Lebanon is a regional hub in the Upper Valley, straddling the Connecticut River across from White River Junction, Vermont, in Grafton County. The city grew around its mills and rail lines and now anchors one of northern New England's largest healthcare and technology corridors.

Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, one of the region's largest employers, sits in Lebanon alongside a cluster of tech and biotech companies. The compact downtown around Colburn Park offers restaurants and shops, while the Northern Rail Trail and nearby ski areas provide year-round recreation.

Lebanon's population includes healthcare workers, students, and families drawn by the strong job market and proximity to Hanover and Dartmouth College. Housing costs run higher than much of the North Country but remain more moderate than Hanover itself.