Each edition grades its towns against each other only.
Sanbornton grades B overall, 73rd of 125 graded towns in New Hampshire, with clear strengths and some subjects that lag. It reports less crime per resident than 93% of U.S. towns and CDC estimates put its residents' health ahead of 87% of the country. It also does better than most on incomes: the median household earns $114K. Its lowest everyday mark is in cost of living: homes are expensive, about $544K for a typical one and 5.9 times the Laconia area’s $93K median household income. History is its standout character grade: an A, better than 91% of U.S. towns, with 2 places on the National Register. Hersey Mountain Forest, at 2,131 acres with 3.1 miles of trail, is the biggest park or preserve. Sanbornton’s average trip to work is 31 minutes, where New Hampshire’s towns sit at 28 minutes and U.S. towns at 25 minutes. Most errands need a car: it is less walkable than 70% of U.S. towns.
Where Sanbornton beats most towns.
Sanbornton Square Historic District| Widest gap | Sanbornton | NH |
|---|---|---|
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.5% | 9.8% |
Census counts: 1,587 in 1790, a low of 617 in 1920, 3,026 in 2020. The archive holds 9 old photos and papers going back to 2012 and 3 maps from 1927 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 Sanbornton is from typical.
How TownRatings grades towns →
Who provides power, water and the rest in Sanbornton, 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 Sanbornton.
Sanbornton reports less crime than Meredith or any other graded neighbor, has a longer frost-free season than almost anywhere else in New Hampshire and is healthy by national standards but mid-pack in New Hampshire.
That grade tops all 6 graded towns on its borders; Meredith (B+) comes closest. At 4.7 crimes per 1,000 residents a year, it reports less crime than 80% of New Hampshire’s graded towns.
The property offense rate for Sanbornton comes to 1.6 per 1,000 residents. The violent offense rate for Sanbornton comes to 1 per 1,000 residents.
| Sanbornton | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Property crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1.6 per 1,000 residents | 4.5 | 9.9 |
| Violent crimes per 1,000 (2025) | 1 per 1,000 residents | 0.7 | 1.6 |
FBI crime data, 2025 · crimes reported to police
One of its 3 schools is below, with the reason it’s listed. The public schools here belong to the Winnisquam Regional School District. Sanbornton’s only public school teaches 177 students.
| School | Level | Students | Letter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sanbornton Central SchoolLargest public elementary schoolGrades K–4 | Grades K–4 | 177 | B+ |
NCES · EDFacts · graded within NH on state tests and graduation
Within New Hampshire it is healthier than 52% of the 126 graded towns: New Hampshire sets a high bar.
In Sanbornton, 29% of adults feel lonely, and 30% have obesity. The share of adults in Sanbornton who report frequent mental distress: 14%.
| Sanbornton | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Frequent mental distress (CDC PLACES) | 14% | 16% | 17% |
| Feel lonely (CDC PLACES) | 29% | 30% | 33% |
| Obesity (CDC PLACES) | 30% | 32% | 35% |
| Get no exercise (CDC PLACES) | 19% | 20% | 25% |
| What stands out | Sanbornton | NH |
|---|---|---|
| More adults who have had cancer | 11.5% | 9.8% |
| More adults with arthritis | 31.2% | 27.6% |
CDC PLACES 2025 · modeled estimates for adults · CMS · HRSA
Sanbornton has 315 jobs for its 1,425 working residents: even if every job went to a resident, most would still commute out.
The top destinations are Concord (13%), Laconia (11%) and Tilton (11%). For most workers, Sanbornton is a place to come home to: only 5% work in town. Among residents here, 4.8% live below the poverty line. Between 2013 and 2023, jobs here rose by 56, to 315.
| Sanbornton | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $114,000 | $103,000 | $80,000 |
| Below the poverty line | 4.8% | 6.8% | 9.6% |
| Working residents who work in town | 4.6% | 10% | 8% |
Census LEHD 2023 · ACS
48 miles of trail in 6 parks and preserves. Sanbornton’s trail density stands at 1.0 miles per square mile.
| Biggest places to walk | Trails | Acres |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Franklin Falls Reservoir | 4.6 mi | 650 |
| 2. Hersey Mountain Forest | 3.1 mi | 2,131 |
| 3. Sanbornton Town Forest | 3 mi | 213 |
Trails & parks © OpenStreetMap contributors · Conserved land: USGS PAD-US
The Lakeport 2 weather station, 7 miles away, records that the frost-free season runs about 170 days, the #2 highest of 321 New Hampshire places with climate records.
In Sanbornton, the peak summer temperature is 81°F.
NOAA U.S. Climate Normals, 1991–2020
Since 1996, 3 flood insurance claims have been paid out in Sanbornton. Expected storm and flood damage is higher than in 57% of U.S. communities. Also worth knowing: households here have drawn federal disaster aid in 5 declared disasters, most recently in 2011.
FEMA flood insurance claims · FEMA disaster declarations and aid · FEMA National Risk Index · OpenFEMA
For adults 25 and older in Sanbornton, the share who hold a bachelor’s degree or more is 40%. The age mix tracks New Hampshire closely: no broad group is more than 4 points off. In Sanbornton, the median age is 41.9 years.
| Sanbornton | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 18 | 18% | 18% | 22% |
| Bachelor’s degree or more, 25+ | 40% | 39% | 29% |
| Aged 65 or older | 22% | 20% | 18% |
| Median age | 41.9 years | 45 years | 40.5 years |
47% women, 53% men
That’s an even split within the survey’s margin of ±3.8 points. Across New Hampshire, 50.1% of residents are women.
| Sanbornton | NH | U.S. | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under 10 | 7.4% | 9.3% | 11.6% |
| 10 to 17 | 10.7% | 8.9% | 10.3% |
| 18 to 24 | 7.3% | 8.7% | 9.1% |
| 25 to 34 | 15.8% | 12.7% | 13.7% |
| 35 to 44 | 11.4% | 12.4% | 13.2% |
| 45 to 54 | 11.2% | 12.4% | 12.2% |
| 55 to 64 | 14.7% | 15.5% | 12.7% |
| 65 to 74 | 15.6% | 12.2% | 10.2% |
| 75 and older | 6% | 7.9% | 7% |
| No diploma | 7.4% | 5.6% | 10.4% |
| High school | 18% | 26.8% | 26% |
| Some college | 21.8% | 17.2% | 19.1% |
| Associate’s | 13.2% | 9.8% | 8.8% |
| Bachelor’s | 27.3% | 24.5% | 21.6% |
| Graduate | 12.4% | 16.1% | 14.1% |
U.S. Census Bureau · ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates · in a town of 3,000, single groups can be off by several points
86% of households live in a home they own in Sanbornton. The typical home value in the town is about $544,000, up 2.1% in a year, 6% above the New Hampshire typical home. Its rent at the middle of the market comes in at $1,289 a month.
| Sanbornton | New Hampshire towns | U.S. towns | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that own their home | 86% | 82% | 73% |
| Median rent | $1,289 a month | $1,393 a month | $1,185 a month |
Census ACS, 2020–24 · Zillow Home Value Index · Redfin Data Center
Museums, parks, gardens and other places to visit around Sanbornton. Close and well known come first.
15 mi LakeLake Winnipesaukee
31 mi Ski areaWaterville Valley Resort84 runs · 1,990 ft vertical
13 mi MuseumCanterbury Shaker Village
40 mi WaterfallFlume Gorge
36 mi Ski areaLoon Mountain Resort80 runs · 2,189 ft vertical12 mi Ski areaGunstock Recreation Area73 runs · 1,305 ft verticalLake Winnipesaukee: No machine-readable author provided. JohnJHenderson~commonswiki assumed (based o, Public domain · Waterville Valley Resort: MConradWard, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Canterbury Shaker Village: SayCheeeeeese, Public domain · Flume Gorge: MyCatIsAChonk, CC BY-SA 4.0 · Loon Mountain Resort: Own work, Public domain
1 within 15 miles of the center of Sanbornton
About 2 of every 100 Sanbornton residents are enrolled in college, against 6 across New Hampshire.
Where Sanbornton’s working residents go each day. Line width shows the share.
Census LEHD 2023
2 places in Sanbornton on the National Register of Historic Places.
5 notable people were born in Sanbornton.
Town in New Hampshire, United States
Sanbornton is a town in Belknap County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 3,026 at the 2020 census, and an estimated 3,038 in 2025. It includes the villages of North Sanbornton and Gaza.
From Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · facts via Wikidata (CC0)
7 towns share a border with Sanbornton.
| Town | NH rank | Overall | Cost | Safety | Schools | Health |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sanbornton | #73 | B | C | A | C | A |
| Franklin | #102 | C | B− | B | D− | B+ |
| Belmont | #107 | C | C+ | B | C | B− |
| Hill | — | — | C | — | — | B+ |
| Laconia | #121 | D | C | C− | D | B+ |
| Meredith | #71 | B | C | B+ | C+ | A− |
| Tilton | #104 | C | B | D | C | B+ |
| New Hampton | — | — | B− | B+ | C− | A− |
Hill and New Hampton have fewer than 2,500 residents, so they get subject grades but no overall grade. Hill reports no FBI crime data of its own. Compare Sanbornton with a neighbor →
Short answers, built from the data on this page.
By most measures, yes. Sanbornton grades B overall, better than 60% of U.S. towns and #73 of 125 in New Hampshire. It grades A for health, A for safety and C for schools.
Cost of living, which also weighs rents, property taxes and how many households pay 30% or more of their income for housing, grades C.
5 notable people were born here, including Albert E. Bodwell and Esther W. Taylor.
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