County · New Hampshire

Cheshire County, New Hampshire

Cheshire County, New Hampshire. Cheshire County had 78,269 residents in 2025 by the Census Bureau's estimate, up 2.4% since 2020, in line with New Hampshire (+2.7%). It holds 31 places (1 city, village or borough, 22 towns and townships and 8 census-designated) and 18 census tracts. GEOID 33005.

Cheshire County is the county of the Keene, NH micropolitan statistical area (the Census Bureau's July 2023 delineation).

Residents, July 2025 estimate

78,269

Census Bureau estimate (no margin published)
2020 Census count: 76,458 · ACS 2020-2024: 77,297

Median household income

$83,329

±$3,984 (90% margin)
New Hampshire: $99,031

Median home value

$280,100

±$6,524 (90% margin)
New Hampshire: $402,500

Median gross rent

$1,276

±$54 (90% margin)
New Hampshire: $1,491

How many people live in Cheshire County, and is it growing?

The 2020 Census counted 76,458 residents in Cheshire County. The Census Bureau estimates 78,269 for July 1, 2025, up 2.4% since 2020, in line with New Hampshire (+2.7%). The 2020-2024 American Community Survey puts the population at 77,297 over 707 square miles of land.

July 2020→2021 +317 (76,858)
2021→2022 +522 (77,380)
2022→2023 +300 (77,680)
2023→2024 +488 (78,168)
2024→2025 +101 (78,269)

Cheshire County in New Hampshire. Boundaries: Census Bureau 2024.

Counts, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates, with the change from 2015-2019
Measure	Cheshire County	New Hampshire	Change since 2015-2019
Total population	77,297	1,394,868	+1,255
Households	30,620±523	555,822	no clear change
Average household size	2.40±0.04	2.44	no clear change
Housing units	35,899±64	648,472	+311

Cheshire County's population since 2000

From 73,825 in 2000 to 78,269 in 2025: up 6.0%. The 2000, 2010 and 2020 figures are census counts. The 2005 figure is the Census Bureau's intercensal estimate, revised to fit the 2000 and 2010 counts and drawn on 2010 boundaries; 2015 and 2025 are July 1 estimates made from the census before them.

2000 Census 73,825
2005 (estimate) 77,061
2010 Census 77,117
2015 (estimate) 76,390
2020 Census 76,458
2025 (estimate) 78,269

Source: The 2000, 2010 and 2020 Census counts and the Census Bureau's population estimates (intercensal 2000-2010, Vintage 2020, Vintage 2025) · Census population estimates

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); PEP Vintage 2025 (CO-EST2025); 2020 Census · Check it at data.census.gov

What cities and towns are in Cheshire County?

Cheshire County holds 31 places: 1 city, village or borough (an incorporated place), 22 towns and townships (county subdivisions with their own government) and 8 census-designated places. The largest is Keene with 23,072 residents (2025 estimate). Places that cross a county line are listed with the share of their 2020 residents who live in this county.

Places in Cheshire County, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Ring: estimate with a coefficient of variation over 40%.

Keene	city	23,047	22,939±25	$78,445	$252,500	10.1%	100%
Swanzey	town	7,270	7,398±24	$81,595	$259,200	7.8%	100%
Rindge	town	6,476	6,497±29	$102,679	$415,400	9.6%	100%
Jaffrey	town	5,320	5,448±20	$92,330	$245,500	3.8%	100%
Winchester	town	4,150	4,212±15	$67,723	$242,900	14.1%	100%
Hinsdale	town	3,948	3,997±16	$69,191	$200,700	7.8%	100%
Walpole	town	3,633	3,690±18	$82,617	$319,800	11.7%	100%
Chesterfield	town	3,552	3,622±18	$102,370	$373,500	8.6%	100%
Jaffrey CDP	CDP	3,058	3,277±607	$99,667	$217,700	4.8%	100%
Fitzwilliam	town	2,351	2,278±417	$100,735	$305,900	9.2%	100%
Troy	town	2,130	2,005±291	$88,871	$266,600	4.1%	100%
Marlborough	town	2,096	2,207±373	$69,032	$267,200	13.2%	100%
Alstead	town	1,864	1,551±221	$64,526	$271,600	8.9%	100%
Westmoreland	town	1,706	2,237±367	$104,444	$351,800	6.2%	100%
Winchester CDP	CDP	1,606	1,306±380	$81,250	$217,800	10.7%	100%
Dublin	town	1,532	1,688±216	$104,659	$430,500	9.7%	100%
Hinsdale CDP	CDP	1,485	1,580±459	$72,292	$227,000	10.1%	100%
Stoddard	town	1,374	1,072±169	$94,904	$330,300	4.8%	100%
West Swanzey	CDP	1,281	1,188±317	$47,090	$193,400	7.2%	100%
Richmond	town	1,197	1,314±236	$89,375	$313,400	2.7%	100%
Troy CDP	CDP	1,108	1,081±253	$96,250	$204,600	4.3%	100%
Marlborough CDP	CDP	1,066	1,048±219	$67,356	$261,700	7.3%	100%
Harrisville	town	984	885±202	$103,036	$430,500	3.6%	100%
Surry	town	820	1,052±238	$110,125	$331,400	3.1%	100%
North Walpole	CDP	785	513±209	$74,167	$201,000	11.7%	100%
Gilsum	town	752	716±149	$80,417	$241,500	13.4%	100%
Marlow	town	749	855±171	$110,455	$325,400	8.9%	100%
Sullivan	town	658	687±104	$106,667	$236,500	4.1%	100%
Nelson	town	629	648±107	$99,792	$340,900	1.4%	100%
Walpole CDPGEOID 3378340	CDP	573	512±239	$89,750	$438,400	11.7%	100%
RoxburyGEOID 3300565700	town	220	299±144	$69,226	$323,100	3.7%	100%

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026); 2020 place-by-county parts · Check it at data.census.gov

Who lives in Cheshire County?

The median resident of Cheshire County is 43.6 years old; 17.8% are under 18 and 22.4% are 65 or older. The largest group is non-Hispanic white residents at 91.4%, then non-Hispanic residents of two or more races at 4.1%. 2.9% of residents were born outside the United States.

Age, origin and education, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates. Race groups are non-Hispanic; Hispanic includes any race.
Measure	Cheshire County	New Hampshire	Change since 2015-2019
Median age	43.6±0.3	43.3	+0.5
Under 18 years	17.8%±0.1 pts	18.2%	–
65 years and over	22.4%±0.1 pts	20.1%	–
Hispanic or Latino (any race)	2.6%	4.7%	+0.7 pts
White alone, not Hispanic	91.4%±0.5 pts	86.9%	−2.7 pts
Black or African American alone, not Hispanic	0.7%±0.2 pts	1.3%	no clear change
Asian alone, not Hispanic	0.9%±0.3 pts	2.6%	no clear change
American Indian and Alaska Native alone, not Hispanic	0.1%±0.1 pts	0.1%	–
Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone, not Hispanic	0.0%±0.1 pts	0.0%	–
Two or more races, not Hispanic	4.1%±0.6 pts	4.0%	–
Some other race alone, not Hispanic	0.2%±0.2 pts	0.4%	–
Born outside the United States	2.9%±0.5 pts	6.1%	no clear change
Speak a language other than English at home (age 5+)	3.7%±0.6 pts	7.9%	–
Civilian veterans (age 18+)	7.4%±0.7 pts	7.6%	–
With a disability	14.5%±0.8 pts	13.3%	–
No health insurance coverage	6.2%±0.9 pts	5.3%	no clear change
High school graduate or higher (age 25+)	94.4%±0.8 pts	94.4%	–
Bachelor's degree or higher (age 25+)	35.5%±1.6 pts	40.6%	+2.4 pts
Graduate or professional degree (age 25+)	14.0%±1.1 pts	16.1%	–
Moved from another state in the past year	3.7%±0.7 pts	3.6%	–

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profiles DP02, DP05) · Check it at data.census.gov

What do households in Cheshire County earn?

Half of Cheshire County's 30,620 households earn less than $83,329 a year (±$3,984), against $99,031 in New Hampshire. In 2015-2019 it was $79,689 in 2024 dollars; the margins of error cannot tell the two periods apart. 8.7% of residents live below the poverty line.

Income and poverty in 2024 dollars, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Cheshire County	New Hampshire	Change since 2015-2019
Median household income	$83,329±$3,984	$99,031	no clear change
Mean household income	$105,400±$3,732	$128,322	–
Per capita income	$43,485±$1,311	$52,798	no clear change
People below the poverty line	8.7%±1.2 pts	7.2%	no clear change
Children under 18 below the poverty line	9.0%±2.8 pts	7.9%	no clear change
Households receiving SNAP	6.3%±0.9 pts	6.1%	–
Households with a broadband subscription	91.8%±1.2 pts	92.9%	–

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov

What does housing cost in Cheshire County?

Owners occupy 72.7% of Cheshire County's occupied homes and renters 27.3%. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $280,100 by its owner (±$6,524). The median renter pays $1,276 a month including utilities, and 38.0% of renters pay 35% or more of their income on rent.

Housing, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Cheshire County	New Hampshire	Change since 2015-2019
Median home value (owner-occupied)	$280,100±$6,524	$402,500	+$39,745
Median gross rent	$1,276±$54	$1,491	+$108
Renters paying 35% or more of income on rent	38.0%±4.2 pts	38.4%	no clear change
Median monthly owner costs, with a mortgage	$1,947±$49	$2,367	–
Owner-occupied homes	72.7%±1.7 pts	72.8%	+3.3 pts
Housing units	35,899±64	648,472	+311
Homeowner vacancy rate	0.2%±0.2 pts	0.4%	–
Rental vacancy rate	3.0%±1.3 pts	4.0%	–
Single-family detached homes	69.0%±2.0 pts	63.3%	–
Mobile homes	6.2%±0.9 pts	5.2%	–
Built 2020 or later	0.6%±0.3 pts	1.3%	–
Built 1939 or earlier	27.0%±1.7 pts	18.6%	–

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP04) · Check it at data.census.gov

How many new homes is Cheshire County building?

Builders took permits for 167 new housing units across Cheshire County in 2025 (147 single-family), 2.1 per 1,000 residents.

2019 111 units
2020 130 units
2021 177 units
2022 186 units
2023 140 units
2024 172 units
2025 167 units

Source: Building Permits Survey, annual county files 2019-2025, U.S. Census Bureau · Census Building Permits Survey

How do people in Cheshire County get to work?

74.7% of Cheshire County's workers drive alone and 13.1% work from home. The average trip to work takes 23.7 minutes. The unemployment rate in 2020-2024 averaged 3.3%.

Work and commuting, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates
Measure	Cheshire County	New Hampshire	Change since 2015-2019
In the labor force (age 16+)	62.5%±1.1 pts	66.3%	–
Unemployment rate	3.3%±0.7 pts	3.3%	no clear change
Drove alone to work	74.7%±1.9 pts	72.0%	–
Carpooled	7.5%±1.2 pts	7.0%	–
Public transportation	0.3%±0.2 pts	0.5%	–
Walked	3.6%±0.7 pts	2.3%	–
Worked from home	13.1%±1.4 pts	16.8%	+3.6 pts
Mean travel time to work	23.7 min±0.9	26.7 min	no clear change

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) (Data Profile DP03) · Check it at data.census.gov

What are Cheshire County's census tracts?

Cheshire County is divided into 18 census tracts. Among those with a reliable estimate, median household income runs from $61,953 (Tract 9711) to $104,436 (Tract 9704.01).

Census tracts of Cheshire County, ACS 2020-2024 5-year estimates; sort by any column

Tract 970133005970100	–	4,185	4,174±323	$83,077	$295,100	$1,006	8.2%
Tract 970233005970200	Walpole (16%)	3,633	3,690±18	$82,617	$319,800	$1,165	11.7%
Tract 9704.0133005970401	–	2,516	2,573±257	$104,436	$430,500	$1,350	7.6%
Tract 9704.0233005970402	–	2,881	2,706±242	$94,097	$311,200	$1,203	3.7%
Tract 970533005970500	Jaffrey (40%)	5,320	5,448±20	$92,330	$245,500	$962	3.8%
Tract 970633005970600	–	6,476	6,497±29	$102,679	$415,400	$1,123	9.6%
Tract 970733005970700	–	3,548	3,592±434	$100,330	$308,700	not published	6.8%
Tract 970833005970800	Marlborough (16%)	4,226	4,212±380	$76,250	$266,900	$1,088	8.9%
Tract 9709.0133005970901	West Swanzey (1%)	4,355	4,099±311	$81,468	$276,800	$1,490	6.1%
Tract 9709.0233005970902	West Swanzey (33%)	2,915	3,299±311	$82,546	$246,000	$1,520	10.0%
Tract 971033005971000	Keene	5,900	5,427±477	$86,181	$255,600	$1,523	4.7%
Tract 971133005971100	Keene (99%)	5,120	5,253±510	$61,953	$233,300	$1,036	9.5%
Tract 971333005971300	Keene	3,606	3,636±557	$68,194	$236,900	$1,388	14.5%
Tract 9714.0233005971402	Keene	3,962	4,075±405	$87,065	$278,200	$1,536	6.2%
Tract 9714.0333005971403	Keene	4,459	4,548±347	$69,279	$234,800	$1,407	21.7%
Tract 971533005971500	–	5,258	5,859±363	$103,750	$362,200	$1,330	7.7%
Tract 971633005971600	Hinsdale (32%)	3,948	3,997±16	$69,191	$200,700	$1,050	7.8%
Tract 971733005971700	Winchester (23%)	4,150	4,212±15	$67,723	$242,900	$1,209	14.1%

Source: American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) · Check it at data.census.gov

How does Cheshire County compare with New Hampshire's other counties?

Cheshire County's rank among New Hampshire's counties with a reliable estimate (1 = highest)
Measure	Rank
Population	6th of 10
Growth 2020-2025	6th of 10
Residents per square mile	6th of 10
Median household income	8th of 10
Median home value	8th of 10
Median gross rent	6th of 10
Poverty rate	4th of 10
Bachelor's degree or higher	7th of 10
Median age	7th of 10

Every county in New Hampshire

Source: PlainCities ranks from the American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year estimates, U.S. Census Bureau (released January 2026) and PEP Vintage 2025 · How ranks are computed

How these figures are made: methodology and release checks · reading a margin of error · every state · corrections

Not on this page: crime, weather and schools for Cheshire County are other agencies' records. Crime: the FBI's Crime Data Explorer · climate: NOAA's U.S. Climate Normals · schools: the National Center for Education Statistics' school search.