Waterville Valley

Grafton County•White Mountains•Population: 508

Ski Enthusiasts Outdoor Enthusiasts Second Home Buyers

Overview

Waterville Valley is a purpose-built ski resort town in Grafton County, developed around its namesake mountain resort in the 1960s. The town's compact village center caters almost entirely to skiers, hikers, and mountain visitors.

Waterville Valley Resort offers skiing and snowboarding in winter and mountain biking and hiking in summer, with a village square of shops, restaurants, and lodging. The Mad River and surrounding White Mountain National Forest add to the town's recreational offerings.

Housing in Waterville Valley consists almost entirely of vacation properties and condominiums, with year-round residents making up a small fraction of the town's population. The town draws skiers, outdoor enthusiasts, and tourism workers.

Pros & Cons

✓ Pros

•Ski resort
•Mountain biking
•Village amenities
•Four-season recreation

✗ Cons

•Almost entirely seasonal
•Tourist-dependent economy
•Limited year-round community

Cost of Owning Here

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

2025 Local Tax Rate

$9.96

per $1,000 assessed value

2025 Effective (Equalized) Rate

$9.74

Equalization ratio: 98%

Municipal

$6.86

Local School

$1.08

State Education

$1.04

County

$0.98

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.

Year	Total Rate	Effective Rate	Municipal	Local School	State Ed.	County
2025	$9.96	$9.74	$6.86	$1.08	$1.04	$0.98

Source: NH DRA

Example Tax Bills for 2025

Home Value	Estimated Annual Tax	Estimated Monthly
$250,000	$2,490	$208
$350,000	$3,486	$291
$500,000	$4,980	$415
$750,000	$7,470	$623
$1,000,000	$9,960	$830

Estimates calculated using the 2025 local tax rate of $9.96 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.

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Climate & Environment

Summer Avg High

73.7°F

Winter Avg High

29.9°F

Annual Snowfall

82.1 in

Annual Rainfall

56.2 in

Sunny Days/Year

256

Data source: Open-Meteo / ERA5 • Updated 7/4/2026

Transportation & Commute

Commute to Major Cities

Boston

127 mi

~147 min drive

Manchester

77 mi

~89 min drive

Portsmouth

119 mi

~138 min drive

Concord

60 mi

~68 min drive

Data source: OpenRouteService / OpenStreetMap • Updated 7/3/2026

Recreation & Outdoors

Outdoor Recreation Score

37/100

Trail Miles

146.7

Ski Areas

Winter & Camping

Snowmobile Trails:2 miles

XC Ski Trails:7 miles

Economy & Demographics

💰Income

Median Household Income

$89,276

Per Capita Income

$73,020

Median Family Income

$109,375

🏠Housing Costs

Median Home Value

$363,500

Median Rent

$910/mo

Homeownership Rate

86.05%

💼Employment

In Labor Force

121

🎓Education

Bachelor's Degree or Higher

20.29%

Total with Degree

👥Demographics

Median Age

59.4 years

Avg Household Size

1.92 people

Data source: Census ACS 2022 (5-Year) • Census Data Year: 2022 • Updated 7/3/2026

Condo Communities in Waterville Valley