The 10 Worst Small Towns In New Hampshire For 2022


Using science and data, we can tell you which teeny specks in New Hampshire are the pits.

Editor’s Note: This article is an opinion based on facts and is meant as infotainment. Don’t freak out we updated this article for 2022. This is our ninth time ranking the worst small places to live in New Hampshire.

Most Americans have never been to New Hampshire. However, as the people who live there know, New Hampshire is an awesome state.

But is it all roses? Definitely not. Just like any other state, New Hampshire has its trouble spots. This article aims to determine, using science, the absolute worst small towns to live in the Granite State. Don't shoot the messenger, this is all using data.

After analyzing more than 41 of New Hampshire's smallest cities, we came up with this list as the 10 worst small towns in New Hampshire where you'd never want to live:

These are the worst small towns in New Hampshire for 2022:

  1. Winchester
  2. Littleton
  3. Colebrook
  4. Greenville
  5. Belmont
  6. Pittsfield
  7. Conway
  8. Bristol
  9. Farmington
  10. Ashland

So what is the worst small town to call home in New Hampshire for 2022? According to the most recent census data, Winchester is the worst small town to live in New Hampshire.

Of course, many of these cities would rank highly if they were in other states, since New Hampshire has its stuff figured out.

Read on below to see how we crunched the numbers, or scroll to the bottom to see how your town ranked.

And if you already know about the small towns, check out the best places to live in New Hampshire or the worst places to live in New Hampshire.

If you're looking for something more national, check out the worst cities in America or the worst states in America.

The 10 Worst Small Towns In New Hampshire For 2022

1. Winchester

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 1,939
Rank Last Year: 1 (No Change)
Median Home Value: $129,500 (6th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 5.3% (8th worst)
More on Winchester:  Data

2. Littleton

Littleton, NH

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 4,294
Rank Last Year: 3 (Up 1)
Median Home Value: $166,600 (15th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 7.6% (5th worst)
More on Littleton:  Data | Photos

3. Colebrook

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 1,037
Rank Last Year: -
Median Home Value: $93,300 (worst)
Unemployment Rate: 3.1% (19th worst)
More on Colebrook:  Data

4. Greenville

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 1,011
Rank Last Year: -
Median Home Value: $179,600 (20th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 10.0% (2nd worst)
More on Greenville:  Data

5. Belmont

Belmont, NH

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 1,272
Rank Last Year: 7 (Up 2)
Median Home Value: $119,300 (4th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 4.6% (10th worst)
More on Belmont:  Data | Photos

6. Pittsfield

Overall SnackAbility

3
/10

Population: 1,464
Rank Last Year: 4 (Down 2)
Median Home Value: $162,500 (11th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 9.3% (3rd worst)
More on Pittsfield:  Data

7. Conway

Conway, NH

Source: Public domain
Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 3,965
Rank Last Year: 11 (Up 4)
Median Home Value: $167,700 (16th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 11.7% (worst)
More on Conway:  Data | Photos

8. Bristol

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 1,970
Rank Last Year: 6 (Down 2)
Median Home Value: $161,700 (10th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 2.4% (25th worst)
More on Bristol:  Data

9. Farmington

Overall SnackAbility

4
/10

Population: 4,140
Rank Last Year: 11 (Up 2)
Median Home Value: $180,300 (2worst)
Unemployment Rate: 5.0% (9th worst)
More on Farmington:  Data

10. Ashland

Overall SnackAbility

5
/10

Population: 1,630
Rank Last Year: 8 (Down 2)
Median Home Value: $148,600 (8th worst)
Unemployment Rate: 1.5% (3worst)
More on Ashland:  Data

How do you decide if a place is lousy or not?

In order to rank the worst small towns to live in New Hampshire, we had to determine what criteria people like or dislike about a place. It isn't a stretch to assume that people like low crime, solid education, things to do and a stable economy.

So we scraped the internet for those criteria, and it spit out the answer. Like magic.

How we determined the worst small towns to live in New Hampshire for 2022

We threw a lot of criteria at this one in order to get the best, most complete results possible. Using FBI crime data and the Census's 2016-2020 American Community Survey, this is the criteria we used:

  • Population Density (The lower the worse)
  • Highest Unemployment Rates
  • Low housing costs (meaning there's no demand)
  • Adjusted Median Income (Median income adjusted for the cost of living)
  • Education (Number of high school dropouts)
  • High Crime

We looked at cities with populations between 1,000 and 5,000 people, of which, there were a lot - 41 to be exact.

Additional note: We get the crime numbers from the FBI, which gets its crime numbers from the cities themselves. Dropout numbers are based on the adult population, not just the current graduation rates of teenagers.

This list is a scientific analysis based on real data and is completely unbiased.

There You Have It - The Worst Small Towns In New Hampshire

If you're analyzing teeny places in the Granite State with the worst economic situations, where there's high crime and there's not a lot to do, this is an accurate list.

If you're curious enough, here are the best small towns to live in New Hampshire, according to science:

  1. New London (Pop. 1,364)
  2. Contoocook (Pop. 1,353)
  3. Goffstown (Pop. 2,848)

For more New Hampshire reading, check out:

Detailed List Of The Worst Small Towns In New Hampshire

Rank Town Population Unemployment Rate Home Value
1 Winchester 1,939 5.3% $129,500
2 Littleton 4,294 7.6% $166,600
3 Colebrook 1,037 3.1% $93,300
4 Greenville 1,011 10.0% $179,600
5 Belmont 1,272 4.6% $119,300
6 Pittsfield 1,464 9.3% $162,500
7 Conway 3,965 11.7% $167,700
8 Bristol 1,970 2.4% $161,700
9 Farmington 4,140 5.0% $180,300
10 Ashland 1,630 1.5% $148,600
11 Meredith 2,651 8.5% $302,200
12 Woodsville 1,152 2.5% $116,800
13 Lincoln 1,086 0.0% $233,400
14 Bethlehem 1,061 2.1% $163,100
15 Hinsdale 1,470 6.8% $172,200
16 Whitefield 1,202 1.9% $110,100
17 Antrim 1,364 2.2% $185,800
18 Tilton Northfield 2,795 4.0% $166,400
19 North Conway 2,410 4.5% $1,000
20 Plymouth 4,281 7.2% $203,300
21 Wolfeboro 3,352 0.1% $315,700
22 Enfield 2,059 1.7% $200,800
23 Epping 3,001 2.8% $266,300
24 Lancaster 1,892 3.2% $140,400
25 Raymond 3,807 3.8% $242,500
26 Wilton 1,203 3.9% $252,900
27 Pinardville 4,764 2.5% $201,700
28 Gorham 1,948 2.9% $128,500
29 Marlborough 1,093 0.0% $198,800
30 Jaffrey 2,750 3.1% $175,600
31 Peterborough 2,704 4.3% $240,400
32 Suncook 4,975 1.1% $203,300
33 North Haverhill 1,155 0.0% $165,600
34 East Merrimack 4,786 1.2% $193,300
35 Hillsborough 1,421 2.4% $151,200
36 Hampton Beach 2,485 3.7% $352,800
37 Henniker 2,566 0.0% $238,100
38 West Swanzey 1,180 0.0% $175,000
39 New London 1,364 0.8% $302,300
40 Contoocook 1,353 2.4% $257,500
41 Goffstown 2,848 0.0% $245,300

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