 peopleCbetter than 30% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #49 of 125
100DunbartonMerrimack County · 3,233 peopleCbetter than 30% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #35 of 125
101SanborntonBelknap County · 3,038 peopleCbetter than 29% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #73 of 125
102SwanzeyCheshire County · 7,461 peopleCbetter than 28% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #114 of 125
103MerrimackHillsborough County · 29,699 peopleCbetter than 28% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #47 of 125
104OssipeeCarroll County · 4,599 peopleCbetter than 28% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #100 of 125
105DeerfieldRockingham County · 4,989 peopleCbetter than 27% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #23 of 125
106NewtonRockingham County · 4,851 peopleCbetter than 27% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #46 of 125
107AuburnRockingham County · 6,336 peopleCbetter than 26% of U.S. towns·Overall A+ · #8 of 125
108ThorntonGrafton County · 2,895 peopleCbetter than 26% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #51 of 125
109LoudonMerrimack County · 5,781 peopleCbetter than 26% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #52 of 125
110ChesterRockingham County · 5,322 peopleCbetter than 25% of U.S. towns·Overall A− · #45 of 125
111FarmingtonStrafford County · 6,781 peopleC−better than 24% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #111 of 125
112New BostonHillsborough County · 6,276 peopleC−better than 24% of U.S. towns·Overall A · #12 of 125
113HudsonHillsborough County · 26,001 peopleC−better than 24% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #84 of 125
114NashuaHillsborough County · 92,435 peopleC−better than 23% of U.S. towns·Overall C+ · #91 of 125
115FremontRockingham County · 4,923 peopleC−better than 23% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #70 of 125
116BoscawenMerrimack County · 4,255 peopleC−better than 22% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #83 of 125
117ManchesterHillsborough County · 116,818 peopleC−better than 21% of U.S. towns·Overall C− · #120 of 125
118MiltonStrafford County · 4,562 peopleC−better than 20% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #112 of 125
119BelmontBelknap County · 7,408 peopleC−better than 20% of U.S. towns·Overall C · #107 of 125
120HinsdaleCheshire County · 4,034 peopleC−better than 20% of U.S. towns·Overall D · #122 of 125
121ChichesterMerrimack County · 2,834 peopleC−better than 19% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #65 of 125
122SalemRockingham County · 31,868 peopleC−better than 19% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #53 of 125
123SandownRockingham County · 6,753 peopleDbetter than 15% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #67 of 125
124New IpswichHillsborough County · 5,467 peopleDbetter than 12% of U.S. towns·Overall B+ · #59 of 125
125RaymondRockingham County · 11,050 peopleDbetter than 10% of U.S. towns·Overall B · #75 of 125
126AllenstownMerrimack County · 4,882 peopleDbetter than 8% of U.S. towns·Overall B− · #88 of 125
Quick answers

Questions people ask

Which New Hampshire town has the most civic life?

Meredith (Belknap County) ranks first on civic life among 126 towns, with an A+; Tamworth and Peterborough follow.

How are these towns ranked?

The Civic life grade, a character grade (not part of the overall): library visits per resident (IMLS), community nonprofits (IRS) and volunteering groups. Towns are sorted on the grade’s score; the letter and rank are the same as on each town’s page. How grades work.

Why isn’t my town on this list?

The list covers towns of 2,500+ residents with a civic life grade (126 in New Hampshire). Smaller towns have the grade on their page but no rank. Every town is on the New Hampshire page.

Go deeper

More New Hampshire lists

Every list ranks the same 2,500+ towns, so a town’s rank means the same thing on each.

All New Hampshire rankings →
Best places to live125 towns · #1 HollisBest small towns97 towns · #1 HollisMost affordable towns126 towns · #1 NorthwoodSafest towns124 towns · #1 DanvilleTowns with the best schools126 towns · #1 GranthamHealthiest towns126 towns · #1 HanoverBest towns for jobs & income126 towns · #1 BedfordMost walkable towns126 towns · #1 HanoverTowns with the lowest natural-hazard risk126 towns · #1 Mont VernonBest towns for the outdoors126 towns · #1 AllenstownMost historic towns126 towns · #1 TamworthTowns with the least snow126 towns · #1 BarringtonDescribed, no lettersSnowiest towns126 towns · #1 BartlettDescribed, no lettersTowns with the mildest winters126 towns · #1 SeabrookDescribed, no lettersTowns with the hottest summers126 towns · #1 Hinsdale and LitchfieldDescribed, no lettersTowns with the coolest summers126 towns · #1 BartlettDescribed, no lettersTowns with the highest incomes126 towns · #1 WindhamDescribed, no lettersTowns with the lowest property taxes120 towns · #1 BartlettDescribed, no lettersFastest-growing towns121 towns · #1 EppingDescribed, no lettersTowns with the most-used libraries109 towns · #1 GilfordDescribed, no letters
Other states

Towns with the most civic life in other states

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