New London

Merrimack CountyUpper ValleyPopulation: 4,400

Overview

New London is a small rural town in Merrimack County with a quiet, peaceful atmosphere.

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Colby-Sawyer College keeps a steady arts and lecture calendar
  • Lake Sunapee frontage plus two marinas for boating and paddle sports
  • Strong civic engagement and consistently top-ranked schools

Cons

  • Summer lake traffic creates congestion around Route 103
  • Waterfront homes carry a premium, pushing up property taxes

Cost of Owning Here

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

2025 Local Tax Rate
$11.86
per $1,000 assessed value
2025 Effective (Equalized) Rate
$9.45
Equalization ratio: 80%
Municipal
$3.71
Local School
$5.03
State Education
$1.14
County
$1.98

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$11.86$9.45$3.71$5.03$1.14$1.98

Source: NH DRA

Example Tax Bills for 2025

Home ValueEstimated Annual TaxEstimated Monthly
$250,000$2,965$247
$350,000$4,151$346
$500,000$5,930$494
$750,000$8,895$741
$1,000,000$11,860$988

Estimates calculated using the 2025 local tax rate of $11.86 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
77°F
Winter Avg High
32.8°F
Annual Snowfall
65.7 in
Annual Rainfall
48.8 in
Sunny Days/Year
261
Data source: Open-Meteo / ERA5Updated 7/4/2026

Transportation & Commute

Commute to Major Cities

Boston
99 mi
~113 min drive
Manchester
49 mi
~55 min drive
Portsmouth
91 mi
~105 min drive
Concord
35 mi
~45 min drive
Data source: OpenRouteService / OpenStreetMapUpdated 7/3/2026

Safety & Crime

Safety Score
9/10
Crime Rate
6.14/1,000
Crime Trend
stable
Data source: FBI Crime Data Explorer - https://cde.ucr.cjis.gov/Updated 8/12/2026

Recreation & Outdoors

Outdoor Recreation Score
32/100
Trail Miles
29.9
0
Boat Launches
4
00

Winter & Camping

Snowmobile Trails:0 miles
XC Ski Trails:5 miles
0

Economy & Demographics

💰Income

Median Household Income
$87,237
Per Capita Income
$51,047
Median Family Income
$135,179

🏠Housing Costs

Median Home Value
$449,500
Median Rent
$1,078/mo
Homeownership Rate
90.77%

💼Employment

Unemployment Rate
2.36%
In Labor Force
1,594

🎓Education

Bachelor's Degree or Higher
34.74%
Total with Degree
1,026

👥Demographics

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

Condo Communities in New London

one registered condo association — offering active low-maintenance living options.

Source: Merrimack County Audit - AI Discovery (data as of August 2026)

Compare New London with Other Towns

See how New London stacks up against other NH communities.