Census-designated place · Rockingham County, New Hampshire

Hampton Beach, New Hampshire

Hampton Beach is a census-designated place in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, part of the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH metro area. It has 2,605 residents. Hampton Beach, New Hampshire has a quality-of-life score of 89 out of 100 (very high), ranking #1,728 of 15,651 US cities and towns. Within New Hampshire it ranks #30 of 66 cities and towns. It ranks best on gyms and fitness centers (high), voter turnout (high) and loneliness (low). It ranks worst on drought exposure (high), unemployment rate (high) and home price to income ratio (high).

89Very high

Quality-of-life score: #1,728 of 15,651 cities and towns
New Hampshire: #30 of 66 in NH
Population: 2,605 (2020-2024)
Land area: 1 mi²
Density: 2,047.2 /mi²
FIPS code: 3333140

Percentile-based score (100 is the best in the country) from 75 of 80 indicators, with the default “Explorer” weights.

Open in the map

Scores by category

Each category averages its indicators' percentile scores among US cities and towns.

Safety94#888/15,637
Economy60#6,255/15,631
Housing29#10,584/14,977
Health88#1,899/15,609
Healthcare85#2,352/15,650
Environment61#5,995/15,453
Education96#618/15,649
Infrastructure46#8,389/15,650
Community98#244/15,651
Leisure & amenities88#1,911/15,651

Strengths · Weaknesses

Indicators where Hampton Beach, New Hampshire ranks highest and lowest among US cities and towns (score = percentile, 100 = best). Values marked “Rockingham County value” are the county’s: the source publishes no figure for this city or town, and the county holding most of its residents stands in.

Strengths

Gyms and fitness centers · high2.6 /10k
98/100New Hampshire 2.0 /10kUnited States 1.3 /10k2025U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsRockingham County value
Voter turnout · high79.9%
95/100New Hampshire 74.7%United States 65.2%2024U.S. Election Assistance CommissionRockingham County value
Loneliness · low29.7%
95/100New Hampshire 32.0%United States 33.2%2023Centers for Disease Control and PreventionModel-based estimate
Premature death · low5,024 /100k
93/100New Hampshire 6,570 /100kUnited States 8,123 /100k2021-2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteRockingham County value
Food environment index · high9.2
92/100New Hampshire 9.5United States 7.62019 & 2023University of Wisconsin Population Health InstituteRockingham County value
Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) · low5.8 µg/m³
91/100New Hampshire 5.4 µg/m³United States 8.0 µg/m³2022Centers for Disease Control and Prevention · U.S. Environmental Protection AgencyRockingham County value

Weaknesses

Drought exposure · high82%
10/100New Hampshire 64%United States 43%Oct 2025–Sep 2026National Drought Mitigation Center (University of Nebraska–Lincoln), USDA and NOAARockingham County value
Unemployment rate · high9.5%
11/100New Hampshire 3.2%United States 4.3%2020-2024U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Census table B23025High uncertainty
Home price to income ratio · high6.2×
12/100New Hampshire 4.1×United States 4.1×2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B25077
Comfortable days · low23.8%
21/100New Hampshire 22.2%United States 26.8%2016-2025NOAA National Centers for Environmental InformationRockingham County value
Job growth · low-1.2%
24/100New Hampshire -1.2%United States 0.1%2026 Q1U.S. Bureau of Labor StatisticsProvisional dataRockingham County value
Broadband subscriptions · low86.1%
26/100New Hampshire 92.9%United States 91.0%2020-2024U.S. Census Bureau Census table B28002

Trends

The largest changes over about five years, next to the country's over the same periods.

Rent-burdened householdsWorsening
44.1% (2015-2019) → 61.7% (2020-2024)
+18 pts5 yearsCensus table B25070US 49.6% → 51.1%
Rent as share of incomeWorsening
27.9% (2015-2019) → 35.8% (2020-2024)
+7.9 pts5 yearsCensus table B25071US 29.8% → 30.6%
Broadband subscriptionsImproving
79.3% (2015-2019) → 86.1% (2020-2024)
+6.9 pts5 yearsCensus table B28002US 82.7% → 91.0%
Median household incomeImproving
$63,984 (2015-2019) → $82,557 (2020-2024)
+29%5 yearsCensus table B19013US $65,712 → $81,604
Child poverty rateImproving
4.9% (2015-2019) → 0.0% (2020-2024)
−4.9 pts5 yearsCensus table B17001US 16.8% → 15.5%
Unemployment rateWorsening
4.7% (2015-2019) → 9.5% (2020-2024)
+4.8 pts5 yearsCensus table B23025US 3.7% → 4.0%

What changed in five years

How each measure moved between two periods about five years apart, read against whether more or less is better, the published margin of error and the same change in other places.

Over about five years, Hampton Beach, New Hampshire improved on 0 of 11 measures with a comparison and declined on 0. 11 moved within the margin of error and 0 barely changed.

Earlier (2015-2019)
Latest (2020-2024)
Lower standingHigher standing

Position is the place's standing among cities and towns: further right is better, whichever way the measure counts.

Improved0

No measure improved by more than its margin of error.

Declined0

No measure declined by more than its margin of error.

All 11 measures

Change of every measure of Hampton Beach, New Hampshire between two periods about five years apart
Measure	Before	After	Change	Reading	Favourable vs peers
Average commute time	32.4 min2015-2019	25.4 min2020-2024	−7.1 min	Within the margin of error	95%
Bachelor's degree or higher	38.0%2015-2019	34.0%2020-2024	−3.9 points	Within the margin of error	9%
Broadband subscriptions	79.3%2015-2019	86.1%2020-2024	+6.9 points	Within the margin of error	43%
Effective property tax rate	1.71%2015-2019	1.11%2020-2024	−0.6 points	Within the margin of error	94%
High school diploma or higher	96.1%2015-2019	97.0%2020-2024	+0.9 points	Within the margin of error	45%
Home price to income ratio	5.4×2015-2019	6.2×2020-2024	+0.8×	Within the margin of error	31%
Income inequality (Gini index)	0.4572015-2019	0.4462020-2024	−0.011	Within the margin of error	61%
Median household income	$63,9842015-2019	$82,5572020-2024	+29%	Within the margin of error	53%
Poverty rate	5.4%2015-2019	8.2%2020-2024	+2.9 points	Within the margin of error	21%
Rent as share of income	27.9%2015-2019	35.8%2020-2024	+7.9 points	Within the margin of error	13%
Rent-burdened households	44.1%2015-2019	61.7%2020-2024	+18 points	Within the margin of error	11%

“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 14640 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.

Sources: American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. Values are the latest and the one five years earlier of the same publisher dataset; datasets that changed publisher in between are never compared.

Survey estimates (American Community Survey) compare the two most recent 5-year windows that do not share years, so the margin of error of the difference holds. The 2015-2019 window predates the pandemic and 2020-2024 includes it.
A change counts only when it is larger than 1.645 times the square root of the two standard errors squared, summed (a 90% margin). Measures published without a margin must change by at least 5% to count.
“Against peers” compares the change with the same change in the 15651 cities and towns that have the same two periods. It describes how common a change is, not why it happened.
Standing is a percentile among the same places: 0 is the lowest value on the measure (or the worst when lower is better), 100 the best.

Cities and towns like Hampton Beach, New Hampshire five years ago that improved

The places whose measures looked most like those of Hampton Beach, New Hampshire in the earlier period, ranked by how many measures improved beyond the margin of error, minus how many declined. A comparison of published data, not a forecast and not advice.

For comparison, Hampton Beach, New Hampshire itself moved −5.8 points in standing on average over the same 10 measures (standings of all places average about zero).

How the ranking works

Similarity is the root-mean-square difference of standings in the earlier period over the measures most places have. Places are ranked by measures that improved beyond the margin of error minus those that declined (a count that estimation noise in small places cannot inflate), then by the mean change of standing over the measures a place has in both periods. Only places with more improvements than declines and a rise in standing are listed. Standings are relative, so a place can improve in absolute terms and still lose standing.

Who lives here

Age, race and education of residents, from the American Community Survey. Shares are of all residents (age), residents of every origin (race) or adults 25 and over (education).

Age and sex

2,605 residents (±391)

Men
Women

80 and over†
70–79†
60–69†
50–59†
40–49†
30–39†
20–29†
10–19†
Under 10†

Share of all residents, each sex

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: 60–69 women (+9.7 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B01001View table on data.census.gov

Race and Hispanic origin

2,605 residents (±391)

Hampton Beach, New Hampshire
New Hampshire share

White95%2,465
Black0.0%0
Hispanic or Latino2.6%†68

Education

2,430 residents (±356)

Hampton Beach, New Hampshire
New Hampshire share

No high school diploma3.0%†74
High school or GED33%801
Some college17%†409

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Income

How household income is spread, not just the middle: each bar is the share of households in that income range.

Household income

1,485 households (±202)

Hampton Beach, New Hampshire
New Hampshire share

Under $25k12%†172
$25k–50k17%†250
$50k–75k19%†285
$75k–100k17%†246
$100k–150k13%†196
$150k–200k9.6%†143
$200k or more13%†193

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B19001View table on data.census.gov

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Homes

Who owns and who rents, what homes cost, and what the housing stock looks like.

Owners and renters

1,485 households (±202)

Hampton Beach, New Hampshire
New Hampshire share

Own63%934
Rent37%551

No change since 2015–2019 is larger than the margin of error.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B25003View table on data.census.gov

Rent paid

545 households (±149)

Hampton Beach, New Hampshire
New Hampshire share

Under $7501.3%†7
$750–1,0004.6%†25
$1,000–1,50061%†331

Home values

934 homes (±146)

Hampton Beach, New Hampshire
New Hampshire share

Under $150k8.8%†82
$150k–250k5.0%†47
$250k–400k20%†186

Age of homes

3,244 homes (±228)

Hampton Beach, New Hampshire
New Hampshire share

2010 or later14%†438
2000–20096.8%†221
1980–199918%598

Size of homes

3,244 homes (±228)

Hampton Beach, New Hampshire
New Hampshire share

Studio9.0%†293
1 bedroom17%†540
2 bedrooms39%1,278

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Getting to work

How workers travel to their job and how long it takes them.

How people get to work

1,458 workers (±290)

Hampton Beach, New Hampshire
New Hampshire share

Drive alone51%†746
Carpool13%†188
Public transit0.0%0
Walk9.1%†132
Bike0.0%0
Work from home27%†392
Other0.0%0

Biggest shift since 2015–2019: Drive alone (−30.3 points).

† Wide margin of error (more than 30% of the estimate): read with care.

Table view

American Community Survey 5-year estimates, 2020–2024 · Table B08301View table on data.census.gov

Time to get to work

1,066 workers (±265)

Hampton Beach, New Hampshire
New Hampshire share

Under 15 min34%†366
15–29 min35%†377
30–44 min13%†

Counts are survey estimates, each with a margin of error. The grouping into ranges is ours; every count is the Census Bureau's.

Jobs and pay

What the largest occupations here pay, from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics survey.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes pay by metro area, not by county or city. The metro area page lists its largest occupations and lets you look up any job.

Pay in the Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH

Local businesses

Employer businesses and sole proprietors by industry, per resident and against the state and the nation. Counts of businesses next to counts of people, not a measure of demand.

The Census Bureau publishes business counts by county, not by city, so these are the figures of Rockingham County, the county holding most of Hampton Beach's residents.

Rockingham County has 10,266 employer establishments, 320 for every 10,000 residents (1.29× the US rate of 248; 1.14× New Hampshire's), with 152,257 paid employees at an average annual pay of $67,471. The Census Bureau also counts 30,115 nonemployer businesses, mostly sole proprietors.

Establishments: 10,266; 30,115 nonemployers
Per 10,000 residents: 320; US 248 · New Hampshire 280
Paid employees: 152,257
Average annual pay: $67,471; US $68,342

Employer establishments, employees, average pay and nonemployers of Rockingham County by industry, with the density per resident against the nation

Specialty trade contractors	882	27.5	1.78×More than typical	7,365	$79,914	2,422
Restaurants and other eating places	800	25	1.36×More than typical	14,185	$28,157	77
Ambulatory health care services	736	23	1.10×About typical	9,717	$75,902	1,417
Services to buildings and dwellings	418	13	1.93×More than typical	2,257	$46,046	1,072
Building equipment contractors	388	12.1	2.01×More than typical	3,107	$79,647	594
Full-service restaurants	345	10.8	1.40×More than typical	8,431	$30,758	28
Construction of buildings	343	10.7	1.42×More than typical	1,880	$78,268	924
Lessors of real estate	323	10.1	0.82×About typical	1,306	$62,731	4,205
Limited-service restaurants	301	9.4	1.17×About typical	4,000	$26,036	37
Landscaping services	274	8.6	2.44×More than typical	1,268	$57,944	435
Automotive repair and maintenance	267	8.3	1.65×More than typical	1,396	$60,511	306
Personal care services	252	7.9	1.65×More than typical	1,405	$32,312	1,144

Rank places for an industry Open Rockingham County

County Business Patterns (2023); Nonemployer Statistics (2024)

Per-resident figures divide by the population estimate of 2023: 320,441 residents here, 336,755,052 in the United States. County Business Patterns counts establishments in 2023; the Nonemployer Statistics count businesses in 2024.
“More than typical” is a density at least 1.25 times the nation's per resident, “fewer” at most 0.8 times, with at least 10 establishments. It compares counts of businesses with counts of people: it says nothing about demand, incomes, size, quality or profit, and visitors and commuters are not residents.
The Census Bureau adds noise to employment and payroll to protect confidentiality, and withholds some figures: an industry with few establishments can show employees or pay as unavailable.
Industries overlap: a narrower industry (full-service restaurants) is part of a broader one (restaurants), so the rows do not add up.
Industries follow the North American Industry Classification System; the two surveys use different editions (NAICS 2017 and 2022), which this page matches industry by industry.

Federal contracts performed here

In FY2026, an estimated $65.2K of federal contract obligations were for work performed in Hampton Beach, New Hampshire: $25.02 per resident (US $1,994).

Obligations: $65.2K; −30% vs FY2025
Per resident: $25.02; US $1,994
Sole-source: 0.0%; US 30%
Single offer: 1.2%; US 8.8%

A signal is a reason to look closer, not evidence of wrongdoing: most sole-source awards are lawful and justified.

Top buying agencies

National Aeronautics and Space Administration$37.3K57%
Department of the Navy$24.9K38%
U.S. Geological Survey$1,1431.8%
Federal Aviation Administration$1,0551.6%
Defense Logistics Agency$7671.2%

Top recipients

Spending by fiscal year

381.8KFY2017
329.1KFY2018
1.5MFY2019
1.1MFY2020
213.9KFY2021
181.9KFY2022
1MFY2023
365.4K

Top industries (NAICS)

Scientific research and development services · 5417$62.2K95%
Navigational, measuring, electromedical, and control instruments manufacturing · 3345$1,1431.8%
Semiconductor and other electronic component manufacturing · 3344$1,0551.6%
Support activities for air transportation · 4881$7671.2%

Source: Federal contract transactions (Federal Procurement Data System) (U.S. Department of the Treasury, USAspending.gov), data current to Oct 3, 2026, loaded Oct 3, 2026.

How this is estimated

Agencies report each contract action's place of performance as a county and a ZIP code. A ZIP code's money is split among the cities it covers by the share of its land inside each (Census 2020 ZIP code tabulation areas); the part outside city limits stays with the county.

The place of performance is what the contracting agency reports, often the contractor's office rather than where the work happens.
Shares are of land, not of people or businesses: a ZIP code that is mostly rural land but has its offices in town gives the town less than it should.
ZIP codes that are not mapped areas (post office boxes, the unique ZIP codes of large federal sites and companies) stay with their county, unless one city covers nearly all of it.
Counts of actions and awards include those only partly in Hampton Beach, New Hampshire, so they do not add up across cities.

Hampton Beach, New Hampshire's figures are part of those of Rockingham County, NH ($592.2M in FY2026), never added to them: 0.0% of that total.

Grants and other federal assistance are counted by county here, not split among cities: Hampton Beach is mostly in Rockingham County.

See federal money in Rockingham County

Representation in Congress

Members serving today, with their record in the current Congress (party-unity votes cast with their caucus, roll calls missed). Not a grade.

Hampton Beach, New Hampshire is split between congressional districts: each representative is shown with the share of its residents in their district (current boundaries).

House

Senate

County

A city can lie in several counties. Some indicators are published for counties only: the page marks them.

Rockingham County98100% of residents

Metro area

The metro or micro area the city belongs to.

Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH89

Other cities and towns in Rockingham County

Largest first.

Similar cities and towns

Closest indicator profiles across the country (no model: score distances).

Data and sources

Latest published value of each indicator; periods differ by source. Values flagged by their publisher are marked.

PLACES: Local Data for Better HealthCenters for Disease Control and Prevention · release 2025
Local Area Unemployment StatisticsU.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics · release 2025
American Community Survey 5-Year EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2017-2024
Population Estimates ProgramU.S. Census Bureau · release 2025
Small Area Health Insurance EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
Small Area Income and Poverty EstimatesU.S. Census Bureau · release 2024
County Health Rankings & RoadmapsUniversity of Wisconsin Population Health Institute · release 2022-2025+2026-03-supplement

JSON · /api/v1/places/3333140

Scores by category

Strengths · Weaknesses

Strengths

Weaknesses

Trends