New Castle

Rockingham Countyβ€’Seacoast Regionβ€’Population: 1,000

Overview

New Castle is New Hampshire's smallest town by population, occupying an island at the mouth of the Piscataqua River near Portsmouth. The town's historic Fort Constitution and coastal setting give it a distinctive maritime character.

New Castle's compact village includes historic homes and Great Island Common, a waterfront park with views of the harbor and open ocean. The town's proximity to Portsmouth provides access to a larger city's dining, culture, and services.

Housing in New Castle commands some of the highest prices in the state, reflecting its limited land area and coastal, near-Portsmouth location. The town draws affluent families and retirees seeking a quiet island setting.

Pros & Cons

βœ“ Pros

  • β€’Island setting
  • β€’Near Portsmouth
  • β€’Scenic coastline
  • β€’Historic fort

βœ— Cons

  • β€’Very expensive
  • β€’Very small town
  • β€’Limited services

Cost of Owning Here

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

2025 Local Tax Rate
$5.73
per $1,000 assessed value
2025 Effective (Equalized) Rate
$3.66
Equalization ratio: 64%
Municipal
$3.22
Local School
$0.16
State Education
$1.53
County
$0.82

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$5.73$3.66$3.22$0.16$1.53$0.82

Source: NH DRA

Example Tax Bills for 2025

Home ValueEstimated Annual TaxEstimated Monthly
$250,000$1,433$119
$350,000$2,006$167
$500,000$2,865$239
$750,000$4,298$358
$1,000,000$5,730$478

Estimates calculated using the 2025 local tax rate of $5.73 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
75.5Β°F
Winter Avg High
38Β°F
Annual Snowfall
39.8 in
Annual Rainfall
48.3 in
Sunny Days/Year
272
Data source: Open-Meteo / ERA5 β€’ Updated 7/4/2026

Transportation & Commute

Commute to Major Cities

Boston
60 mi
~84 min drive
Manchester
46 mi
~64 min drive
Portsmouth
3 mi
~10 min drive
Concord
61 mi
~80 min drive
Data source: OpenRouteService / OpenStreetMap β€’ Updated 7/3/2026

Safety & Crime

Safety Score
10/10
Crime Rate
4/1,000
Crime Trend
stable
Data source: FBI Crime Data Explorer - https://cde.ucr.cjis.gov/ β€’ Updated 8/12/2026

Recreation & Outdoors

Outdoor Recreation Score
18/100
Trail Miles
0.3
0
Boat Launches
1
State Parks
3
0

Winter & Camping

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

Economy & Demographics

πŸ’°Income

Median Household Income
$164,167
Per Capita Income
$156,894
Median Family Income
$250,001

🏠Housing Costs

Median Home Value
$1,475,000
Median Rent
$2,286/mo
Homeownership Rate
92.09%

πŸ’ΌEmployment

In Labor Force
374
Work From Home
0.8%

πŸŽ“Education

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
42.44%
Total with Degree
306

πŸš—Commute

Work From Home
0.8%

πŸ‘₯Demographics

Median Age
57.4 years
Avg Household Size
2.1 people
Data source: Census ACS 2022 (5-Year) β€’ Census Data Year: 2022 β€’ Updated 7/3/2026

Compare New Castle with Other Towns

See how New Castle stacks up against other NH communities.