Hillsborough

Hillsborough CountyMerrimack ValleyPopulation: 5,939

Overview

Hillsborough is a small rural town in Hillsborough County with a quiet, peaceful atmosphere.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Historic downtown on the Contoocook River with breweries and cafes
  • Direct corridors on Routes 9 and 202 to Concord or Keene
  • Riverfront parks and easy access to nearby Tanglewood Hills and mountain trails

Cons

  • Route 202/9 congestion and heavy truck traffic downtown
  • Industrial zones along the river create uneven neighborhood character

Cost of Owning Here

Official property tax rates published by the NH Department of Revenue Administration, plus estimated tax bills for Hillsborough.

2025 Local Tax Rate
$21.05
per $1,000 assessed value
2025 Effective (Equalized) Rate
$19.16
Equalization ratio: 91%
Municipal
$7.95
Local School
$10.98
State Education
$1.09
County
$1.03

Why "Effective Rate" is a better comparison

New Hampshire towns do not all assess property at the same percentage of market value. The state publishes an annual equalization ratio for every municipality showing how close local assessments are to full market value. A town that assesses homes at only 64% of market value will show an artificially high tax rate compared to a town that assesses at 100%. Multiplying the local rate by the equalization ratio produces an effective (equalized) rate that can be fairly compared across any two towns in the state.

YearTotal RateEffective RateMunicipalLocal SchoolState Ed.County
2025$21.05$19.16$7.95$10.98$1.09$1.03

Source: NH DRA

Example Tax Bills for 2025

Home ValueEstimated Annual TaxEstimated Monthly
$250,000$5,263$439
$350,000$7,368$614
$500,000$10,525$877
$750,000$15,788$1,316
$1,000,000$21,050$1,754

Estimates calculated using the 2025 local tax rate of $21.05 per $1,000 of assessed value. Actual tax bills depend on your property's specific assessed value and any exemptions or credits you may qualify for.

Climate & Environment

Summer Avg High
79.9°F
Winter Avg High
36.3°F
Annual Snowfall
54.2 in
Annual Rainfall
50.4 in
Sunny Days/Year
268
Data source: Open-Meteo / ERA5Updated 7/3/2026

Transportation & Commute

Commute to Major Cities

Boston
72 mi
~102 min drive
Manchester
21 mi
~45 min drive
Portsmouth
68 mi
~101 min drive
Concord
30 mi
~60 min drive
Data source: OpenRouteService / OpenStreetMapUpdated 7/3/2026

Safety & Crime

Safety Score
6/10
Crime Rate
14.48/1,000
Crime Trend
stable

Recreation & Outdoors

Outdoor Recreation Score
48/100
Trail Miles
26.9
0
Boat Launches
5
State Parks
3
0

Winter & Camping

Snowmobile Trails:8 miles
XC Ski Trails:0 miles
Campgrounds:3

Economy & Demographics

💰Income

Median Household Income
$82,059
Per Capita Income
$40,034
Median Family Income
$99,464

🏠Housing Costs

Median Home Value
$227,400
Homeownership Rate
92.36%

💼Employment

Unemployment Rate
1.69%
In Labor Force
2,962

🎓Education

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
16.9%
Total with Degree
723

👥Demographics

Median Age
44.2 years
Avg Household Size
2.57 people
Data source: Census ACS 2022 (5-Year)Census Data Year: 2022Updated 7/3/2026

Compare Hillsborough with Other Towns

See how Hillsborough stacks up against other NH communities.