Cheshire County, NH

County

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2024 Population

77,297

US Senator

Jeanne Shaheen

Democratic Party

US Senator

Maggie Hassan

Democratic Party

2024 Median Age

43.6

0.23% 1-year increase

2024 Poverty Rate

8.7%

2.67% 1-year decrease

2024 Median Household Income

$83,329

2.87% 1-year growth

2024 Median Property Value

$280,100

8.9% 1-year growth

2024 Employed Population

39,318

0.0991% 1-year decline

About

None of the households in Cheshire County, NH reported speaking a non-English language at home as their primary shared language. This does not consider the potential multi-lingual nature of households, but only the primary self-reported language spoken by all members of the household.

98.8% of the residents in Cheshire County, NH are U.S. citizens.

The largest universities in Cheshire County, NH are Keene State College (787 degrees awarded in 2023), Franklin Pierce University (540 degrees), and Antioch University-New England (390 degrees).

In 2024, the median property value in Cheshire County, NH was $280,100, and the homeownership rate was 72.7%.

Most people in Cheshire County, NH drove alone to work, and the average commute time was 23.7 minutes. The average car ownership in Cheshire County, NH was 2 cars per household.

Cheshire County, NH borders Franklin County, MA, Worcester County, MA, Hillsborough County, NH, Sullivan County, NH, and Windham County, VT.

United States New Hampshire Keene, NH

Population & Diversity

Cheshire County, NH is home to a population of 77.3k people, from which 98.8% are citizens. As of 2024, 2.89% of Cheshire County, NH residents were born outside of the country (2.23k people).

In 2024, there were 34.9 times more White (Non-Hispanic) residents (70.7k people) in Cheshire County, NH than any other race or ethnicity. There were 2.02k Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic) and 1.15k Two Races Including Other (Non-Hispanic) residents, the second and third most common ethnic groups.

Population & Diversity

Citizenship

98.8%

2024 Citizenship

98.8%

2023 Citizenship

As of 2024, 98.8% of Cheshire County, NH residents were US citizens, which is higher than the national average of 93.2%. In 2023, the percentage of US citizens in Cheshire County, NH was 98.8%, meaning that the rate of citizenship has been decreasing.

The following chart shows US citizenship percentages in Cheshire County, NH compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Diversity

Race and Ethnicity

The 3 largest ethnic groups in Cheshire County, NH

White (Non-Hispanic)
70.7k ± 402
Two Races Excluding Other, & Three or More Races (Non-Hispanic)
2.02k ± 288
Two Races Including Other (Non-Hispanic)
1.15k ± 389

2.6%

Hispanic Population

2.01k people

2.6% of the people in Cheshire County, NH are hispanic (2.01k people).

The following chart shows the 8 races represented in Cheshire County, NH as a share of the total population.

Global Diversity

The PUMS dataset is not available at the County level, so we are showing data for New Hampshire.

Most Common Origin

Canada
8,457 ± 2,251 people
India
7,313 ± 2,094 people
Dominican Republic
6,580 ± 1,987 people

In 2023, the most common birthplace for the foreign-born residents of New Hampshire was Canada, the natal country of 8,457 New Hampshire residents, followed by India with 7,313 and Dominican Republic with 6,580.

Foreign-Born Population

2.89%

2024 Foreign-Born Population

2.23k people

2.66%

2023 Foreign-Born Population

2.05k people

As of 2024, 2.89% of Cheshire County, NH residents (2.23k people) were born outside of the United States, which is approximately the same as the national average of 14%. In 2023, the percentage of foreign-born citizens in Cheshire County, NH was 2.66%, meaning that the rate has been increasing.

The following chart shows the percentage of foreign-born residents in Cheshire County, NH compared to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Military

Veterans

Most Common Service Period

Vietnam
1,567 ± 228
Gulf War (2001-)
1,126 ± 291
Gulf War (1990s)
536 ± 180

Cheshire County, NH has a large population of military personnel who served in Vietnam, 1.39 times greater than any other conflict.

The chart shows the distribution of veterans by conflict in Cheshire County, NH.

Economy

The economy of Cheshire County, NH employs 39.3k people. In 2024, the largest industries in Cheshire County, NH were Health Care & Social Assistance (6,216 people), Manufacturing (5,680 people), and Retail Trade (5,327 people), and the highest paying industries were Utilities ($77,188), Professional, Scientific, & Technical Services ($73,567), and Public Administration ($64,922).

Employment

Occupations

39.3k

2024 Value

± 1,504

−0.0991%

1 Year decline

± 5.35%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Cheshire County, NH declined at a rate of −0.0991%, from 39.4k employees to 39.3k employees.

The most common job groups, by number of people living in Cheshire County, NH, are Management Occupations (4,621 people), Office & Administrative Support Occupations (4,395 people), and Sales & Related Occupations (4,174 people). This chart illustrates the share breakdown of the primary jobs held by residents of Cheshire County, NH.

Unemployment Insurance Claims

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for New Hampshire.

This chart shows weekly unemployment insurance claims in New Hampshire (not-seasonally adjusted) compared with the four states with the most similar impact.

The most recent data point uses Advance State Claims data, which can be revised in subsequent weeks.

Industries

Employment by Industries

39.3k

2024 Value

± 1,504

−0.0991%

1 Year decline

± 5.35%

From 2023 to 2024, employment in Cheshire County, NH declined at a rate of −0.0991%, from 39.4k employees to 39.3k employees.

The most common employment sectors for those who live in Cheshire County, NH, are Health Care & Social Assistance (6,216 people), Manufacturing (5,680 people), and Retail Trade (5,327 people). This chart shows the share breakdown of the primary industries for residents of Cheshire County, NH, though some of these residents may live in Cheshire County, NH and work somewhere else. Census data is tagged to a residential address, not a work address.

Median Earnings by Industry

$54,307

Median earning men ± $2,138

$42,213

Median earning women ± $1,439

The industries with the best median earnings for men in 2024 are Information ($74,495), Public Administration ($72,887), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($66,196).

The industries with the best median earnings for women in 2024 are Transportation & Warehousing, & Utilities ($55,294), Manufacturing ($54,366), and Professional, Scientific, & Management, & Administrative & Waste Management Services ($53,712).

Employment by Industry Sector

Data is only available at the state level. Showing data for New Hampshire.

Y-Axis

2.71%

Year-over-year growth

Employment change between February 2022 and February 2023

As of February 2023, there are 693k people employed in New Hampshire. This represents a 2.71% increase in employment when compared to February 2022.

Right after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, during April 2020, a general dip can be seen across industry sectors, resulting in an overall decline in employment by 16.3%.

The following chart shows monthly employment numbers for each industry sector in New Hampshire.

Establishments by Size

The industries with the most establishments

206
Construction
130
Retail Trade
121
Other Services (except Public Administration)

The visualization shows the distribution of establishments by industry and by size according to the number of employees.

The visualization shows the number of establishments and its share across establishment sizes.

Payroll by Industry Sector

The industries with the highest total annual payroll

$289k
Manufacturing
$237k
Health Care and Social Assistance
$210k
Retail Trade

The chart shows the total annual payroll and the average annual payroll by industry.

Education

In 2023, universities in Cheshire County, NH awarded 1,744 degrees. The student population of Cheshire County, NH in 2023 is skewed towards women, with 2,244 male students and 3,299 female students.

Most students graduating from Universities in Cheshire County, NH are White (1,320 and 77.5%), Unknown (153 and 8.98%), Hispanic or Latino (91 and 5.34%), and Two or More Races (50 and 2.94%).

The largest universities in Cheshire County, NH by number of degrees awarded are Keene State College (787 and 45.1%), Franklin Pierce University (540 and 31%), and Antioch University-New England (390 and 22.4%).

The most popular majors in Cheshire County, NH are Mental Health Counseling (113 and 6.48%), Physical Therapy (91 and 5.22%), and Environmental Studies (84 and 4.82%).

The median tuition costs in Cheshire County, NH are $40,617 for private four year colleges, and $11,754 and $23,230 respectively, for public four year colleges for in-state students and out-of-state students.

Admissions & Enrollments

Applicants, Admissions & Enrolled

University

Measure

In 2023 in Cheshire County, NH, the percentage of applicants admitted was 89.5%, while the percentage of admitted who enrolled was 15%. The number of students enrolled in 2023 was 5,543 (40.5% men and 59.5% women).

The line chart shows the evolution of the percentage of applicants admitted, admitted who enrolled or the number of students enrolled according to the option selected in the upper button.

Enrollments by Gender and Races

Universities

In 2023 there were 5,543 students enrolled in Cheshire County, NH, 40.5% men and 59.5% women.

By race, the largest number of students enrolled was concentrated in White with 4,175 records, of which 60.1% were women and 39.9% men.

Completions

Concentrations

Most Common

Occupational Safety & Health Technology
62 degrees awarded
General Psychology
83 degrees awarded
General Business Administration & Management
80 degrees awarded

In 2023, the most common concentation for Bachelors Degree recipients in Cheshire County, NH was Occupational Safety & Health Technology with 62 degrees awarded.

This visualization illustrates the percentage of students graduating with a Bachelors Degree from schools in Cheshire County, NH according to their major.

Universities

Gender

Race

Largest Universities by degrees awarded

Keene State College
787 degrees awarded
Franklin Pierce University
540 degrees awarded
Antioch University-New England
390 degrees awarded

In 2023, the institution with the largest number of graduating students was Keene State College with 787 degrees awarded.

Student Diversity

University

In 2023, 609 men were awarded degrees from institutions in Cheshire County, NH, which is 0.537 times less than the 1,135 female students who received degrees in the same year.

In 2023, the most common race/ethnicity group awarded degrees at institutions was White students. These 1,320 degrees mean that there were 8.63 times more degrees awarded to White students then the next closest race/ethnicity group, Unknown, with 153 degrees awarded.

Awarded Degrees over Time

The graph shows the evolution of awarded degrees by degrees. Under the paragraphs, the average number of awarded degrees by university in each degree is shown.

Tuition

Average Net Price by Sector

Universities

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($40,617) is the sector with the highest median state tuition in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($4,346) is the sector with the highest median state fee in 2023.

Private not-for-profit, 4-year or above ($1,300) is the sector with the highest average net price of books and supplies.

The graph shows the average net price by sector and year.

Housing & Living

The median property value in Cheshire County, NH was $280,100 in 2024, which is 0.842 times smaller than the national average of $332,700. Between 2023 and 2024 the median property value increased from $257,200 to $280,100, a 8.9% increase. The homeownership rate in Cheshire County, NH is 72.7%, which is higher than the national average of 65.2%.

People in Cheshire County, NH have an average commute time of 23.7 minutes, and they drove alone to work. Car ownership in Cheshire County, NH is approximately the same as the national average, with an average of 2 cars per household.

In 2025, 13.5% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Cheshire County, NH. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 3.03%.

Housing

Property

$280,100

Median Property Value 2024

±$6,524

$22,264

Median Property Taxes

±$778

The following chart display owner-occupied housing units distributed between a series of property tax buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. In Cheshire County, NH the largest share of households pay taxes in the $3k+ range.

The chart underneath the paragraph shows the property taxes in Cheshire County, NH compared to it's parent and neighbor geographies.

Rent vs Own

72.7%

Homeownership

2024

61.4%

Homeowners with Mortgage

2024

In 2024, 72.7% of the housing units in Cheshire County, NH were occupied by their owner. This percentage grew from the previous year's rate of 70.3%.

This chart shows the percentage of owner in Cheshire County, NH compared it's parent and neighboring geographies.

Equity

Household Income

Please note that the buckets used in this visualization were not evenly distributed by ACS when publishing the data.

$83,329

Median Household Income

± $3,984

30.6k

Number of Households

± 1,233

In 2024, the median household income of the 30.6k households in Cheshire County, NH grew to $83,329 from the previous year's value of $81,001.

The following chart displays the households in Cheshire County, NH distributed between a series of income buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households have an income in the $75k - $100k range.

Wage Distribution

The closest comparable wage GINI for Cheshire County, NH is from New Hampshire.

0.451

2023 Wage GINI in New Hampshire

0.454

2022 Wage GINI in New Hampshire

In 2023, the income inequality in New Hampshire was 0.451 according to the GINI calculation of the wage distribution. Income inequality had a 0.771% decline from 2022 to 2023, which means that wage distribution grew somewhat more even. The GINI for New Hampshire was lower than than the national average of 0.476. In other words, wages are distributed more evenly in New Hampshire in comparison to the national average.

This chart shows the number of workers in New Hampshire across various wage buckets compared to the national average.

Transportation

Commuter Transportation

Most Common Commute in 2024

Drove Alone (74.7%)
Worked At Home (13.1%)
Carpooled (7.5%)

In 2024, 74.7% of workers in Cheshire County, NH drove alone to work, followed by those who worked at home (13.1%) and those who carpooled to work (7.5%).

The following chart shows the number of households using each mode of transportation over time, using a logarithmic scale on the y-axis to help better show variations in the smaller means of commuting.

Commute Time

23.7 minutes

Average Travel Time

Using averages, employees in Cheshire County, NH have a shorter commute time (23.7 minutes) than the normal US worker (26.4 minutes). Additionally, 3.81% of the workforce in Cheshire County, NH have "super commutes" in excess of 90 minutes.

The chart below shows how the median household income in Cheshire County, NH compares to that of it's neighboring and parent geographies.

Car Ownership

2 cars

Average Number

The following chart displays the households in Cheshire County, NH distributed between a series of car ownership buckets compared to the national averages for each bucket. The largest share of households in Cheshire County, NH have 2 cars.

Poverty

Severe Housing Problems

In 2025, 13.5% of the population was living with severe housing problems in Cheshire County, NH. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 3.03%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the population living with severe housing problems.

Poverty & Diversity

8.7% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Cheshire County, NH (6.41k out of 73.6k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is lower than the national average of 12.5%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 65 - 74, followed by Females 18 - 24 and then Females 75+.

The most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Cheshire County, NH is White, followed by Two Or More and Hispanic.

The Census Bureau uses a set of money income thresholds that vary by family size and composition to determine who classifies as impoverished. If a family's total income is less than the family's threshold than that family and every individual in it is considered to be living in poverty.

Children in Poverty

In 2025, 10.8% of the children was living in poverty in Cheshire County, NH. From 2014 to 2025, the indicator declined 4.5%.

The graph shows the trend of the percentage of the children living in poverty.

Social Needs

Data only available at the state level.

Most prevalent states

California
35,798 individuals
New York
5,087 individuals
Florida
4,915 individuals

In 2017, California had the highest estimated number of chronically homeless individuals in the nation, at 35,798. New York has the second highest (5,087), followed by Florida (4,915).

The following map shows the estimated number of chronically homeless individuals by state over multiple years.

Security

Crimes & Accidents

Indicator

In 2022, the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population was 187 in Cheshire County, NH. From 2014 to 2022, the indicator grew 11.7 per 100,000 population.

The graph shows the trend in the number of reported violent crimes offenses per 100,000 population.

Health

93.8% of the population of Cheshire County, NH has health coverage, with 49.2% on employee plans, 12.3% on Medicaid, 18.1% on Medicare, 12.7% on non-group plans, and 1.57% on military or VA plans.

Primary care physicians in Cheshire County, NH see 1,487 patients per year on average, which represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,487 patients). Compare this to dentists who see 1268 patients per year, and mental health providers who see 247 patients per year.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.4% were men and 50.6% were women.

Coverage

Patient to Clinician Ratios

1,487 to 1

Patient to Primary Care Physician Ratio in Cheshire County, NH

Primary care physicians in Cheshire County, NH see an average of 1,487 patients per year. This represents a 0% change from the previous year (1,487 patients).

The following chart shows how the number of patients seen by primary care physicians has been changing over time in Cheshire County, NH in comparison to its neighboring geographies.

Health Care Diversity

In 2024, insured persons according to age ranges were distributed in 19.1% under 18 years, 20.6% between 18 and 34 years, 38.3% between 35 and 64 years, and 21.9% over 64 years.

By gender, of the total number of insured persons, 49.4% were men and 50.6% were women.

The following chart shows the number of people with health coverage by gender.

Uninsured People

6.24%

Uninsured

49.2%

Employer Coverage

12.3%

Medicaid

18.1%

Medicare

12.7%

Non-Group

1.57%

Military or VA

Between 2023 and 2024, the percent of uninsured citizens in Cheshire County, NH grew by 6.23% from 5.87% to 6.24%.

The following chart shows how the percent of uninsured individuals in Cheshire County, NH changed over time compared with the percent of individuals enrolled in various types of health insurance.

Health Indicators

Health Outcomes

Indicator

In 2025, the number of deaths among residents under age 18 per 100,000 population was 27.5 in Cheshire County, NH.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Cheshire County, NH.

Health Behaviors

Indicator

In 2025, the percentage of the adult population (age 18 and older) that reports a body mass index (BMI) greater than or equal to 30 kg/m2 (age-adjusted) was 31.2% in Cheshire County, NH.

The graphic shows the trend of the indicator in Cheshire County, NH.