Cheshire County, New Hampshire

NH · FIPS 33005 Democrat

Located in New Hampshire, Cheshire County has a population of 77,297 residents and a median age of 43.6 years, making it the #743 most populous county out of 3,222 nationwide. In terms of economic indicators, the county has a poverty rate of 8.7%. The median home value is $280,100, and the median household income is $83,329, which is 11% above the national median.

77,297
Population
#743 of 3,222
$83,329
Median Income
+10.9% #474 of 3,222
43.6 years
Median Age
+12.1% #1,038 of 3,222
8.7%
Poverty Rate
-30.9% #510 of 3,222

Demographics

Cheshire County has a population of 77,297, making it the #743 most populous county in the US. The median age is 43.6 years, which is 12.1% above the national median.

Population Trend

Rankings →

Year-over-Year Population Growth

Age & Sex Distribution

Race & Ethnicity

Nativity

97.1%
Native Born
2.9%
Foreign Born

Geographic Mobility (Past Year)

Economy

The median household income in Cheshire County is $83,329, ranking #474 out of 3,222 counties — 10.9% above the national median. The poverty rate is 8.7% and unemployment stands at 3.3%.

Income#474
$83,329
+10.9%
vs nation
85th percentile
Per Capita#516
$43,485
+5.4%
vs nation
84th percentile
Poverty#510
8.7%
-30.9%
vs nation
84th percentile
Unemployment#868
3.3%
-37.6%
vs nation
73th percentile

Income Distribution

Industry of Employment

Occupation

Housing

The median home value in Cheshire County is $280,100 (-0.6% vs national). Renters pay a median of $1,276/mo and the homeownership rate is 72.7%.

Home Value#730
$280,100
-0.6%
vs nation
77th percentile
Rent#449
$1,276
+9.7%
vs nation
86th percentile
Homeownership#1,906
72.7%
+12.9%
vs nation
41th percentile

Household Type

Education

In Cheshire County, 35.5% of adults age 25+ hold a bachelor's degree or higher, which is 5.5% above the national average, ranking #445 out of 3,222 counties.

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
35.5% +5.5% vs nation
Rank #445 of 3,222
86th percentile

Bachelor's Degree or Higher Trend

Rankings →

Health & Wellbeing

Life expectancy in Cheshire County is 78.6 years. 15.0% of adults report poor or fair health and 5.9% lack health insurance. Data from County Health Rankings (2025).

Life Expectancy#485
78.6
+4.6%
vs nation
84th percentile
Poor/Fair Health#540
15.0%
-23.3%
vs nation
83th percentile
Diabetes#191
8.1%
-27.2%
vs nation
94th percentile
Insufficient Sleep#851
34.6%
-7.3%
vs nation
73th percentile
Poor Mental Health Days#1,236
5.5
-2.7%
vs nation
61th percentile
Poor Physical Health Days#664
3.9
-13.0%
vs nation
79th percentile
Uninsured Rate#434
5.9%
-43.4%
vs nation
86th percentile
Physical Inactivity#279
19.7%
-25.3%
vs nation
91th percentile
Food Insecurity#455
10.7%
-25.7%
vs nation
86th percentile

Substance Use

15.0% of adults in Cheshire County smoke , 31.2% are obese , and 20.6% report excessive drinking. The drug overdose death rate is 26.4 per 100,000.

Adult Smoking#653
15.0%
-16.5%
vs nation
79th percentile
Adult Obesity#261
31.2%
-17.7%
vs nation
92th percentile
Excessive Drinking#1,846
20.6%
+3.9%
vs nation
41th percentile
Drug Overdose Deaths#967
26.4
-18.3%
vs nation
54th percentile

Safety

The homicide rate in Cheshire County is 2.4 per 100,000 and the suicide rate is 20.4 per 100,000. Motor vehicle deaths occur at a rate of 12.7 per 100,000.

Homicide Rate#180
2.4
-69.6%
vs nation
88th percentile
Suicide Rate#1,613
20.4
+3.7%
vs nation
37th percentile
Firearm Fatalities#972
14.9
-16.9%
vs nation
61th percentile
Motor Vehicle Deaths#671
12.7
-37.2%
vs nation
76th percentile

Families & Children

10.8% of children in Cheshire County live in poverty and the infant mortality rate is 4.3 per 1,000 live births. The teen birth rate is 7.3 per 1,000 females age 15–19.

Infant Mortality#145
4.3
-36.2%
vs nation
89th percentile
Teen Birth Rate#214
7.3
-66.3%
vs nation
93th percentile
Child Poverty#434
10.8%
-43.1%
vs nation
86th percentile

Civic & Transportation

Voter turnout in Cheshire County is 71.8%. The mean commute time is 25.9 min, which is 6.0% below the national average.

Voter Turnout
71.8% NaN% vs nation
Rank #NaN of NaN
th percentile

Voter Turnout Trend

Mean Commute Time
25.9 min −6.0% vs nation
Rank #1,718 of 3,222
47th percentile

Mean Commute Time Trend

Rankings →

Elections

In the 2024 presidential election, Cheshire County voted Democratic with a margin of 9.8%. The vote was 54.4% Dem / 44.6% Rep. Compared to 2020, the margin shifted 7.4 toward Republicans .

2024 DEM +9.8%
54.4% 44.6%
Dem 45,200 votes Rep
2020 DEM +17.2%
57.7% 40.5%
Dem 44,206 votes Rep
2016 DEM +12.6%
53.7% 41.1%
Dem 41,080 votes Rep
2012 DEM +24.8%
61.7% 36.9%
Dem 41,071 votes Rep
2008 DEM +27.6%
63.3% 35.7%
Dem 42,601 votes Rep

Vote Share Over Time

About Cheshire County, New Hampshire

Cheshire County, New Hampshire has a total population of 77,297, making it the 743rd most populous county in the United States. The median age in Cheshire County is 43.6 years, which is 12.1% above the national median of 38.9 years.

The median household income in Cheshire County is $83,329, which ranks #474 of 3,222 counties nationwide. This is 10.9% above the national median of $75,149. The poverty rate is 8.7%, lower than the national rate of 12.6%. The unemployment rate stands at 3.3%.

The median home value in Cheshire County is $280,100, 0.6% below the national median. Renters in Cheshire County pay a median gross rent of $1,276 per month. The homeownership rate is 72.7%, compared to the national rate of 64.4%.

In Cheshire County, 35.5% of residents aged 25 and older hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 5.5% above the national average of 33.7%. Health insurance coverage stands at 93.8% of the population. The average commute time for workers is 25.9 min.

Cheshire County is a diverse community. The largest racial or ethnic group is White (non-Hispanic) at 91.4% of the population, followed by Two or More Races (4.1%) and Hispanic or Latino (2.6%).

All data for Cheshire County, New Hampshire comes from the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey (ACS) 5-Year Estimates. These figures are estimates based on survey sampling and are subject to margin of error. For the most detailed and up-to-date data, visit the Census Bureau's official data portal.