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NHNew Hampshire rankings

Safest towns in New Hampshire

Ranked by crime reported to police per 1,000 residents, averaged over 2023–2025, with violent crimes counted four times as heavily as property crimes. Lower is safer. 96 towns with 2,500+ residents whose police reported every year.

U.S. Census ACS 2020–2024 5-year

Deerfield 1 Deerfield Rockingham County 2.1 Violent 0.2 per 1,000 Map of Strafford 2 Strafford Strafford County 2.1 Violent 0.3 per 1,000 Atkinson 3 Atkinson Rockingham County 2.1 Violent 0.3 per 1,000
#TownWeighted crime rateViolentProperty
1 Deerfield DeerfieldRockingham County · 4,932 people 2.1 0.2 per 1,000 1.3 per 1,000
2 Map of Strafford StraffordStrafford County · 4,306 people 2.1 0.3 per 1,000 0.8 per 1,000
3 Atkinson AtkinsonRockingham County · 7,267 people 2.1 0.3 per 1,000 0.9 per 1,000
4 Newton NewtonRockingham County · 4,836 people 2.2 0.1 per 1,000 1.9 per 1,000
5 Litchfield LitchfieldHillsborough County · 8,499 people 2.3 0.2 per 1,000 1.5 per 1,000
6 New Boston New BostonHillsborough County · 6,165 people 2.4 0.2 per 1,000 1.6 per 1,000
7 Map of Nottingham NottinghamRockingham County · 5,357 people 2.4 0.3 per 1,000 1.2 per 1,000
8 Chester ChesterRockingham County · 5,300 people 2.9 0.1 per 1,000 2.4 per 1,000
9 Auburn AuburnRockingham County · 6,119 people 3.3 0.1 per 1,000 2.8 per 1,000
10 Map of Sandown SandownRockingham County · 6,628 people 3.4 0.4 per 1,000 2.0 per 1,000
11 Brookline BrooklineHillsborough County · 5,736 people 3.4 0.3 per 1,000 2.2 per 1,000
12 Candia CandiaRockingham County · 4,134 people 3.5 0.0 per 1,000 3.5 per 1,000
13 Hollis HollisHillsborough County · 8,603 people 3.6 0.2 per 1,000 3.0 per 1,000
14 Map of Hopkinton HopkintonMerrimack County · 6,037 people 3.7 0.2 per 1,000 2.8 per 1,000
15 Rye RyeRockingham County · 5,611 people 3.7 0.1 per 1,000 3.2 per 1,000
16 Whitefield WhitefieldCoos County · 2,516 people 3.7 0.4 per 1,000 2.1 per 1,000
17 Madison MadisonCarroll County · 2,680 people 4.1 0.4 per 1,000 2.7 per 1,000
18 Map of Merrimack MerrimackHillsborough County · 28,164 people 4.1 0.1 per 1,000 3.6 per 1,000
19 Kingston KingstonRockingham County · 6,275 people 4.2 0.5 per 1,000 2.1 per 1,000
20 Mont Vernon Mont VernonHillsborough County · 2,636 people 4.2 0.3 per 1,000 3.2 per 1,000
21 Loudon LoudonMerrimack County · 5,692 people 4.5 0.1 per 1,000 4.0 per 1,000
22 Durham DurhamStrafford County · 15,080 people 4.6 0.6 per 1,000 2.1 per 1,000
23 Dunbarton DunbartonMerrimack County · 3,097 people 4.6 0.4 per 1,000 2.9 per 1,000
24 Plainfield PlainfieldSullivan County · 2,522 people 4.7 0.3 per 1,000 3.6 per 1,000
25 Walpole WalpoleCheshire County · 3,690 people 4.8 0.6 per 1,000 2.2 per 1,000
26 Barrington BarringtonStrafford County · 9,489 people 4.8 0.4 per 1,000 3.2 per 1,000
27 Map of Thornton ThorntonGrafton County · 2,799 people 4.9 0.6 per 1,000 2.5 per 1,000
28 Map of New Durham New DurhamStrafford County · 2,748 people 5.0 0.2 per 1,000 4.0 per 1,000
29 Milford MilfordHillsborough County · 16,337 people 5.1 0.3 per 1,000 3.7 per 1,000
30 Bow BowMerrimack County · 8,335 people 5.1 0.3 per 1,000 4.0 per 1,000
31 Newmarket NewmarketRockingham County · 9,463 people 5.4 0.5 per 1,000 3.3 per 1,000
32 Fremont FremontRockingham County · 4,831 people 5.4 0.4 per 1,000 3.8 per 1,000
33 Hanover HanoverGrafton County · 11,685 people 5.7 0.2 per 1,000 5.1 per 1,000
34 Weare WeareHillsborough County · 9,170 people 5.8 1.1 per 1,000 1.6 per 1,000
35 Lee LeeStrafford County · 4,576 people 5.8 0.2 per 1,000 4.9 per 1,000
36 Brentwood BrentwoodRockingham County · 4,641 people 5.9 0.6 per 1,000 3.4 per 1,000
37 Tamworth TamworthCarroll County · 2,884 people 5.9 0.7 per 1,000 3.2 per 1,000
38 Gilmanton GilmantonBelknap County · 4,026 people 6.1 0.6 per 1,000 3.8 per 1,000
39 Raymond RaymondRockingham County · 10,900 people 6.3 0.7 per 1,000 3.6 per 1,000
40 Northwood NorthwoodRockingham County · 4,688 people 6.4 0.9 per 1,000 3.0 per 1,000
41 Wakefield WakefieldCarroll County · 5,405 people 6.4 0.5 per 1,000 4.5 per 1,000
42 Goffstown GoffstownHillsborough County · 18,513 people 6.7 0.5 per 1,000 4.6 per 1,000
43 Peterborough PeterboroughHillsborough County · 6,408 people 6.8 0.6 per 1,000 4.4 per 1,000
44 Charlestown CharlestownSullivan County · 4,889 people 6.9 0.5 per 1,000 5.0 per 1,000
45 Rollinsford RollinsfordStrafford County · 2,626 people 6.9 0.5 per 1,000 4.9 per 1,000
46 Rindge RindgeCheshire County · 6,497 people 7.0 0.3 per 1,000 6.0 per 1,000
47 Pelham PelhamHillsborough County · 14,449 people 7.1 0.6 per 1,000 4.8 per 1,000
48 Moultonborough MoultonboroughCarroll County · 5,126 people 7.2 0.9 per 1,000 3.6 per 1,000
49 Londonderry LondonderryRockingham County · 26,685 people 7.2 0.6 per 1,000 4.8 per 1,000
50 Map of Wilton WiltonHillsborough County · 3,960 people 7.2 0.4 per 1,000 5.5 per 1,000
51 Tuftonboro TuftonboroCarroll County · 2,569 people 7.3 0.4 per 1,000 5.8 per 1,000
52 Amherst AmherstHillsborough County · 11,861 people 7.4 0.2 per 1,000 6.7 per 1,000
53 Map of Epsom EpsomMerrimack County · 4,939 people 7.5 0.7 per 1,000 4.8 per 1,000
54 Exeter ExeterRockingham County · 16,151 people 7.5 0.5 per 1,000 5.6 per 1,000
55 Barnstead BarnsteadBelknap County · 4,994 people 8.3 0.4 per 1,000 6.7 per 1,000
56 Henniker HennikerMerrimack County · 6,197 people 8.8 1.3 per 1,000 3.6 per 1,000
57 Wolfeboro WolfeboroCarroll County · 6,571 people 8.9 0.8 per 1,000 5.7 per 1,000
58 Hooksett HooksettMerrimack County · 15,057 people 9.1 0.6 per 1,000 6.7 per 1,000
59 New Ipswich New IpswichHillsborough County · 5,310 people 9.1 0.6 per 1,000 6.9 per 1,000
60 Alton AltonBelknap County · 5,994 people 9.3 1.0 per 1,000 5.3 per 1,000
61 Dover Dover33,364 people 9.6 0.5 per 1,000 7.6 per 1,000
62 Sunapee SunapeeSullivan County · 3,416 people 10.0 0.7 per 1,000 7.3 per 1,000
63 Hampton HamptonRockingham County · 16,426 people 10.5 0.9 per 1,000 6.7 per 1,000
64 Allenstown AllenstownMerrimack County · 4,743 people 10.8 1.5 per 1,000 5.0 per 1,000
65 Bartlett BartlettCarroll County · 3,281 people 10.9 0.9 per 1,000 7.3 per 1,000
66 Meredith MeredithBelknap County · 6,758 people 10.9 1.0 per 1,000 6.8 per 1,000
67 Map of Derry DerryRockingham County · 34,116 people 11.7 1.2 per 1,000 7.0 per 1,000
68 Map of Hillsborough HillsboroughHillsborough County · 5,980 people 11.7 1.4 per 1,000 6.3 per 1,000
69 Campton CamptonGrafton County · 3,407 people 12.3 1.3 per 1,000 7.3 per 1,000
70 Map of Gilford GilfordBelknap County · 7,830 people 12.6 0.5 per 1,000 10.8 per 1,000
71 Plaistow PlaistowRockingham County · 7,861 people 13.3 0.7 per 1,000 10.6 per 1,000
72 Jaffrey JaffreyCheshire County · 5,448 people 13.4 1.9 per 1,000 5.8 per 1,000
73 Belmont BelmontBelknap County · 7,392 people 13.7 1.2 per 1,000 8.9 per 1,000
74 Farmington FarmingtonStrafford County · 6,795 people 13.7 1.6 per 1,000 7.3 per 1,000
75 Milton MiltonStrafford County · 4,538 people 14.0 1.3 per 1,000 8.8 per 1,000
76 Franklin Franklin8,799 people 14.3 1.1 per 1,000 10.0 per 1,000
77 Hudson HudsonHillsborough County · 25,557 people 14.4 0.8 per 1,000 11.2 per 1,000
78 Chichester ChichesterMerrimack County · 2,745 people 14.5 1.3 per 1,000 9.3 per 1,000
79 Ossipee OssipeeCarroll County · 4,521 people 15.3 1.4 per 1,000 9.9 per 1,000
80 Nashua Nashua91,294 people 16.1 1.3 per 1,000 10.9 per 1,000
81 Littleton LittletonGrafton County · 6,040 people 17.2 1.3 per 1,000 11.9 per 1,000
82 Newport NewportSullivan County · 6,375 people 17.5 2.5 per 1,000 7.6 per 1,000
83 Bristol BristolGrafton County · 3,273 people 18.2 1.2 per 1,000 13.3 per 1,000
84 Gorham GorhamCoos County · 2,682 people 18.3 1.4 per 1,000 12.8 per 1,000
85 Epping EppingRockingham County · 7,430 people 18.3 0.7 per 1,000 15.5 per 1,000
86 Plymouth PlymouthGrafton County · 6,601 people 18.4 0.9 per 1,000 14.9 per 1,000
87 Portsmouth Portsmouth22,545 people 18.6 1.8 per 1,000 11.5 per 1,000
88 Lebanon Lebanon14,999 people 19.9 1.1 per 1,000 15.7 per 1,000
89 Concord Concord44,375 people 20.4 1.7 per 1,000 13.5 per 1,000
90 Map of Salem SalemRockingham County · 30,964 people 22.2 1.3 per 1,000 17.1 per 1,000
91 Somersworth Somersworth12,111 people 25.2 1.3 per 1,000 19.9 per 1,000
92 Keene Keene22,939 people 28.7 1.6 per 1,000 22.3 per 1,000
93 Manchester Manchester115,643 people 30.0 3.5 per 1,000 16.1 per 1,000
94 Seabrook SeabrookRockingham County · 8,427 people 31.2 1.7 per 1,000 24.4 per 1,000
95 Laconia Laconia17,085 people 32.3 1.9 per 1,000 24.9 per 1,000
96 Tilton TiltonBelknap County · 4,063 people 42.7 2.0 per 1,000 34.6 per 1,000

How this ranking works

For each town we add up the violent and property crimes its police reported to the FBI over 2023–2025 and divide by the population they served, giving a rate per 1,000 residents. Violent crimes (homicide, rape, robbery and aggravated assault) count four times as much as property crimes (burglary, theft, vehicle theft and arson), because they weigh more on how safe a place feels. The lowest weighted rate ranks #1.

These are crimes reported to police, not convictions, and towns with a campus, highway, beach or shopping center also count incidents involving visitors. A town is ranked only if its police department reported a full year in every one of these years; towns patrolled by a county sheriff or state police don't have their own figures. There is no “most dangerous” list, on purpose.

Only towns with at least 2,500 residents are ranked; Census estimates for smaller places are too uncertain. Population and income: U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates. Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting Program, offenses known to law enforcement by city. Town photos: Wikimedia Commons, credited on each town’s page.

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