Editing New Hampshire

{{short description|U.S. state}}
{{about|the U.S. state}}
{{pp-move}}
{{Use mdy dates|date = February 2025}}
{{Use American English|date=February 2025}}

{{Infobox U.S. state
| name = New Hampshire
| image_flag = Flag of New Hampshire.svg
| flag_link = Flag and seal of New Hampshire
| image_seal = Seal of New Hampshire.svg
| seal_link = Flag and seal of New Hampshire
| nickname = Granite State<br>White Mountain State<ref name="americanlanguage">For use in a reference publication see {{cite book |title=American Language Supplement 2 |last=Mencken |first = H. L. |publisher=Knopf-Doubleday |year=1990 |quote=The adjoining New Hampshire is usually called the ''Granite State'', which the DAE traces to 1830. It has also been called the ''White Mountain State'', the ''Mother of Rivers'', and the ''Switzerland of America''}}
* For official use see {{cite web |title=Fast New Hampshire Facts |website=New Hampshire Almanac |publisher=State of New Hampshire |url = https://www.nh.gov/nhinfo/fastfact.html|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170525063913/https://www.nh.gov/nhinfo/fastfact.html |archive-date=May 25, 2017 |access-date=February 12, 2018 }}
* For contemporary use see {{cite web |title='Live Free or Die'—The Story of the New Hampshire Motto|website=New England Today |publisher=Yankee Publishing, Inc. |url = https://newengland.com/today/living/new-england-history/live-free-or-die-new-hampshire-motto/ |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180212201835/https://newengland.com/today/living/new-england-history/live-free-or-die-new-hampshire-motto/ |archive-date=February 12, 2018 |date=August 10, 2017 |quote=For tourism purposes, however, New Hampshire typically tones it down a bit, presenting itself as the Granite State or the White Mountain State{{spaces}}... |access-date=February 12, 2018 }}</ref>
| motto = "[[Live Free or Die]]"
| anthem = "[[Old New Hampshire]]"<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nh.gov/almanac/song.htm |website=NH.gov |title=State Official and Honorary State Song |author = New Hampshire State Library |publisher=State of New Hampshire |access-date=February 23, 2021 }}</ref>
| image_map = New Hampshire in United States (zoom).svg
| OfficialLang = English<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/html/I/3-C/3-C-1.htm |title=New Hampshire Revised Statutes, Title 1, Chapter 3-C:1—Official State Language |year=1995 |publisher=State of New Hampshire |access-date=December 9, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181004175613/http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/html/I/3-C/3-C-1.htm |archive-date=October 4, 2018 |url-status=live }}</ref><br><small>(French allowed for official business with Quebec; other languages allowed for certain specific uses)<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/html/I/3-C/3-C-2.htm |title=New Hampshire Revised Statutes, Title 1, Chapter 3-C:2—Exceptions |publisher=State of New Hampshire |year=1995 |access-date=December 9, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20041117064622/http://gencourt.state.nh.us/rsa/html/I/3-C/3-C-2.htm |archive-date=November 17, 2004 |url-status=live }}</ref></small>
| population_demonym = Granite Stater<br>New Hampshirite
| seat = [[Concord, New Hampshire|Concord]]
| LargestCity = [[Manchester, New Hampshire|Manchester]]
| LargestCounty = [[Hillsborough County, New Hampshire|Hillsborough]]
| LargestMetro = [[Greater Boston]] (combined and metro)<br> [[Nashua, New Hampshire|Nashua]] (urban)
| area_rank = 46th
| area_total_sq_mi = 9,350<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2023_Gazetteer/2023_gaz_counties_33.txt |title=Geographic Identifiers: New Hampshire |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=November 29, 2023}}</ref>
| area_total_km2 = 24,216
| area_land_sq_mi = 8,954
| area_land_km2 = 23,190
| area_water_sq_mi = 396
| area_water_km2 = 1,026
| width_mi = 68
| width_km = 110
| length_mi = 190
| length_km = 305
| area_water_percent = 4.2
| Latitude = 42° 42′ N to 45° 18′ N
| Longitude = 70° 36′ W to 72° 33′ W
| population_as_of = 2024
| population_rank = 41st
| 2010Pop = 1409032
| 2010DensityUS = auto
| 2010Density = auto
| population_density_rank = 21st
| MedianHouseholdIncome = ${{round|96838|-2}} (2<span>0</span>23)<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/library/publications/2024/demo/acsbr-023.pdf|title=Household Income in States and Metropolitan Areas: 2023|accessdate=January 12, 2025}}</ref>
| IncomeRank = [[List of U.S. states and territories by income#States and territories ranked by median household income|4th]]
| elevation_max_point = [[Mount Washington (New Hampshire)|Mount Washington]]<ref>{{cite ngs|id=PF0951|designation=Mt Wash|access-date=October 20, 2011}}</ref><ref name=USGS>{{cite web |url=http://egsc.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.html |title=Elevations and Distances in the United States |publisher=[[United States Geological Survey]] |year=2001 |access-date=October 24, 2011 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111015012701/http://egsc.usgs.gov/isb/pubs/booklets/elvadist/elvadist.html |archive-date=October 15, 2011 }}</ref>{{NoteTag|Elevation adjusted to [[North American Vertical Datum of 1988]]|name = NAVD88 }}{{NoteTag|The summit of [[Mount Washington (New Hampshire)|Mount Washington]] is the highest point in northeastern [[North America]].}}
| elevation_max_ft = 6,288
| elevation_max_m = 1916.66
| elevation_ft = 1,000
| elevation_m = 300
| elevation_min_point = Atlantic Ocean<ref name=USGS/>
| elevation_min_ft = 0
| elevation_min_m = 0
| Former = [[Province of New Hampshire]]
| AdmittanceDate = June 21, 1788
| AdmittanceOrder = 9th
| Governor = {{nowrap|[[Kelly Ayotte]] ([[New Hampshire Republican Party|R]])}} <!-- DO NOT ADD MORE THAN ONE OF THE POLITICAL PARTY LINK PLEASE -->
| Lieutenant Governor = {{nowrap|[[Sharon Carson]] (R)}}{{NoteTag|In the event of a vacancy in the office of governor, the president of the [[New Hampshire Senate|State Senate]] is first in line to assume the gubernatorial powers and duties as acting governor.}}
| Lieutenant Governor_alt = [[List of presidents of the New Hampshire Senate|Senate President]]
| Legislature = [[New Hampshire General Court|General Court]]
| Upperhouse = [[New Hampshire Senate|Senate]]
| Lowerhouse = [[New Hampshire House of Representatives|House of Representatives]]
| Judiciary = [[New Hampshire Supreme Court]]
| Senators = {{nowrap|[[Jeanne Shaheen]] ([[Democratic Party (United States)|D]])}}<br>{{nowrap|[[Maggie Hassan]] (D)}}
| Representative = {{nowrap|[[New Hampshire's 1st congressional district|1]]: [[Chris Pappas (American politician)|Chris Pappas]] (D)}}<br>{{nowrap|[[New Hampshire's 2nd congressional district|2]]: [[Maggie Goodlander]] (D)}}
| timezone1 = [[Eastern Time Zone|Eastern]]
| utc_offset1 = −05:00
| timezone1_DST = [[Eastern Daylight Time|EDT]]
| utc_offset1_DST = −04:00
| iso_code = US-NH
| postal_code = NH
| TradAbbreviation = N.H.
| website = nh.gov
| Capital = Concord, New Hampshire
| Representatives = 
}}
{{Infobox region symbols|country=United States
|image_flag = Flag of New Hampshire.svg
|image_seal = Seal of New Hampshire.svg
|state = New Hampshire
|amphibian = [[Eastern newt|Red-spotted newt]]<br>''Notophthalmus viridescens''
|bird = [[Purple finch]]<br>''Haemorhous purpureus''
|butterfly = [[Karner Blue]]<br>''Lycaeides melissa samuelis''
|dog = [[Chinook (dog)|Chinook]]
|crustacean =
|fish = Freshwater: [[Brook trout]]<br>''Salvelinus fontinalis''<br>Saltwater: [[Striped bass]]<br>''Morone saxatilis''
|flower = [[Syringa vulgaris|Purple lilac]]<br>''Syringa vulgaris''
|grass =
|insect = [[Ladybug]]<br>''Coccinellidae''
|mammal = [[White-tailed deer]]<br>''Odocoileus virginianus''
|reptile =
|tree = [[Betula papyrifera|White birch]]<br>''Betula papyrifera''
|beverage =
|colors =
|dance =
|dinosaur =
|fossil =
|food = Fruit: [[Pumpkin]]<br>Vegetable: [[White potato|White Potato]]<br>Berry: [[Blackberry]]<ref>{{Cite news| url=https://www.wmur.com/article/blackberry-now-the-state-berry-of-nh/10033756| last1=Fehlau| first1=Erin| title=Blackberry now the state berry of NH| work=WMUR News| date=June 16, 2017| access-date=December 30, 2019}}</ref>
|gemstone = [[Smoky quartz]]
|mineral = [[Beryl]]
|instrument =
|poem =
|rock = [[Granite]]
|shell =
|ship =
|slogan =
|soil =
|sport = [[Skiing]]
|tartan = [[New Hampshire state tartan]]
|toy =
|image_emblem_size = 100px
|image_emblem = NH_state_emblem.jpg
|emblem_link = Emblem of New Hampshire
|image_route = NH Route 16.svg
|image_quarter = 2000 NH Proof.png
|quarter_release_date = 2000
}}
'''New Hampshire''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|h|æ|m|p|ʃ|ər}} {{respell|HAMP|shər}}) is a [[U.S. state|state]] in the [[New England]] region of the [[Northeastern United States]]. It borders [[Massachusetts]] to the south, [[Vermont]] to the west, [[Maine]] and the [[Gulf of Maine]] to the east, and the Canadian province of [[Quebec]] to the north. Of the [[List of states and territories of the United States|50 U.S. states]], New Hampshire is the [[List of U.S. states and territories by area|seventh-smallest]] by land area<ref>{{cite web |url = https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/2010/geo/state-area.html |title = State Area Measurements and Internal Point Coordinates |date = 2010 |website = census.gov |access-date = 2 Jan 2025}}</ref> and the [[List of U.S. states and territories by population|tenth-least populous]], with a population of 1,377,529 residents as of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/map/US/PST045219 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200411174227/https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/map/US/PST045219 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2020-04-11 |title=U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: United States |website=www.census.gov |language=en |access-date=2 Jan 2025}}</ref> [[Concord, New Hampshire|Concord]] is the [[List of capitals in the United States|state capital]] and [[Manchester, New Hampshire|Manchester]] is the [[List of municipalities in New Hampshire|most populous city]]. New Hampshire's [[List of U.S. state mottos|motto]], "[[Live Free or Die]]", reflects its role in the [[American Revolutionary War]]; its [[state nickname|nickname]], "The [[Granite]] State", refers to its extensive granite formations and [[quarries]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Visit NH: State Facts |publisher=NH Department of Resources and Economic Development |access-date=August 30, 2010 |url=http://www.visitnh.gov/welcome-to-nh/state-facts.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101014112959/http://www.visitnh.gov/welcome-to-nh/state-facts.aspx |archive-date=October 14, 2010 }}</ref> It is well known nationwide for holding [[New Hampshire primary|the first primary]] (after the [[Iowa caucus]]) in the [[United States presidential election|U.S. presidential election cycle]], and for its resulting influence on American electoral politics.

New Hampshire was inhabited for thousands of years by [[Algonquian languages|Algonquian]]-speaking peoples such as the [[Abenaki]]. Europeans arrived in the early 17th century, with the English establishing some of the earliest non-indigenous settlements. The [[Province of New Hampshire]] was established in 1629, named after the [[England|English]] [[Counties of England|county]] of [[Hampshire]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Origin of "New Hampshire"|date=September 28, 2014 |url=http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/new-hampshire/state-name-origin/origin-new-hampshire|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150904004447/http://www.statesymbolsusa.org/symbol-official-item/new-hampshire/state-name-origin/origin-new-hampshire|archive-date=September 4, 2015|access-date=August 30, 2015|publisher=State Symbols USA}}</ref> Following mounting tensions between [[Thirteen Colonies|the British colonies]] and the crown during the 1760s, New Hampshire saw one of the earliest overt acts of rebellion, with the seizing of [[Fort William and Mary]] from the British in 1774. In January 1776, it became the first of the British North American [[European colonization of the Americas|colonies]] to establish an independent government and state constitution; six months later, it signed the [[United States Declaration of Independence]] and [[History of New Hampshire#Revolution: 1774–1815|contributed troops, ships, and supplies]] in the war against [[Kingdom of Great Britain|Britain]]. In June 1788, it was the ninth state to ratify the [[United States Constitution|U.S. Constitution]], bringing that document into effect. Through the mid-19th century, New Hampshire was an active center of [[Abolitionism in the United States|abolitionism]], and fielded close to 32,000 [[Union Army|Union soldiers]] during the [[American Civil War|U.S. Civil War]]. After the war, the state saw rapid industrialization and population growth, becoming a center of [[textile manufacturing]], [[shoemaking]], and [[papermaking]]; the [[Amoskeag Manufacturing Company]] in Manchester was at one time the largest cotton textile plant in the world. The [[Merrimack River|Merrimack]] and [[Connecticut River|Connecticut]] rivers were lined with industrial mills, most of which employed workers from Canada and Europe; [[French Canadian]]s formed the most significant influx of immigrants, and today roughly a quarter of all New Hampshire residents have [[French Americans|French American]] ancestry, a statistic second only to Maine among states.

Reflecting a nationwide trend, New Hampshire's industrial sector declined after [[World War II]]. Since 1950, its economy has diversified to include financial and professional services, real estate, education, transportation and high-tech, with manufacturing still higher than the national average.<ref>{{Cite news|date=August 21, 2019|title=Economy by Industry in N.H. and U.S.|url=https://carsey.unh.edu/what-is-new-hampshire/economy/table-industry-share|access-date=July 20, 2021|newspaper=Carsey School of Public Policy &#124; UNH|language=en}}</ref> Beginning in the 1950s, its population surged as major highways connected it to [[Greater Boston]] and led to more [[bedroom communities|commuter towns]]. New Hampshire is among the wealthiest and most-educated states.<ref>{{Cite web |title=New Hampshire {{!}} Education |url=https://data.census.gov/profile/New_Hampshire?g=040XX00US33#education |access-date=August 6, 2023 |website=Census Bureau Data}}</ref> It is one of nine states without an income tax and has no taxes on sales, capital gains, or inheritance while relying heavily on local property taxes to fund education; consequently, its state [[Tax incidence|tax burden]] is among the lowest in the country. New Hampshire is one of the [[List of U.S. states and territories by religiosity|least religious states]] and known for its [[Libertarianism in the United States|libertarian]]-leaning political culture; it was until recently a [[swing state]] in presidential elections and is still of the least liberal states in [[New England]].<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Jacobs |first=Ben |date=October 13, 2022 |title=The politics of New Hampshire, America's quirkiest state, explained |url=https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2022/10/13/23400859/politics-new-hampshire-america-quirkiest-state-explained |access-date=September 17, 2023 |website=Vox |language=en |quote=Parsing the old, white, educated, libertarian, anti-tax, pro-choice politics of New Hampshire.}}</ref> The New Hampshire Republican Party has held a trifecta majority in state level government since 2017, with the exception of 2019 and 2020, while the Democratic Party has held a majority on New Hampshire's federal level representation in Congress. New Hampshire is the only state to have a woman as governor and women as both U.S. senators.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Party control of New Hampshire state government |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Party_control_of_New_Hampshire_state_government |access-date=2025-02-26 |website=Ballotpedia |language=en}}</ref>

With its mountainous and heavily forested terrain, New Hampshire has a growing tourism sector centered on outdoor recreation. It has some of the [[List of New England ski areas by vertical drop|highest ski mountains on the East Coast]] and is a major destination for winter sports; [[Mount Monadnock]] is among the most climbed mountains in the world. Other activities include [[leaf peeping|observing the fall foliage]], summer cottages along many lakes and the seacoast, motorsports at the [[New Hampshire Motor Speedway]] in [[Loudon, New Hampshire|Loudon]], and [[Laconia Motorcycle Week|Motorcycle Week]], a popular motorcycle rally held in [[Weirs Beach, New Hampshire|Weirs Beach]] in [[Laconia, New Hampshire|Laconia]] and the oldest in the [[United States]]. The [[White Mountain National Forest]] includes most of the [[Appalachian Trail]] between Vermont and Maine, and has the [[Mount Washington Auto Road]], where visitors may drive to the top of {{convert|6288|ft|m|adj=on}} [[Mount Washington (New Hampshire)|Mount Washington]].

==History==
{{Main|History of New Hampshire}}
[[File:New Hampshire state coat of arms (illustrated, 1876).jpg|thumb|left|The historical coat of arms of New Hampshire, from 1876]]
Various [[Algonquian languages|Algonquian]]-speaking [[Abenaki people|Abenaki]] tribes, largely divided between the [[Androscoggin people|Androscoggin]], [[Cowasuck]] and [[Pennacook]] nations, inhabited the area before European colonization.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://tolatsga.org/aben.html|title=Abenaki|website=tolatsga.org|access-date=September 4, 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100411025556/http://www.tolatsga.org/aben.html|archive-date=April 11, 2010}}</ref> Despite the similar language, they had a very different culture and religion from other Algonquian peoples.
Indigenous people lived near [[Keene, New Hampshire]] 12,000 years ago, according to 2009 archaeological digs,<ref>{{Cite web |title=12,000 Years Ago in the Granite State |url=https://www.nhhumanities.org/programs/1258/12000-years-ago-in-the-granite-state |access-date=October 4, 2023 |website=New Hampshire Humanities |language=en}}</ref> and the Abenaki were present in New Hampshire in pre-colonial times.<ref>{{cite journal|first=Michael |last=Harris|year= 2021 |title=N'dakinna: Our Homeland...Still – Additional Examples of Abenaki Presence in New Hampshire |url = https://scholars.unh.edu/spectrum/vol10/iss1/1 |journal=Spectrum|volume=10|issue=1|page=1|access-date= October 5, 2023}}</ref>

English and French explorers visited New Hampshire in 1600–1605, and [[David Thompson (New Hampshire settler)|David Thompson]] settled at [[Odiorne Point State Park|Odiorne's Point]] in present-day [[Rye, New Hampshire|Rye]] in 1623. The first permanent European settlement was at Hilton's Point (present-day [[Dover, New Hampshire|Dover]]). By 1631, the Upper Plantation comprised modern-day Dover, [[Durham, New Hampshire|Durham]] and [[Stratham, New Hampshire|Stratham]]; in 1679, it became the "[[Province of New Hampshire|Royal Province]]". [[Father Rale's War]] was fought between the colonists and the [[Wabanaki Confederacy]] throughout New Hampshire.
[[File:Lwod House.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Strawbery Banke]] Museum in Portsmouth, New Hampshire includes 37 restored buildings dating from the 17th through 19th centuries.]]

New Hampshire was one of the [[Thirteen Colonies]] that rebelled against British rule during the [[American Revolution]]. During the American Revolution, New Hampshire was economically divided. The Seacoast region revolved around sawmills, shipyards, merchants' warehouses, and established village and town centers, where wealthy merchants built substantial homes, furnished them with luxuries, and invested their capital in trade and land speculation. At the other end of the social scale, there developed a permanent class of day laborers, mariners, indentured servants and slaves.

[[File:Site of first house in New Hampshire, present mansion constructed in 1750, by Gov. W. B. Wentworth (NYPL Hades-247509-423903).jpg|thumb|left|''Site of first house in New Hampshire, present mansion constructed in 1750, by Gov. W. B. Wentworth'', [https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Site_of_first_house_in_New_Hampshire,_present_mansion_constructed_in_1750,_by_Gov._W._B._Wentworth_(NYPL_Hades-247509-423903).jpg New York Public Library]]]In December 1774, [[Paul Revere]] warned Patriots that [[Fort William and Mary]] would be reinforced with British troops. The following day, [[John Sullivan (general)|John Sullivan]] raided the fort for weapons. During the raid, the British soldiers fired at rebels with cannon and muskets, but there were apparently no casualties. These were among the first shots in the American Revolutionary period, occurring approximately five months before the [[Battles of Lexington and Concord]]. On January 5, 1776, New Hampshire became the first colony to declare independence from Great Britain, almost six months before the Declaration of Independence was signed by the Continental Congress.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/nh09.asp|title=Constitution of New Hampshire - 1776|date=December 18, 1998 }}</ref>
[[File:KingstonNH JosiahBartlettHouse.jpg|thumb|left|The highly industrious Founding Father [[Josiah Bartlett]] was a signer of the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation, and served as a delegate at the Constitutional Convention.  He was the first governor of New Hampshire, a medical doctor, and chief justice of the New Hampshire Superior Court of Judicature (now the New Hampshire Supreme Court).  The [[Josiah Bartlett House]] in Kingston, New Hampshire still stands.]]  

The [[United States Constitution]] was ratified by New Hampshire on June 21, 1788, when New Hampshire became the ninth state to do so.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/constitution-day/ratification.html|title=Observing Constitution Day|website=Archives.gov|access-date=April 7, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190817165833/https://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/constitution-day/ratification.html|archive-date=August 17, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

New Hampshire was a Jacksonian stronghold; the state sent [[Franklin Pierce]] to the White House in the election of 1852. Industrialization took the form of numerous textile mills, which in turn attracted large flows of [[immigrants]] from Quebec (the "French Canadians") and [[Ireland]]. The northern parts of the state produced lumber, and the mountains provided tourist attractions. After 1960, the textile industry collapsed, but the economy rebounded as a center of high technology and as a service provider.

Starting in 1952, New Hampshire gained national and international attention for its [[New Hampshire primary|presidential primary]] held early in every presidential election year. It immediately became an important testing ground for candidates for the Republican and Democratic nominations but did not necessarily guarantee victory.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2019-12-19 |title=The First Primary: Why New Hampshire? |url=https://carsey.unh.edu/publication/first-primary-why-new-hampshire |access-date=2024-06-06 |website=Carsey School of Public Policy |language=en}}</ref> The media gave New Hampshire and [[Iowa]] significant attention compared to other states in the primary process, magnifying the state's decision powers and spurring repeated efforts by out-of-state politicians to change the rules.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Why is New Hampshire the first primary in the nation? |url=https://www.brookings.edu/articles/why-is-new-hampshire-the-first-primary-in-the-nation/ |access-date=2024-06-06 |website=Brookings |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Geography==
{{Further|List of counties in New Hampshire|List of mountains in New Hampshire|List of lakes in New Hampshire|List of rivers in New Hampshire|Geology of New Hampshire}}
[[File:National-atlas-new-hampshire.png|thumb|right|Map of New Hampshire, with roads, rivers, and major cities]]
[[File:New Hampshire Shaded Relief 5.jpg|thumb|left|Shaded relief map of New Hampshire]]
[[File:Mount Adams NH from Madison.jpg|thumb|right|Mount Adams ({{convert|5774|ft|m|disp=or|abbr=on}}) is part of New Hampshire's [[Presidential Range]].]]
[[File:Lake Winnipesaukee and the Ossipee Mountains.jpg|thumb|right|[[Lake Winnipesaukee]] and the [[Ossipee Mountains]]]]

New Hampshire is part of the six-state [[New England]] region of the [[Northeastern United States]]. It is bounded by Quebec, Canada, to the north and northwest; Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east; Massachusetts to the south; and Vermont to the west. New Hampshire's major regions are the [[Great North Woods Region (New Hampshire)|Great North Woods]], the [[White Mountains Region|White Mountains]], the [[Lakes Region (New Hampshire)|Lakes Region]], the [[Seacoast Region (New Hampshire)|Seacoast]], the [[Merrimack Valley]], the [[Monadnock Region]], and the [[Dartmouth-Lake Sunapee Region|Dartmouth-Lake Sunapee]] area. New Hampshire has the shortest ocean coastline of any U.S. coastal state, with a length of {{convert|18|mi|km}},<ref>{{cite map |url=http://des.nh.gov/organization/divisions/water/wmb/coastal/documents/coastal_access_map.pdf |title=New Hampshire Coastal Access Map |publisher=New Hampshire Coastal Program |access-date=February 3, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304075419/http://des.nh.gov/organization/divisions/water/wmb/coastal/documents/coastal_access_map.pdf |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |url-status=live }}</ref> sometimes measured as only {{convert|13|mi}}.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RS21729.pdf |last=Beaver |first=Janice Cheryl |title=U.S. International Borders: Brief Facts |publisher=Congressional Research Service |date=November 9, 2006 |access-date=February 3, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190401163943/https://fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RS21729.pdf |archive-date=April 1, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The [[White Mountains (New Hampshire)|White Mountains range]] in New Hampshire spans the north-central portion of the state. The range includes [[Mount Washington (New Hampshire)|Mount Washington]], the tallest in the northeastern U.S.—site of the second-highest wind speed ever recorded—<ref>{{Cite news |last=Filipov |first=David |title=Record blown away, but pride stays put: N.H. summit's claim to nasty weather intact |newspaper=[[The Boston Globe]] |date=January 31, 2010 |url=http://www.boston.com/news/local/new_hampshire/articles/2010/01/31/record_blown_away_but_pride_stays_put/ |access-date=February 9, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100203163847/http://www.boston.com/news/local/new_hampshire/articles/2010/01/31/record_blown_away_but_pride_stays_put/ |archive-date=February 3, 2010 |url-status=live }}</ref> as well as [[Mount Adams (New Hampshire)|Mount Adams]] and [[Mount Jefferson (New Hampshire)|Mount Jefferson]]. With hurricane-force winds every third day on average, more than a hundred recorded deaths among visitors, and conspicuous [[krumholtz]] (dwarf, matted trees much like a carpet of [[bonsai]] trees), the climate on the upper reaches of Mount Washington has inspired the weather observatory on the peak to claim that the area has the "World's Worst Weather".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mountwashington.org/ |title=Mount Washington ... Home of the World's Worst Weather |publisher=Mt. Washington Observatory |access-date=March 22, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100118122712/http://www.mountwashington.org/ |archive-date=January 18, 2010 |url-status=live }}</ref> The White Mountains were home to the rock formation called the [[Old Man of the Mountain]], a face-like profile in [[Franconia Notch]], until the formation disintegrated in May 2003. Even after its loss, the Old Man remains an enduring symbol for the state, seen on state highway signs, automobile license plates, and many government and private entities around New Hampshire.

In southwestern New Hampshire, the landmark [[Mount Monadnock]] has given its name to a class of earth-forms—a ''[[monadnock]]''—signifying, in geomorphology, any isolated resistant peak rising from a less resistant eroded plain.

New Hampshire has more than 800 lakes and ponds, and approximately {{convert|19000|mi}} of rivers and streams.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Rivers and Lakes |url=https://www.des.nh.gov/water/rivers-and-lakes |access-date=June 5, 2023 |website=NH Department of Environmental Services |language=en}}</ref> Major rivers include the {{convert|110|mi|km|adj=on|sigfig=3}} [[Merrimack River]], which bisects the lower half of the state north–south before passing into Massachusetts and reaching the sea in [[Newburyport, Massachusetts|Newburyport]]. Its tributaries include the [[Contoocook River]], [[Pemigewasset River]], and [[Winnipesaukee River]]. The {{convert|410|mi|km|adj=on|sigfig=3}} [[Connecticut River]], which starts at New Hampshire's [[Connecticut Lakes]] and flows south to [[Connecticut]], defines the western border with Vermont. The state border is not in the center of that river, as is usually the case, but at the low-water mark on the Vermont side; meaning the entire river along the Vermont border (save for areas where the water level has been raised by a dam) lies within New Hampshire.<ref>''Vermont v. New Hampshire'' {{Ussc|289|593|1933}}</ref> Only one town—[[Pittsburg, New Hampshire|Pittsburg]]—shares a land border with the state of Vermont. The "northwesternmost headwaters" of the Connecticut also define part of the Canada–U.S. border.

The [[Piscataqua River]] and its several [[tributary|tributaries]] form the state's only significant ocean port where they flow into the Atlantic at [[Portsmouth, New Hampshire|Portsmouth]]. The [[Salmon Falls River]] and the Piscataqua define the southern portion of the border with Maine. The Piscataqua River boundary was the subject of a [[Piscataqua River border dispute|border dispute]] between New Hampshire and Maine in 2001, with New Hampshire claiming dominion over several islands (primarily [[Seavey's Island]]) that include the [[Portsmouth Naval Shipyard]]. The [[United States Supreme Court|U.S. Supreme Court]] dismissed the case in 2002, leaving ownership of the island with Maine. New Hampshire still claims sovereignty of the base, however.<ref>{{cite web |title = HJR 1—Final Version |url = http://gencourt.state.nh.us/legislation/2006/hjr0001.html |publisher = [[New Hampshire General Court]] |access-date = September 22, 2015 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20151016014356/http://gencourt.state.nh.us/legislation/2006/hjr0001.html |archive-date = October 16, 2015 |url-status = live }}</ref>

The largest of [[List of lakes in New Hampshire|New Hampshire's lakes]] is [[Lake Winnipesaukee]], which covers {{convert|71|sqmi|km2|sigfig=3}} in the east-central part of New Hampshire. [[Umbagog Lake]] along the Maine border, approximately {{convert|12.3|sqmi|km2|sigfig=3}}, is a distant second. [[Squam Lake]] is the second largest lake entirely in New Hampshire.

New Hampshire has the [[List of U.S. states by coastline|shortest ocean coastline]] of any state in the United States, approximately {{convert|18|mi|km}} long.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://des.nh.gov/organization/divisions/water/dwgb/wrpp/documents/primer_chapter6.pdf |title=New Hampshire Water Resources Primer, Chapter 6: Coastal and Estuarine Waters |publisher=NH Dept. of Environmental Services |access-date=April 11, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111005101408/http://des.nh.gov/organization/divisions/water/dwgb/wrpp/documents/primer_chapter6.pdf |archive-date=October 5, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> [[Hampton Beach, New Hampshire|Hampton Beach]] is a popular local summer destination. About {{convert|7|mi|km}} offshore are the [[Isles of Shoals]], nine small islands (four of which are in New Hampshire) known as the site of a 19th-century art colony founded by poet [[Celia Thaxter]], and the alleged location of one of the buried treasures of the pirate [[Blackbeard]].

It is the state with the highest percentage of timberland area in the country.<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/pubs/jrnl/2012/nrs_2012_nowak_002.pdf |title=Tree and impervious cover in the United States (2012) |journal=[[Landscape and Urban Planning]] |last1=Nowak |first1=David J. |last2=Greenfield |first2=Eric J. |date=May 9, 2012 |volume=107 |pages=21–30 |doi=10.1016/j.landurbplan.2012.04.005 |s2cid=9352755 |access-date=February 3, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140312212331/http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/pubs/jrnl/2012/nrs_2012_nowak_002.pdf |archive-date=March 12, 2014 |url-status=live  |issn=0169-2046 }}</ref> New Hampshire is in the [[temperate broadleaf and mixed forests]] [[biome]]. Much of the state, in particular the White Mountains, is covered by the [[conifer]]s and [[northern hardwood forest|northern hardwoods]] of the [[New England-Acadian forests]]. The southeast corner of the state and parts of the Connecticut River along the Vermont border are covered by the mixed [[Quercus|oaks]] of the [[Northeastern coastal forests]].<ref name="ecoregions">{{cite journal| last1=Olson| first1=D. M.| last2=Dinerstein| first2=E.| title=Terrestrial Ecoregions of the World: A New Map of Life on Earth |journal=[[BioScience]] |year=2001 |volume=51 |issue=11 |pages=933–938 |doi=10.1641/0006-3568(2001)051[0933:TEOTWA]2.0.CO;2 |display-authors=etal|doi-access=free }}</ref> The state's numerous forests are popular among autumnal [[Leaf peeping|leaf peepers]] seeking the brilliant foliage of the numerous [[deciduous tree]]s.

The northern third of the state is locally referred to as the "north country" or "north of the notches", in reference to the White Mountain [[mountain pass|passes]] that channel traffic. It contains less than 5% of the state's population, suffers relatively high poverty, and is steadily losing population as the logging and paper industries decline. However, the tourist industry, in particular visitors who go to northern New Hampshire to [[skiing|ski]], [[snowboarding|snowboard]], [[hiking|hike]] and [[mountain biking|mountain bike]], has helped offset economic losses from mill closures.

Environmental protection emerged as a key state issue in the early 1900s in response to poor logging practices. In the 1970s, activists defeated a proposal to build an oil refinery along the coast and limited plans for a full-width interstate highway through [[Franconia Notch]] to a parkway.<ref>Kimberly A. Jarvis, ''From the Mountains to the Sea: Protecting Nature in Postwar New Hampshire'' (University of Massachusetts Press, 2020) [http://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=56368 online review]</ref><ref>Kimberly A. Jarvis, ''Franconia Notch and the Women Who Saved It '' (Durham: University of New Hampshire Press, 2007.</ref>

Winter season lengths are projected to decline at ski areas across New Hampshire due to the [[effects of climate change]], which is likely to continue the historic contraction and consolidation of the ski industry and threaten individual ski businesses and communities that rely on ski tourism.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/226142172|title=Climate Change Vulnerability of the Northeast US Winter Tourism Sector|format=PDF |publisher=University of Ottawa Department of Geography and Institute of Science |access-date=February 3, 2019}}</ref>

===Flora and fauna===
{{See also|List of birds of New Hampshire}}
[[American black bear|Black bears]], [[white-tailed deer]], and [[moose]] can be found all over New Hampshire. There are also less-common animals such as the [[marten]] and the [[Canadian lynx]].<ref>{{cite book|title=New Hampshire: Third Edition|page=18|isbn=978-1-62713-166-7 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JJdmDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA18 |last1=Hicks |first1=Terry Allan |last2=McGeveran |first2=William |last3=Waring |first3=Kerry Jones |date=July 15, 2015 |publisher=Cavendish Square Publishing, LLC }}</ref>

===Climate===
New Hampshire experiences a [[humid continental climate]] ([[Köppen climate classification]] ''Dfa'' in some southern areas, ''Dfb'' in most of the state, and ''Dfc'' subarctic in some northern highland areas), with warm, humid summers, and long, cold, and snowy winters. Precipitation is fairly evenly distributed all year. The climate of the southeastern portion is moderated by the [[Atlantic Ocean]] and averages relatively milder winters (for New Hampshire), while the northern and interior portions experience colder temperatures and lower humidity. Winters are cold and snowy throughout the state, and especially severe in the northern and mountainous areas. Average annual snowfall ranges from {{convert|60|in|cm}} to over {{convert|100|in|cm}} across the state.<ref name="noaasnow">{{cite web| url=http://lwf.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/online/ccd/snowfall.html |title=Snowfall—Average Total in Inches |publisher=[[NOAA]] |date=June 23, 2004 |first=Dan |last=Dellinger |access-date=May 25, 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110619061102/http://www.governor.nh.gov/media/news/2011/061511-hb218.htm |archive-date=June 19, 2011 }}</ref>

Average daytime highs are in the mid 70s°F to low 80s°F (24–28&nbsp;°C) throughout the state in July, with overnight lows in the mid 50s°F to low 60s°F (13–15&nbsp;°C). January temperatures range from an average high of {{convert|34|F|C}} on the coast to overnight lows below {{convert|0|F|C}} in the far north and at high elevations. Average annual precipitation statewide is roughly {{convert|40|in|cm}} with some variation occurring in the [[White Mountains (New Hampshire)|White Mountains]] due to differences in elevation and annual snowfall. New Hampshire's highest recorded temperature was {{convert|106|F|C}} in [[Nashua, New Hampshire|Nashua]] on July 4, 1911, while the lowest recorded temperature was {{convert|-47|F|C}} atop [[Mount Washington (New Hampshire)|Mount Washington]] on January 29, 1934. Mount Washington also saw an unofficial {{convert|-50|F|C}} reading on January 22, 1885, which, if made official, would tie the record low for New England (also {{convert|-50|F|C}} at [[Big Black River (Saint John River)|Big Black River]], Maine, on January 16, 2009, and [[Bloomfield, Vermont]] on December 30, 1933).

Extreme snow is often associated with a [[nor'easter]], such as the [[Northeastern United States blizzard of 1978|Blizzard of '78]] and the [[Blizzard of 1993]], when several feet accumulated across portions of the state over 24 to 48 hours. Lighter snowfalls of several inches occur frequently throughout winter, often associated with an [[Alberta Clipper]].

New Hampshire, on occasion, is affected by [[tropical cyclone|hurricanes]] and tropical storms—although, by the time they reach the state, they are often [[extratropical]]—with most storms striking the southern New England coastline and moving inland or passing by offshore in the [[Gulf of Maine]]. Most of New Hampshire averages fewer than 20 days of thunderstorms per year and an average of two tornadoes occur annually statewide.<ref name="noaatornado">{{cite web |title=Annual average number of tornadoes 1953–2004 |url=http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/img/climate/research/tornado/small/avgt5304.gif |publisher=NOAA |access-date=May 25, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111016174155/http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/img/climate/research/tornado/small/avgt5304.gif |archive-date=October 16, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The [[National Arbor Day Foundation]] plant [[hardiness zone]] map depicts zones 3, 4, 5, and{{spaces}}6 occurring throughout the state<ref name="arborday">{{cite web |url=http://www.arborday.org/media/zones.cfm |title=2006 arborday.org Hardiness Zone Map |publisher=[[National Arbor Day Foundation]] |access-date=May 25, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110217032828/http://www.arborday.org/media/zones.cfm |archive-date=February 17, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and indicates the transition from a relatively cooler to warmer climate as one travels southward across New Hampshire. The 1990 [[USDA]] plant [[hardiness zone]]s for New Hampshire range from zone 3b in the north to zone 5b in the south.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.plantmaps.com/interactive-new-hampshire-usda-plant-zone-hardiness-map.php |title=New Hampshire USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map |website=PlantMaps |access-date=November 15, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101208015547/http://www.plantmaps.com/interactive-new-hampshire-usda-plant-zone-hardiness-map.php |archive-date=December 8, 2010 |url-status=live }}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="margin:auto;"
|+ Average daily maximum and minimum temperatures for selected cities in New Hampshire<ref name="New Hampshire climate averages">{{cite web |url=http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/city.php3?c=US&s=NH&statename=New-Hampshire-United-States-of-America |title=New Hampshire climate averages |publisher=Weatherbase |access-date=November 21, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151122004250/http://www.weatherbase.com/weather/city.php3?c=US&s=NH&statename=New-Hampshire-United-States-of-America |archive-date=November 22, 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref>
|-
!Location
!July (°F)
!July (°C)
!January (°F)
!January (°C)
|-
|[[Manchester, New Hampshire|Manchester]] || 82/64 || 28/17 || 33/15 || 0/−9
|-
|[[Nashua, New Hampshire|Nashua]] || 82/59 || 28/15 || 33/12 || 0/−11
|-
|[[Concord, New Hampshire|Concord]] || 82/57 || 28/14 || 30/10 ||{{spaces}}−1/−12
|-
|[[Portsmouth, New Hampshire|Portsmouth]] || 79/61 || 26/16 || 32/16 || 0/−9
|-
|[[Keene, New Hampshire|Keene]] || 82/56 || 28/13 || 31/9 ||{{spaces}}−1/−12
|-
|[[Laconia, New Hampshire|Laconia]] || 81/60 || 27/16 || 30/11 ||{{spaces}}−1/−11
|-
|[[Lebanon, New Hampshire|Lebanon]] || 82/58 || 28/14 || 30/8 || −1/−13
|-
|[[Berlin, New Hampshire|Berlin]] || 78/55 || 26/13 || 27/5 || –3/–15
|}

===Metropolitan areas===
{{Main list|List of cities and towns in New Hampshire
}}
[[File:Manch-DownTown.jpg|upright=0.75|left|thumb|Downtown [[Manchester, New Hampshire|Manchester]]]]Metropolitan areas in the New England region are defined by the [[U.S. Census Bureau]] as [[New England City and Town Area]]s (NECTAs). The following is a list of NECTAs fully or partially in New Hampshire:<ref>{{cite web |url = https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/tigerwebmain/Files/acs18/tigerweb_acs18_metro_necta_us.html |title = Metropolitan New England City and Town Areas—Current/ACS18—Data as of January 1, 2018 |publisher = U.S. Census Bureau |access-date = February 5, 2019 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190207020344/https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/tigerwebmain/Files/acs18/tigerweb_acs18_metro_necta_us.html |archive-date = February 7, 2019 |url-status = live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bls.gov/sae/saemd.htm |title=Metropolitan and NECTA Divisions published by CES |publisher=Bureau of Labor Statistics |access-date=February 5, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190207030038/https://www.bls.gov/sae/saemd.htm |archive-date=February 7, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
* [[Berlin, New Hampshire|Berlin]]
* [[Boston]]–[[Cambridge, Massachusetts|Cambridge]]–[[Nashua, New Hampshire|Nashua]]
** [[Haverhill, Massachusetts|Haverhill]]–[[Newburyport, Massachusetts|Newburyport]]–[[Amesbury, Massachusetts|Amesbury Town]] NECTA Division
** [[Lawrence, Massachusetts|Lawrence]]–[[Methuen, Massachusetts|Methuen Town]]–[[Salem, New Hampshire|Salem]] NECTA Division
** [[Lowell, Massachusetts|Lowell]]–[[Billerica, Massachusetts|Billerica]]–[[Chelmsford, Massachusetts|Chelmsford]] NECTA Division
** [[Nashua, New Hampshire|Nashua]] NECTA Division
* [[Claremont, New Hampshire|Claremont]]
* [[Concord, New Hampshire|Concord]]
* [[Dover, New Hampshire|Dover]]–[[Durham, New Hampshire|Durham]]
* [[Franklin, New Hampshire|Franklin]]
* [[Keene, New Hampshire|Keene]]
* [[Laconia, New Hampshire|Laconia]]
* [[Lebanon, New Hampshire|Lebanon]]
* [[Manchester, New Hampshire|Manchester]]
* [[Portsmouth, New Hampshire|Portsmouth]]
{{div col end}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1790= 141885
|1800= 183858
|1810= 214460
|1820= 244155
|1830= 269328
|1840= 284574
|1850= 317976
|1860= 326073
|1870= 318300
|1880= 346991
|1890= 376530
|1900= 411588
|1910= 430572
|1920= 443083
|1930= 465293
|1940= 491524
|1950= 533242
|1960= 606921
|1970= 737681
|1980= 920610
|1990= 1109252
|2000= 1235786
|2010= 1316470
|2020= 1377529	
|estyear=2024
|estimate=1409032
|align-fn=center
|footnote=Source: 1910–2020<ref name="Census residential population">{{cite web |title=Historical Population Change Data (1910–2020) |url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/dec/popchange-data-text.html |website=Census.gov |publisher=United States Census Bureau}}</ref><ref name="2024 est">{{Cite web| url=https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2020s-state-total.html| title=State Population Totals and Components of Change: 2020-2024| publisher=U.S. Census Bureau| access-date=December 26, 2024}}</ref>
}}

===Population===
[[File:Ethnic Origins in New Hampshire.png|thumb|270x270px|Ethnic origins in New Hampshire]]
[[File:New Hampshire population density 2020.png|thumb|right|upright=0.9|Population density by census tract]]

As of the [[2020 United States census|2020 census]], the resident population of New Hampshire was 1,377,529,<ref name="Census residential population"/> a 4.6% increase since the [[2010 United States Census]]. The [[center of population]] of New Hampshire is in [[Merrimack County, New Hampshire|Merrimack County]], in the town of [[Pembroke, New Hampshire|Pembroke]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/centers-population.html |title=Centers of Population: 2020 |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=January 3, 2022}}</ref> The center of population has moved south {{convert|12|mi}} since 1950,<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.nh.gov/oep/programs/DataCenter/Geography/documents/popcenter.pdf |title=Population Center of New Hampshire, 1950–2000 |date=October 2007 |publisher=NH Office of Energy and Planning |access-date=September 10, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080724022314/http://www.nh.gov/oep/programs/DataCenter/Geography/documents/popcenter.pdf |archive-date=July 24, 2008 }}</ref> a reflection of the fact that the state's fastest growth has been along its southern border, which is within commuting range of Boston and other Massachusetts cities.

As indicated in the census, in 2020 88.3% of the population were [[White Americans|White]]; 1.5% were [[African Americans|Black or African American]]; 0.2% were [[Native Americans in the United States|Native American]] or Alaskan Native; 2.6% were [[Asian Americans|Asian]]; 0.0% were [[Native Hawaiian]] or other [[Pacific Islander]]; 1.7% were some other race; and 5.6% were [[multiracial Americans|two or more races]]. 4.3% of the total population were [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] of any race. 18.6% of the population were under 18 years of age; 19.3% were 65 years and over. The female population was 50.5%.<ref name="2020DP1"/>

The most densely populated areas generally lie within {{convert|50|mi|0}} of the Massachusetts border, and are concentrated in two areas: along the [[Merrimack River Valley]] running from [[Concord, New Hampshire|Concord]] to [[Nashua, New Hampshire|Nashua]], and in the [[Seacoast Region (New Hampshire)|Seacoast Region]] along an axis stretching from [[Rochester, New Hampshire|Rochester]] to [[Portsmouth, New Hampshire|Portsmouth]]. Outside of those two regions, only one community, the city of [[Keene, New Hampshire|Keene]], has a population of over 20,000. The four counties covering these two areas account for 72% of the state population, and one ([[Hillsborough County, New Hampshire|Hillsborough]]) has nearly 30% of the state population, as well as the two most populous communities, Manchester and Nashua. The northern portion of the state is very sparsely populated: the largest county by area, [[Coos County, New Hampshire|Coos]], covers the northern one-fourth of the state and has only around 31,000 people, about a third of whom live in a single community ([[Berlin, New Hampshire|Berlin]]). The trends over the past several decades have been for the population to shift southward, as many northern communities lack the economic base to maintain their populations, while southern communities have been absorbed by the [[Greater Boston]] metropolis. 
[[File:NH ancestry.png|thumb|right|upright=0.7|Largest reported ancestry groups in New Hampshire by town as of 2013. Dark purple indicates Irish, light purple English, pink French, turquoise French Canadian, dark blue Italian, and light blue German. Gray indicates townships with no reported data.]]

As of the [[2010 United States Census|2010 census]], the population of New Hampshire was 1,316,470. The gender makeup of the state at that time was 49.3% male and 50.7% female. 21.8% of the population were under the age of 18; 64.6% were between the ages of 18 and 64; and 13.5% were 65 years of age or older.<ref name=Census2010>{{cite web|title=2010 Demographic Profile Data|url=https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0400000US33|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200212094934/http://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/DEC/10_DP/DPDP1/0400000US33|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 12, 2020|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau}}</ref> Additionally, about 57.3% of the population was born out of state.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.centerforpolitics.org/crystalball/articles/youre-not-from-around-here-are-you/|title=You're Not From Around Here, Are You?|date=May 16, 2013|website=Census.gov|access-date=September 4, 2017}}</ref>

According to [[United States Department of Housing and Urban Development|HUD]]'s 2022 [[Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress|Annual Homeless Assessment Report]], there were an estimated 1,605 [[Homelessness|homeless]] people in New Hampshire.<ref>{{Cite web |title=2007-2022 PIT Counts by State |url=https://view.officeapps.live.com/op/view.aspx?src=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.huduser.gov%2Fportal%2Fsites%2Fdefault%2Ffiles%2Fxls%2F2007-2022-PIT-Counts-by-State.xlsx&wdOrigin=BROWSELINK}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The 2022 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report (AHAR) to Congress |url=https://www.huduser.gov/portal/sites/default/files/pdf/2022-AHAR-Part-1.pdf}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable collapsible" style="font-size: 90%;"
|+ New Hampshire racial composition of population
|-
! Racial composition !! 1990<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0056/twps0056.html|title=Historical Census Statistics on Population Totals by Race, 1790 to 1990, and by Hispanic Origin, 1970 to 1990, for the United States, Regions, Divisions, and States|date=July 25, 2008|website=Census.gov|access-date=September 4, 2017|url-status=bot: unknown|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080725044857/http://www.census.gov/population/www/documentation/twps0056/twps0056.html|archive-date=July 25, 2008}}</ref>!! 2000<ref>{{cite web|url=http://censusviewer.com/city/NH|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140108190537/http://censusviewer.com/city/NH|url-status=dead|title=Census Viewer|date=January 8, 2014|archive-date=January 8, 2014|website=Censusviewer.com|access-date=September 4, 2017}}</ref>!! 2010<ref name="Census2010" />!! 2020<ref name="2020DP1">{{Cite web |url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALDP2020.DP1?g=040XX00US33 |title=Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2020 Demographic Profile Data (DP-1): New Hampshire |publisher=United States Census Bureau |access-date=April 16, 2024}}</ref>
|-
| [[White American|White]] || 98.0% || 96.0% || 93.9% || 88.3%
|-
| [[Black American|Black or African American]] || 0.6% || 0.7% || 1.1% || 1.5%
|-
| [[Native Americans in the United States|American Indian and Alaska Native]] || 0.2% || 0.2% || 0.2% || 0.2%
|-
| [[Asian American|Asian]] || 0.8% || 1.3% || 2.2% || 2.6%
|-
| [[Pacific Islander American|Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander]] || – || – || 0.0% ||0.0%
|-
| [[Race and ethnicity in the United States Census|Other race]] || 0.3% || 0.6% || 0.9% || 1.7%
|-
| [[Multiracial American|Two or more races]] || – || 1.1% || 1.6% || 5.6%
|-
| [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]]<br/>(of any race)  || 1.0% || 1.7% || 2.8% || 4.3%
|}

[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] of any race were 2.8% of the population in 2010: 0.6% were of [[Mexican American|Mexican]], 0.9% [[Puerto Ricans|Puerto Rican]], 0.1% [[Cuban American|Cuban]], and 1.2% other Hispanic or Latino origin. As of 2020, the [[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]] population was counted as 4.3%.<ref name="2020DP1" /> The Native American/Alaska native population is listed as 0.3% in the 2020 census, but may be higher.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://manchesterinklink.com/part-1-despite-misconceptions-native-americans-have-long-history-in-new-hampshire/#:~:text=While%20the%20most%20recent%20Census,Native%20people%20in%20the%20state.|title= Despite Misconceptions Native Americans have long history in New Hampshire|website =Manchesterlink.com|date= July 30, 2022|access-date= October 21, 2023}}</ref>

According to the 2012–2017 [[American Community Survey]], the largest ancestry groups in the state were [[Irish American|Irish]] (20.6%), [[English American|English]] (16.5%), [[French American|French]] (14.0%), [[Italian American|Italian]] (10.4%), [[German American|German]] (9.1%), [[French Canadian American|French Canadian]] (8.9%), and [[American ancestry|American]] (4.8%).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov|title=2017 American Community Survey|publisher=U.S. Census Bureau}}</ref>

New Hampshire has the highest percentage (22.9%) of residents with French/[[French Canadian]]/Acadian ancestry of any U.S. state.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.census.gov |title=Selected Social Characteristics in the United States: 2017 American Community Survey 1-Year Estimates (DP02): All States within United States and Puerto Rico |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau| website=[[United States Census Bureau]] |access-date=March 25, 2020}}</ref>

In 2018, the top countries of origin for New Hampshire's immigrants were [[India]], [[Canada]], [[China]], [[Nepal]] and the [[Dominican Republic]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org/sites/default/files/research/immigrants_in_new_hampshire.pdf|title=Immigrants in New Hampshire}}</ref>

According to the Census Bureau's [[American Community Survey]] estimates from 2017, 2.1% of the population aged{{spaces}}5 and older speak [[Spanish language|Spanish]] at home, while 1.8% speak [[French language|French]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/15_5YR/B16001/0400000US33 |title=Language Spoken at Home by Ability to Speak English for the Population 5 Years and Over: 2015 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (B16001): New Hampshire |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |website=American Factfinder |access-date=April 6, 2017 |archive-date=February 13, 2020 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213023556/https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/15_5YR/B16001/0400000US33 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In [[Coös County, New Hampshire|Coös County]], 9.6% of the population speaks French at home,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/15_5YR/B16001/0500000US33007 |title=Language Spoken at Home by Ability to Speak English for the Population 5 Years and Over: 2015 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (B16001): Coos County, New Hampshire |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |website=American Factfinder |access-date=April 6, 2017 |archive-date=February 13, 2020 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200213113506/https://factfinder.census.gov/bkmk/table/1.0/en/ACS/15_5YR/B16001/0500000US33007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> down from 16% in 2000.<ref name="MLA Language Map Data Center">{{cite web |url=http://www.mla.org/map_data_results&state_id=33&mode=state_tops |title=MLA Language Map Data Center |publisher=Modern Language Association |date=July 17, 2007 |access-date=July 31, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101205095252/http://www.mla.org/map_data_results%26state_id%3D33%26mode%3Dstate_tops |archive-date=December 5, 2010 |url-status=live }}</ref> In  the city of [[Nashua, New Hampshire|Nashua]], Hillsborough County, 8.02% of the population speaks Spanish at home.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://data.census.gov/table?q=B16001:_Language_Spoken_at_Home_by_Ability_to_Speak_English_for_the_Population_5_Years_and_Over&g=860XX00US03060,03062,03063,03064&y=2015 |title=Language Spoken at Home by Ability to Speak English for the Population 5 Years and Over: 2015 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates (B16001): ZCTA5 03060-03064, New Hampshire |publisher=U.S. Census Bureau |access-date=December 30, 2023 }}</ref>
{| class="wikitable"
|+Demographics of the top five municipalities by population<ref name="DP1">{{cite web|title=DP1: PROFILE OF GENERAL POPULATION AND HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS|url=https://data.census.gov/table/DECENNIALDP2020.DP1|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=April 16, 2024}}</ref><ref name="DP02">{{cite web|title=DP02Selected Social Characteristics in the United States|url=https://data.census.gov/table/ACSDP5Y2022.DP02|publisher=United States Census Bureau|access-date=April 16, 2024}}</ref>
!
![[Manchester, New Hampshire|Manchester]]
![[Nashua, New Hampshire|Nashua]]
![[Concord, New Hampshire|Concord]]
![[Derry, New Hampshire|Derry]]
![[Dover, New Hampshire|Dover]]
|-
|Population, Census (2020)
|115,644
|91,322
|43,976
|34,317
|32,741
|-
|Population, Census (2010)
|109,565
|86,494
|42,695
|33,109
|29,987
|-
|Population change (April 1, 2010, to April 1, 2020)
|{{font color | green | 5.5% }}
|{{font color | green | 5.6% }}
|{{font color | green | 3.0% }}
|{{font color | green | 3.6% }}
|{{font color | green | 9.2% }}
|-
|'''Age and sex''' (2020)
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|Persons under 5 years
|5.3%
|5.0%
|4.2%
|5.0%
|4.6%
|-
|Persons under 18 years
|18.7%
|19.2%
|17.2%
|20.6%
|18.1%
|-
|Persons 65 years and over
|14.9%
|16.7%
|19.1%
|14.2%
|16.8%
|-
|Female persons
|50.1%
|50.4%
|49.8%
|50.4%
|50.8%
|-
|'''Race and ethnicity''' (2020)
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|[[White American|White]]
|76.7%
|73.1%
|85.4%
|89.3%
|85.7%
|-
|Non-Hispanic White
|74.0%
|70.3%
|84.5%
|88.1%
|84.9%
|-
|[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic or Latino]]
|11.8%
|13.9%
|3.1%
|4.6%
|3.2%
|-
|[[Black American|Black or African American]]
|5.5%
|3.0%
|3.8%
|1.2%
|1.7%
|-
|[[Native Americans in the United States|American Indian and Alaska Native]]
|0.3%
|0.3%
|0.3%
|0.1%
|0.2%
|-
|[[Asian American|Asian]]
|4.2%
|7.8%
|4.1%
|1.6%
|5.5%
|-
|[[Pacific Islander American|Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander]]
| -
| -
| -
| -
| -
|-
|Two or more races
|7.9%
|9.0%
|5.2%
|6.0%
|5.6%
|-
|'''Population characteristics''' (2017–2022)
|
|
|
|
|
|-
|Veterans
|6,212
|5,103
|2,885
|2,256
|1,569
|-
|Foreign-born persons
|14.9%
|15.8%
|8.2%
|4.8%
|5.8%
|}

===Birth data===
''Note: Percentages in the table do not add up to 100, because Hispanics are counted both by their ethnicity and by their race, giving a higher overall number.''
{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 90%;"
|+ Live Births by Single Race/Ethnicity of Mother
|-
! [[Race and ethnicity in the United States Census|Race]]
! 2013<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr64/nvsr64_01.pdf|title=Births: Final Data for 2013|website=Cdc.gov|access-date=September 4, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170911162514/https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr64/nvsr64_01.pdf|archive-date=September 11, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>
! 2018<ref>
{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr68/nvsr68_13-508.pdf |title=Data |website=www.cdc.gov |access-date=December 21, 2019}}</ref>
! 2023<ref>
{{cite web|url=https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr74/nvsr74-1.pdf |title=Data |website=www.cdc.gov |access-date=2025-04-12}}</ref>
|-
| > [[Non-Hispanic Whites|Non-Hispanic White]]
| 11,064 (89.2%)
| 10,317 (86.0%)
| 10,094 (84.6%)
|-
| [[Asian Americans|Asian]]
| 485 (3.9%)
| 472 (3.9%)
| 411 (3.4%)
|-
| [[African Americans|Black]]
| 316 (2.5%)
| 241 (2.0%)
| 304 (2.5%)
|-
| [[Native Americans in the United States|American Indian]]
| 25 (0.2%)
| 13 (0.1%)
| 10 (0.1%)
|-
| ''[[Hispanic and Latino Americans|Hispanic]]'' (any race)
| ''513'' (4.1%)
| ''745'' (6.2%)
| ''889'' (7.4%)
|-
| '''Total New Hampshire'''
| '''12,396''' (100%)
| '''11,995''' (100%)
| '''11,936''' (100%)
|}

* Since 2016, data for births of [[White Hispanic and Latino Americans|White Hispanic]] origin are not collected, but included in one ''Hispanic'' group; persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race.

In 2022, New Hampshire had the lowest teen birth rate of any state, at 4.6 births per 1,000 females ages 15 to 19 years of age.<ref>{{cite web | title = Teen Birth Rate by State | date = February 25, 2022 | publisher = U.S. Department of Health & Human Services | url = https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/pressroom/sosmap/teen-births/teenbirths.htm | accessdate = September 21, 2024}}</ref>

===Religion===
{{Pie chart
| thumb = right
| caption = Religion in New Hampshire according to ''[[Public Religion Research Institute|PRRI American Values Atlas]]'' (2021)<ref>{{cite web | url=https://ava.prri.org/#religious/2021/States/religion/m/US-NH | title=PRRI – American Values Atlas | access-date=March 4, 2023 | archive-date=April 4, 2017 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170404161714/https://ava.prri.org/#religious/2021/States/religion/m/US-NH | url-status=dead }}</ref>
| label1 = [[Irreligion in the United States|Unaffiliated]] 
| value1 = 40
| color1 = White
| label2 = [[Catholicism in the United States|Catholicism]]
| value2 = 30
| color2 = Purple
| label3 = [[Protestantism in the United States|Protestantism]]
| value3 = 23
| color3 = DarkBlue
| label4 = [[Unitarianism|Unitarian]]/[[Universalist Church of America|Universalist]]
| value4 = 2
| color4 = Crimson
| label5 = [[Jehovah's Witnesses]]
| value5 = 1
| color5 = Orange
| label6 = [[Judaism in the United States|Judaism]]
| value6 = 2
| color6 = Lightblue
| label7 = Other
| value7 = 2
| color7 = black}}

A Pew survey in 2014 showed that the religious affiliations of the people of New Hampshire was as follows: [[nonreligious]] 36%, [[Protestantism|Protestant]] 30%, [[Catholicism in the United States|Catholic]] 26%, Jehovah's Witness 2%, [[Latter-day Saint|LDS]] ([[Mormon]]) 1%, and Jewish 1%.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/state/new-hampshire/|title=Adults in New Hampshire|date=May 11, 2015|website=Pew Research Center's Religion & Public Life Project|access-date=September 19, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170925141536/http://www.pewforum.org/religious-landscape-study/state/new-hampshire/|archive-date=September 25, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

A survey suggests people in New Hampshire and Vermont{{NoteTag|Which were polled jointly}} are less likely than other Americans to attend weekly services and only 54% say they are "absolutely certain there is a God" compared to 71% in the rest of the nation.{{NoteTag|86% in Alabama and South Carolina}}<ref>{{cite web |last=Allen |first=Mike |url=http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0608/11268.html |title=Pew survey finds believers flexible |publisher=Politico |date=June 23, 2008 |access-date=July 31, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100918233651/http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0608/11268.html |archive-date=September 18, 2010 |url-status=live }}</ref> New Hampshire and Vermont are also at the lowest levels among states in religious commitment. In 2012, 23% of New Hampshire residents in a Gallup poll considered themselves "very religious", while 52% considered themselves "non-religious".<ref>{{cite news
 |title = Mississippi Is the Most Religious U.S. State
 |author = Frank Newport
 |publisher = Gallup
 |date = March 27, 2012
|url = http://www.gallup.com/poll/153479/Mississippi-Religious-State.aspx
 |access-date = March 28, 2012
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20120328201315/http://www.gallup.com/poll/153479/mississippi-religious-state.aspx
 |archive-date = March 28, 2012
|url-status = live
 }}</ref> According to the [[Association of Religion Data Archives]] (ARDA) in 2010, the largest denominations were the [[Catholic Church]] with 311,028 members; the [[United Church of Christ]] with 26,321 members; and the [[United Methodist Church]] with 18,029 members.<ref name="www.thearda.com">{{cite web |url=http://www.thearda.com/rcms2010/r/s/33/rcms2010_33_state_adh_2010.asp |title=State Membership Report - New Hampshire - Religious Traditions, 2010 |publisher=The Association of Religion Data Archives |access-date=November 22, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202224845/http://www.thearda.com/rcms2010/r/s/33/rcms2010_33_state_adh_2010.asp |archive-date=December 2, 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

In 2016, a Gallup Poll found that New Hampshire was the least religious state in the United States. Only 20% of respondents in New Hampshire categorized themselves as "very religious", while the nationwide average was 40%.<ref name=LeastGallup>{{Cite web|url=https://news.gallup.com/poll/189038/new-hampshire-least-religious-state.aspx |first1=Frank |last1=Newport |title=New Hampshire Now Least Religious State in U.S.|date=February 4, 2016|website=Gallup|access-date=November 6, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191106003110/https://news.gallup.com/poll/189038/new-hampshire-least-religious-state.aspx|archive-date=November 6, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

According to the 2020 [[Public Religion Research Institute]] study, 64% of the population was Christian, dominated by Roman Catholicism and [[Evangelicalism|evangelical Protestantism]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=PRRI – American Values Atlas |url=https://ava.prri.org/#religious/2020/States/religion/m/US-NH |access-date=September 17, 2022 |website=ava.prri.org |archive-date=April 4, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170404161714/https://ava.prri.org/#religious/2020/States/religion/m/US-NH |url-status=dead }}</ref> In contrast with varying studies of estimated irreligiosity, the Public Religion Research Institute reported that irreligion declined from 36% at the separate 2014 Pew survey to 25% of the population in 2020. In 2021, the unaffiliated increased to 40% of the population, although Christianity altogether made up 54% of the total population (Catholics, Protestants, and Jehovah's Witnesses).

==Economy==
{{Further|New Hampshire locations by per capita income|List of power stations in New Hampshire}}
[[File:Mack's Apples in October 2021 7.jpg|thumb|[[Farmers' market]] of [[Mack's Apples]]]]
* Total employment (2016): 594,243
* Number of employer establishments: 37,868<ref name="quickfacts">{{Cite web |url=https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/NH |title=U.S. Census Bureau QuickFacts: New Hampshire |access-date=November 11, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191116061817/https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/NH |archive-date=November 16, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The [[Bureau of Economic Analysis]] estimates that New Hampshire's [[Gross regional domestic product|total state product]] in 2018 was $86{{spaces}}billion, ranking 40th in the United States.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |url=https://www.bea.gov/system/files/2019-04/qgdpstate0519_4.pdf |title=Gross Domestic Product by State, Fourth Quarter and Annual 2018 |website=Bea.gov |publisher=US Bureau of Economic Analysis |date=May 1, 2019 |access-date=June 13, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190501132003/https://www.bea.gov/system/files/2019-04/qgdpstate0519_4.pdf |archive-date=May 1, 2019 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Median household income]] in 2017 was $74,801, the fourth highest in the country (including [[Washington, DC]]).<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cps/tables/time-series/historical-income-households/h08.xls|title=U.S. Census Bureau—Historical Income Tables: Table H-8. Median Household Income by State|date=September 12, 2018|website=census.gov|access-date=June 20, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190410111910/https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/cps/tables/time-series/historical-income-households/h08.xls|archive-date=April 10, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> Its agricultural outputs are dairy products, nursery stock, cattle, apples and eggs. Its industrial outputs are machinery, electric equipment, rubber and plastic products, and tourism is a major component of the economy.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://stats.bls.gov/eag/eag.nh.htm |title=State at a Glance—New Hampshire |access-date=October 14, 2007 |date=October 12, 2007 |publisher=U.S. Department of Labor |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071023050704/http://stats.bls.gov/eag/eag.nh.htm |archive-date=October 23, 2007 |url-status=live }}</ref>

New Hampshire experienced a major shift in its economic base during the 20th century. Historically, the base was composed of traditional New England textiles, shoemaking, and small machine shops, drawing upon low-wage labor from nearby small farms and parts of Quebec. Today, of the state's total manufacturing dollar value, these sectors contribute only two percent for textiles, two percent for leather goods, and nine percent for machining.<ref>U.S. Economic Census for 1997, Manufacturing, New Hampshire</ref> They experienced a sharp decline due to obsolete plants and the lure of cheaper wages in the [[Southern United States]].

New Hampshire today has a broad-based and growing economy, with a state GDP growth rate of 2.2% in 2018.<ref name=":0" /> The state's largest economic sectors in 2018, based on contribution to GDP, are: 15% real estate and rental and leasing; 13% [[professional services|professional business services]]; 12% manufacturing; 10% government and government services; and 9% health care and social services.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://apps.bea.gov/itable/iTable.cfm?ReqID=70&step=1#reqid=70&step=1&isuri=1|title=Bureau of Economic Analysis—Gross Domestic Product by State|date=May 1, 2019|access-date=June 18, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181023080037/https://apps.bea.gov/itable/iTable.cfm?ReqID=70&step=1#reqid=70&step=1&isuri=1|archive-date=October 23, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

The state's [[budget]] in FY2018 was $5.97{{spaces}}billion, including $1.79{{spaces}}billion in federal funds.<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/LBA/budget/operating_budgets/2018_2019/Final/HB%20144%20Adopted%206-22-17.pdf |title=FY 2017 and FY2018 Budget |date=June 22, 2017|website=New Hampshire General Court|access-date=June 13, 2019}}</ref> The state has a [[property tax]] (subject to municipal control) but no broad [[sales tax]] or income tax. The state does have narrower taxes on meals, lodging, vehicles, and business income; and has tolls on some expressways. Though there is no broad-based state tax, local jurisdictions have the U.S.'s 8th-highest property taxes as of a 2019 ranking by the [[Tax Foundation]].<ref>Katherine Loughead. "[https://taxfoundation.org/ranking-property-taxes-on-the-2019-state-business-tax-climate-index/ Ranking Property Taxes on the 2019 State Business Tax Climate Index]". [[Tax Foundation]], October 24, 2018. Accessed March 16, 2021.</ref> However, the state's overall tax burden is relatively low; in 2010 New Hampshire ranked 8th-lowest among states in combined average state and local tax burden.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.taxfoundation.org/taxdata/show/468.html |title=New Hampshire's State and Local Tax Burden, 1970–2006 |publisher=The Tax Foundation |date=August 7, 2008 |access-date=February 18, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120512110530/http://www.taxfoundation.org/taxdata/show/468.html |archive-date=May 12, 2012 |url-status=live }}</ref>

According to the [[Energy Information Administration]], New Hampshire's energy consumption and per capita energy consumption are among the lowest in the country. The [[Seabrook Station Nuclear Power Plant]], near Portsmouth, is the largest individual electrical generating unit on the New England power grid and provided 57% of New Hampshire's electricity generation in 2017. Power generation from wind power increased strongly in 2012 and 2013, but remained rather flat for the next ten years at around 4% of consumption. In 2016, 2017 and at least 2019–2022, New Hampshire obtained more of its electricity generation from wind power than from coal-fired power plants. [[Hydroelectricity|Hydroelectric]] power and [[biomass]] are other important [[Renewable energy in the United States|renewable resources]] in the state. New Hampshire was a net exporter of electricity, exporting {{convert|63|e12BTU|TWh|lk=on}}.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|url=https://www.eia.gov/state/?sid=NH#tabs-1|title=New Hampshire—State Energy Profile Overview—U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)|website=www.eia.gov|access-date=June 18, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190615221433/https://www.eia.gov/state/?sid=NH#tabs-1|archive-date=June 15, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

New Hampshire's residential electricity use is low compared with the national average, in part because demand for air conditioning is low during the generally mild summer months and because few households use electricity as their primary energy source for home heating. Nearly half of New Hampshire households use [[fuel oil]] for winter heating, which is one of the largest shares in the United States. New Hampshire has potential for renewable energies like wind power, hydroelectricity, and [[wood fuel]].<ref name=":2" />

The (preliminary) seasonally [[Unemployment|unemployment rate]] in April 2019 was 2.4% based on a 767,500 person civilian workforce with 749,000 people in employment. New Hampshire's workforce is 90% in nonfarm employment, with 18% employed in trade, transportation, and utilities; 17% in education and health care; 12% in government; 11% in professional and business services; and 10% in leisure and hospitality.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.bls.gov/eag/eag.nh.htm|title=New Hampshire Economy at a Glance|website=www.bls.gov|access-date=June 18, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190418230711/https://www.bls.gov/eag/eag.nh.htm|archive-date=April 18, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Largest employers===
In March 2018, 86% of New Hampshire's workforce were employed by the private sector, with 53% of those workers being employed by firms with fewer than 100 employees. About 14% of private-sector employees are employed by firms with more than 1,000 employees.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.nhes.nh.gov/elmi/statistics/fbs.htm|title=Firms by Size {{!}} Data & Statistics {{!}} Data and Analysis {{!}} Economic & Labor Market Information Bureau (ELMI) {{!}} NH Employment Security|website=www.nhes.nh.gov|access-date=June 18, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170503001530/http://www.nhes.nh.gov/elmi/statistics/fbs.htm|archive-date=May 3, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

According to community surveys by the Economic & Labor Market Information Bureau of NH Employment Security, the following are the largest private employers in the state as of 2018:<ref name=":1">{{Cite web|url=https://www.nhes.nh.gov/elmi/products/cp/|title=New Hampshire Community Profiles {{!}} Data and Analysis {{!}} Economic & Labor Market Information Bureau (ELMI) {{!}} NH Employment Security|website=www.nhes.nh.gov|access-date=June 18, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181110080357/https://www.nhes.nh.gov/elmi/products/cp/|archive-date=November 10, 2018|url-status=live}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Employer !! Location (base) !! Employees
|-
|[[Dartmouth–Hitchcock Medical Center]]||[[Lebanon, New Hampshire|Lebanon]]|| 7,000
|-
|[[Fidelity Investments]]||[[Merrimack, New Hampshire|Merrimack]]|| 6,000
|-
|[[BAE Systems North America]]
|[[Nashua, New Hampshire|Nashua]]
|4,700
|-
|[[Liberty Mutual]]
|[[Dover, New Hampshire|Dover]]
|3,800
|-
|[[Elliot Hospital]]||[[Manchester, New Hampshire|Manchester]]|| 3,800
|-
|[[Dartmouth College]]||[[Hanover, New Hampshire|Hanover]]|| 3,500
|-
|[[Southern New Hampshire University]]
|Manchester
|3,200
|-
|[[Concord Hospital (New Hampshire)|Capital Regional Health Care]]
|[[Concord, New Hampshire|Concord]]
|3,000
|-
|[[Catholic Medical Center]]
|Manchester
|2,300
|-
|[[Southern New Hampshire Health System]]||Nashua|| 2,200
|}
New Hampshire's state government employs approximately 6,100 people. Additionally, the [[United States Department of State|U.S. Department of State]] employs approximately 1,600 people at the [[National Visa Center]] and National Passport Center in Portsmouth, which process [[Visa policy of the United States|United States immigrant visa petitions]] and [[United States passport]] applications.<ref name=":1" />

==Law and government==
{{Main|Government of New Hampshire}}
[[File:Concord New Hampshire state house 20041229.jpg|thumb|The [[New Hampshire State House]] in [[Concord, New Hampshire|Concord]]]]

The governor of New Hampshire, since January 9, 2025, is Republican [[Kelly Ayotte]]. New Hampshire's two U.S. senators are [[Jeanne Shaheen]] and [[Maggie Hassan]], both of whom are Democrats and former governors. New Hampshire's two U.S. representatives as of January 2025 are [[Chris Pappas (American politician)|Chris Pappas]] and [[Maggie Goodlander]], both Democrats.

New Hampshire is an [[alcoholic beverage control state]], and through the [[New Hampshire Liquor Commission|State Liquor Commission]] takes in $100{{spaces}}million from the sale and distribution of liquor.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://admin.state.nh.us/accounting/FY%2005/Monthly%20Rev%20June-05%20Cash%20Basis%20Unaud.pdf |title=State of New Hampshire Monthly Revenue Focus (FY 2005) |publisher=NH Department of Administrative Services |access-date=February 3, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811040853/http://admin.state.nh.us/accounting/FY%2005/Monthly%20Rev%20June-05%20Cash%20Basis%20Unaud.pdf |archive-date=August 11, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

New Hampshire is the only state in the U.S. that does not require adults to wear seat belts in their vehicles. It is one of three states that have no mandatory helmet law.

===Governing documents===
{{Main|Law of New Hampshire}}

The [[New Hampshire State Constitution]] of 1783 is the supreme law of the state, followed by the [[New Hampshire Revised Statutes Annotated]] and the [[New Hampshire Code of Administrative Rules]]. These are roughly analogous to the federal [[United States Constitution]], [[United States Code]] and [[Code of Federal Regulations]] respectively.

===Branches of government===
New Hampshire has a bifurcated executive branch, consisting of the governor and a five-member [[Executive Council of New Hampshire|executive council]] which votes on state contracts worth more than $5,000 and "advises and consents" to the governor's nominations to major state positions such as department heads and all judgeships and [[pardon]] requests. New Hampshire does not have a [[lieutenant governor (United States)#New Hampshire|lieutenant governor]]; the Senate president serves as "acting governor" whenever the governor is unable to perform the duties.

The legislature is called the [[New Hampshire General Court|General Court]]. It consists of the [[New Hampshire House of Representatives|House of Representatives]] and the [[New Hampshire Senate|Senate]]. There are 400 representatives, making it one of the largest elected bodies in the English-speaking world,<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.gencourt.state.nh.us/house/members/memberlookup.aspx |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070815211306/http://gencourt.state.nh.us/house/members/memberlookup.aspx |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 15, 2007 |title="House Fast Fact", New Hampshire House of Representatives |publisher=New Hampshire General Court |website=Gencourt.state.nh.us |access-date=July 31, 2010 }}</ref> and 24 senators. Legislators are paid a nominal salary of $200 per two-year term plus travel costs, the lowest in the U.S. by far. Thus most are effectively volunteers, nearly half of whom are [[retirement|retirees]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Cunningham |first1=Geoff |title=Why run for N.H. Legislature? It's not for $100, fame or a license plate |url=https://www.fosters.com/article/20100822/GJNEWS_01/708229882 |website=fosters.com |publisher=Foster's Daily Democrat |access-date=April 12, 2021}}</ref> (For details, see the article on [[Government of New Hampshire#Legislative Branch|Government of New Hampshire]].)

The state's sole appellate court is the [[New Hampshire Supreme Court]]. The [[New Hampshire Superior Court|Superior Court]] is the court of general jurisdiction and the only court which provides for jury trials in [[civil law (common law)|civil]] or [[criminal law|criminal]] cases. The other state courts are the [[New Hampshire Probate Court|Probate Court]], [[New Hampshire District Court|District Court]], and the [[New Hampshire Family Division|Family Division]].

===Local government===
New Hampshire has [[List of counties in New Hampshire|10 counties]] and [[List of cities and towns in New Hampshire|234 cities and towns]].

New Hampshire is a [[John Forrest Dillon|"Dillon Rule"]] state, meaning the state retains all powers not specifically granted to municipalities. Even so, the legislature strongly favors local control, particularly concerning land use regulations. New Hampshire municipalities are classified as [[New England town|towns]] or cities, which differ primarily by the form of government. Most towns generally operate on the [[town meeting]] form of government, where the registered voters in the town act as the town legislature, and a [[board of selectmen]] acts as the executive of the town. Larger towns and the state's thirteen cities operate either on a [[Council–manager government|council–manager]] or [[Mayor–council government|council–mayor]] form of government. There is no difference, from the state government's point of view, between towns and cities besides the form of government. All state-level statutes treat all municipalities identically.

New Hampshire has a small number of [[unincorporated area]]s that are titled as grants, locations, purchases, or townships. These locations have limited to no self-government, and services are generally provided for them by neighboring towns or the county or state where needed. As of the 2000 census, there were 25 of these left in New Hampshire, accounting for a total population of 173 people ({{as of|2000|lc=y}}); several were entirely depopulated. All but two of these unincorporated areas are in Coös County.

===Politics===
{{Main|Politics of New Hampshire}}

New Hampshire is known for its [[fiscal conservatism]] and [[cultural liberalism]]. The state's politics are cited as [[Libertarianism|libertarian]] leaning.<ref name=":5" /> It is the [[List of U.S. states and territories by religiosity|least religious state]] in the Union as of a 2016 Gallup poll.<ref name=LeastGallup /> The state has long had a great disdain for state taxation and state [[bureaucracy]].<ref>Frank L. Kluckhohn. "[https://www.nytimes.com/1947/05/25/archives/new-england-new-hampshire-is-cautious-on-new-expenses-and-taxes.html NEW ENGLAND; New Hampshire Is Cautious on New Expenses and Taxes]". ''[[The New York Times]]'', May 25, 1947. Accessed March 17, 2021.</ref><ref>[[Associated Press|AP]]. "[https://www.nytimes.com/1972/11/21/archives/new-hampshire-taxes-low.html New Hampshire Taxes Low]". ''[[The New York Times]]'', November 21, 1972. Accessed March 17, 2021.</ref>

The [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic Party]] and the [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]], in that order, are the two largest parties in the state. A plurality of voters are registered as undeclared, and can choose either ballot in the primary and then regain their undeclared status after voting.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/election/iowa-newhampshire/independents.html |title=Independents Become Largest Voting Bloc in New Hampshire |website=[[PBS]] |access-date=December 29, 2008 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080908100552/https://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/election/iowa-newhampshire/independents.html |archive-date=September 8, 2008 }}</ref> The [[Libertarian Party (United States)|Libertarian Party]] had official party status from 1990 to 1996 and from 2016 to 2018. A movement known as the [[Free State Project]] suggests libertarians move to the state to concentrate their power. As of August 30, 2022, there were 869,863 registered voters, of whom 332,008 (38.17%) did not declare a political party affiliation, 273,921 (31.49%) were Democratic, and 263,934 (30.34%) were Republican.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.sos.nh.gov/elections/voters/voting-new-hampshire/party-registrationnames-checklist-history |title=Voting in New Hampshire |publisher=NH Secretary of State |date=August 30, 2022 |access-date=March 3, 2023 }}</ref>

As of 2025, the Republican Party controls the governorship, the Executive Council, and both houses of the [[New Hampshire General Court|legislature]]. However, the Democratic Party controls all four seats in the state's delegation to Congress.

====New Hampshire primary====
[[File:Alumni Hall 1889 Sun.jpg|thumb|[[Saint Anselm College]] has held several national debates on campus.]]

New Hampshire is internationally known for the [[New Hampshire primary]], the first [[U.S. presidential primary|primary]] in the quadrennial American presidential election cycle. State law requires that the Secretary of State schedule this election at least one week before any "similar event". While the [[Iowa caucus]] precedes the New Hampshire primary, the New Hampshire election is the nation's first contest that uses the same procedure as the general election, draws more attention than those in other states, and has been decisive in shaping the national contest.

In February 2023, the Democratic National Committee awarded that party's first primary to [[South Carolina]], to be held on February 3, 2024, directing New Hampshire and Nevada to vote three days later.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.politico.com/news/2023/02/04/dnc-presidential-primary-calendar-00081206|title=DNC votes to shake up presidential primary calendar|website=POLITICO|date=February 4, 2023 }}</ref> New Hampshire political leaders from both parties have vowed to stand by the state's "first in the nation" law and ignore the DNC.

State law permits a town with fewer than 100 residents to open its polls at midnight and close when all registered citizens have cast their ballots. As such, the communities of [[Dixville Notch, New Hampshire|Dixville Notch]] in [[Coos County, New Hampshire|Coos County]] and [[Hart's Location, New Hampshire|Hart's Location]] in [[Carroll County, New Hampshire|Carroll County]], among others, have chosen to implement these provisions. Dixville Notch and Hart's Location are traditionally the first places in both New Hampshire and the U.S. to vote in presidential primaries and elections.

Nominations for all other partisan offices are decided in a separate [[Partisan primary|primary election]]. In Presidential election cycles, this is the second primary election held in New Hampshire.

[[Saint Anselm College]] in [[Goffstown, New Hampshire|Goffstown]] has become a popular campaign spot for politicians as well as several national presidential debates because of its proximity to [[Manchester-Boston Regional Airport]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://blogs.saintanselmcollege.net/category/politics/face-the-nation/|title=CBS's Face the Nation : Saint Anselm College|date=November 13, 2008|access-date=September 4, 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081113151947/http://blogs.saintanselmcollege.net/category/politics/face-the-nation/|archive-date=November 13, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.anselm.edu/news+and+events/college+news/news/2007-11-29-primarydebates.htm|title=Saint Anselm College—Saint Anselm to Host ABC Debates in Dana Center|date=May 11, 2008|access-date=September 4, 2017|url-status=bot: unknown|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080511173202/http://www.anselm.edu/news+and+events/college+news/news/2007-11-29-primarydebates.htm|archive-date=May 11, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |author=William Schpero |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/candidates-face-off-at-st-anselms-college/ |title=Candidates Face Off at St. Anselm's College |publisher=[[CBS News]] |date=January 7, 2008 |access-date=July 31, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101101061337/http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/01/07/politics/uwire/main3684304.shtml |archive-date=November 1, 2010 |url-status=live }}</ref>

====Elections====
{{Main|Elections in New Hampshire}}
{{Further|United States presidential elections in New Hampshire}}
[[File:Dartmouth College campus - Democratic Presidential Candidates Debate 51.jpg|thumb|Dartmouth College before a debate in 2008]]

In the past, New Hampshire has often voted Republican. Between 1856 and 1988, New Hampshire cast its electoral votes for the Democratic presidential ticket six times: [[Woodrow Wilson]] (twice), [[Franklin D. Roosevelt]] (three times), and [[Lyndon B. Johnson]] (once).

Beginning in 1992, New Hampshire became a [[swing state]] in national and local elections, and in that time has supported Democrats in all presidential elections except 2000. It was the only state in the country to switch from supporting Republican [[George W. Bush]] in the [[2000 United States presidential election|2000 election]] to supporting his Democratic challenger in the [[2004 United States presidential election|2004 election]], when [[John Kerry]], a senator from neighboring Massachusetts, won the state.

The Democrats dominated elections in New Hampshire in 2006 and 2008. In 2006, Democrats won both congressional seats (electing [[Carol Shea-Porter]] in the first district and [[Paul Hodes]] in the second), re-elected Governor [[John Lynch (New Hampshire governor)|John Lynch]], and gained a majority on the Executive Council and in both houses for the first time since 1911. Democrats had not held both the legislature and the governorship since 1874.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bizjournals.com/masshightech/stories/2006/12/25/focus2.html |title=Storm of change sweeps through N.H. Legislature |website=Mass High Tech: The Journal of New England Technology |last=Kocher |first=Fred |date=December 22, 2006 |access-date=April 28, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080112204108/http://www.bizjournals.com/masshightech/stories/2006/12/25/focus2.html |archive-date=January 12, 2008 |url-status=live }}</ref> Neither U.S. Senate seat was up for a vote in 2006. In 2008, Democrats retained their majorities, governorship, and Congressional seats; and former governor [[Jeanne Shaheen]] defeated incumbent Republican [[John E. Sununu]] for the U.S. Senate in a rematch of the 2002 contest.

The 2008 elections resulted in women holding a majority, 13 of the 24 seats, in the New Hampshire Senate, a first for any legislative body in the United States.<ref>Senate President Sylvia Larsen, quoted in "Women make up majority in state Senate," ''[[New Hampshire Union Leader]]'', November 6, 2008.</ref>

In the 2010 midterm elections, Republicans made historic gains in New Hampshire, capturing veto-proof majorities in the state legislature, taking all five seats in the Executive Council, electing a new U.S. senator, [[Kelly Ayotte]], winning both U.S. House seats, and reducing the margin of victory of incumbent Governor [[John Lynch (New Hampshire governor)|John Lynch]] compared to his 2006 and 2008 landslide wins.

In the 2012 state legislative elections, Democrats took back the [[New Hampshire House of Representatives]] and narrowed the Republican majority in the [[New Hampshire Senate]] to 13–11.<ref>{{cite news |first=Sean |last=Sullivan |title=New Hampshire's Democratic wave, explained |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2012/11/09/new-hampshires-democratic-wave-explained/ |location=Washington, DC |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |date=November 9, 2012 |access-date=September 2, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150514011248/http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2012/11/09/new-hampshires-democratic-wave-explained/ |archive-date=May 14, 2015 |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2012, New Hampshire became the first state in U.S. history to elect an all-female federal delegation: Democratic Congresswomen [[Carol Shea-Porter]] of [[New Hampshire's 1st congressional district|Congressional District 1]] and [[Ann McLane Kuster]] of [[New Hampshire's 2nd congressional district|Congressional District 2]] accompanied U.S. Senators [[Jeanne Shaheen]] and [[Kelly Ayotte]] in 2013. Further, the state elected its second female governor: Democrat [[Maggie Hassan]].

In the 2014 elections, Republicans retook the [[New Hampshire House of Representatives]] with a 239–160 majority and expanded their majority in the [[New Hampshire Senate]] to 14 of the Senate's 24 seats. On the national level, incumbent Democratic Senator [[Jeanne Shaheen]] defeated her Republican challenger, former Massachusetts senator [[Scott Brown (politician)|Scott Brown]]. New Hampshire also elected [[Frank Guinta]] (R) for its First Congressional District representative and [[Ann Kuster]] (D) for its Second Congressional District representative.

In the 2016 elections, Republicans held the [[New Hampshire House of Representatives]] with a majority of 220–175 and held onto their 14 seats in the [[New Hampshire Senate]]. In the gubernatorial race, retiring Governor [[Maggie Hassan]] was succeeded by Republican [[Chris Sununu]], who defeated Democratic nominee [[Colin Van Ostern]]. Sununu became the state's first Republican governor since [[Craig Benson]], who left office in 2005 following defeat by [[John Lynch (New Hampshire governor)|John Lynch]]. In the presidential race, the state voted for the Democratic nominee, former [[United States Secretary of State|Secretary of State]] [[Hillary Clinton]] over the Republican nominee, Donald Trump, by a margin of 2,736 votes, or 0.3%, one of the closest results the state has ever seen in a presidential race, while Libertarian nominee [[Gary Johnson]] received 4.12% of the vote. The Democrats also won a competitive race in the Second Congressional District, as well as a competitive senate race. 

Since 2017, Democrats have controlled New Hampshire's entire congressional delegation, while Republicans have controlled the governorship and (except in 2019–2020) both houses of the legislature.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Party control of New Hampshire state government |url=https://ballotpedia.org/Party_control_of_New_Hampshire_state_government |access-date=2025-02-26 |website=Ballotpedia |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Lee |first1=K. k Rebecca Lai, Jasmine C. |last2=Russell |first2=Karl |date=November 11, 2016 |title=In a Further Blow to Democrats, Republicans Increase Their Hold on State Governments |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/11/11/us/elections/state-legislature-change-in-control.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170827162124/https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2016/11/11/us/elections/state-legislature-change-in-control.html |archive-date=August 27, 2017 |access-date=September 4, 2017 |website=[[The New York Times]]}}</ref> 

====Free State Project====
The [[Free State Project]] (FSP) is a movement founded in 2001 to recruit at least 20,000 libertarians to move to a single low-population state (New Hampshire, was selected in 2003), to concentrate [[Libertarianism|libertarian]] activism around a single region.<ref>{{cite news|title=Libertarians Pursue New Political Goal: State of Their Own|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/27/us/libertarians-pursue-new-political-goal-state-of-their-own.html?pagewanted=all|first=Pam|last=Belluck|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=October 27, 2003|access-date=February 2, 2022}}</ref> The Free State Project emphasizes decentralized decision-making, encouraging new movers and prior residents of New Hampshire to participate in a way the individual mover deems most appropriate. For example, as of 2017, there were 17 so-called Free Staters elected to the New Hampshire House of Representatives,<ref>{{cite web |title=Media Memo: Free State Project Members Make Up Disproportionate Percentage of NH Freedom Caucus |url=https://granitestateprogress.org/2017/04/24/media-memo-free-state-project-members-make-up-disproportionate-percentage-of-nh-freedom-caucus/ |date=April 24, 2017}}</ref> and in 2021, the [[New Hampshire Liberty Alliance]], which ranks bills and elected representatives based on their adherence to what they see as libertarian principles, scored 150 representatives as "A−" or above rated representatives.<ref>{{cite web |title=New Hampshire 2021 Liberty Ranking |url=https://nhliberty.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/07/2021_Liberty_Rating.pdf |access-date=February 2, 2022}}</ref> Participants also engage with other like-minded activist groups such as Rebuild New Hampshire,<ref>{{cite web|title=My Turn: Sununu must stop enabling white nationalism, anti-government extremism|url=https://www.concordmonitor.com/Sununu-and-the-far-right-38171252|date=January 10, 2021|access-date=February 2, 2022|archive-date=February 2, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220202135302/https://www.concordmonitor.com/Sununu-and-the-far-right-38171252|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Young Americans for Liberty]],<ref>{{cite press release |title=Young Americans for Liberty Celebrates Victory for Right to Work in New Hampshire!|url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/young-americans-for-liberty-celebrates-victory-for-right-to-work-in-new-hampshire-301235070.html |date=February 24, 2021}}</ref> and [[Americans for Prosperity]].<ref>{{cite web |title=NH Primary Source: Americans for Prosperity-NH endorses Sununu, Wheeler, 6 House candidates|url=https://www.wmur.com/article/nh-primary-source-americans-for-prosperity-endorses-sununu-wheeler-6-house-candidates/33470334# |date=July 30, 2020}}</ref>  As of April 2022, approximately 6,232 participants have moved to New Hampshire for the Free State Project.<ref>{{cite web |title=FSP current mover count |url=https://www.fsp.org/ |website=fsp.org |publisher=Free State Project |access-date=April 29, 2022}}</ref>

==Transportation==
===Highways===
{{Main|New Hampshire Highway System}}

New Hampshire has a well-maintained, well-signed network of [[Interstate highways]], U.S. highways, and state highways. State highway markers still depict the [[Old Man of the Mountain]] despite that rock formation's demise in 2003. Several route numbers align with the same route numbers in neighboring states. State highway numbering is arbitrary, with no overall system, while the U.S. highway and Interstate systems follow national numbering conventions. Major routes include:
* [[File:I-89.svg|20px]] [[Interstate 89]] runs northwest from near [[Concord, New Hampshire|Concord]] to [[Lebanon, New Hampshire|Lebanon]] on the [[Vermont]] border.
* [[File:I-93.svg|20px]] [[Interstate 93]] is the main Interstate highway in New Hampshire and runs north from [[Salem, New Hampshire|Salem]] (on the Massachusetts border) to [[Littleton, New Hampshire|Littleton]] (on the Vermont border). I-93 connects the more densely populated southern part of the state to the Lakes Region and the White Mountains further to the north.
* [[File:I-95.svg|20px]] [[Interstate 95]] runs north–south briefly along New Hampshire's seacoast to serve the city of [[Portsmouth, New Hampshire|Portsmouth]], before entering [[Maine]]
* [[File:US 1.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Route 1]] runs north–south briefly along New Hampshire's seacoast to the east of and paralleling I-95.
* [[File:US 2.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Route 2]] runs east–west through [[Coos County, New Hampshire|Coos County]] from Maine, intersecting [[New Hampshire Route 16|Route 16]], skirting the [[White Mountain National Forest]] passing through [[Jefferson, New Hampshire|Jefferson]] and into Vermont.
* [[File:US 3.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Route 3]] is the longest numbered route in the state, and the only one to run completely through the state from the Massachusetts border to the Canada–U.S. border. It generally parallels [[Interstate 93]]. South of Manchester, it takes a more westerly route through [[Nashua, New Hampshire|Nashua]]. North of Franconia Notch, U.S.{{spaces}}3 takes a more easterly route, before terminating at the Canada–U.S. border.
* [[File:US 4.svg|20px]] [[U.S. Route 4]] terminates at the [[Portsmouth Traffic Circle]] and runs east–west across the southern part of the state connecting [[Durham, New Hampshire|Durham]], Concord, [[Boscawen, New Hampshire|Boscawen]], and Lebanon.
* [[File:NH Route 16.svg|20px]] [[New Hampshire Route 16]] is a major north–south highway in the eastern part of the state that generally parallels the border with [[Maine]], eventually entering Maine as Maine Route 16. The southernmost portion of NH 16 is a four-lane freeway, co-signed with U.S. Route{{spaces}}4.
* [[File:NH Route 101.svg|20px]] [[New Hampshire Route 101]] is a major east–west highway in the southern part of the state that connects [[Keene, New Hampshire|Keene]] with [[Manchester, New Hampshire|Manchester]] and the Seacoast region. East of Manchester, NH 101 is a four-lane, limited-access highway that runs to [[Hampton Beach, New Hampshire|Hampton Beach]] and I-95.

===Air===
[[File:Manchester-Boston Regional Airport Aerial Photograph.jpg|thumb|[[Manchester–Boston Regional Airport]] from the air]]
{{Main list|List of airports in New Hampshire}}

New Hampshire has 25 public-use airports, three with some scheduled commercial passenger service. The busiest airport by number of passengers handled is [[Manchester-Boston Regional Airport]] in Manchester and [[Londonderry, New Hampshire|Londonderry]], which serves the [[Greater Boston]] metropolitan area. The closest airport with international service is [[Logan International Airport]] in [[Boston]].

===Public transportation===
Long-distance intercity passenger rail service is provided by [[Amtrak]]'s ''[[Vermonter (train)|Vermonter]]'' and ''[[Downeaster (train)|Downeaster]]'' lines.

[[Greyhound Lines|Greyhound]], [[Concord Coach Lines|Concord Coach]], [[Vermont Translines]], and Dartmouth Coach all provide intercity bus connections to and from points in New Hampshire and to long-distance points beyond and in between.

{{as of|2013}}, Boston-centered [[MBTA Commuter Rail]] services reach only as far as northern Massachusetts. The [[New Hampshire Rail Transit Authority]] is working to extend "Capital Corridor" service from [[Lowell, Massachusetts]], to Nashua, Concord, and Manchester, including [[Manchester-Boston Regional Airport]]; and "Coastal Corridor" service from [[Haverhill, Massachusetts]], to [[Plaistow, New Hampshire]].<ref>{{cite web |url = http://www.nh.gov/dot/programs/nhrta/documents/NHRTAGoals40-April18Reformat.pdf |title=Draft NHRTA Prioritized Goals |access-date=July 31, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100602012924/http://www.nh.gov/dot/programs/nhrta/documents/NHRTAGoals40-April18Reformat.pdf |archive-date=June 2, 2010 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nashuarpc.org/rail/index.html |title=NH Rail Transit Authority Meeting |publisher=Nashua Regional Planning Commission |access-date=July 31, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090605022935/http://www.nashuarpc.org/rail/index.html |archive-date=June 5, 2009 }}</ref> Legislation in 2007 created the [[New Hampshire Rail Transit Authority]] (NHRTA) with the goal of overseeing the development of commuter rail in the state of New Hampshire. In 2011, Governor John Lynch vetoed HB 218, a bill passed by Republican lawmakers, which would have drastically curtailed the powers and responsibilities of NHRTA.<ref>{{cite news |url = http://nhjournal.com/2011/03/15/business-groups-unite-in-support-of-nh-rail-transit-authority/ |title=Business groups unite to support NH Rail Transit Authority |work=New Hampshire Journal |url-status=dead |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110823070036/http://nhjournal.com/2011/03/15/business-groups-unite-in-support-of-nh-rail-transit-authority/ |archive-date=August 23, 2011 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.governor.nh.gov/media/news/2011/061511-hb218.htm |title=Governor Lynch's Veto Message Regarding HB 218 |website=Press Releases |publisher=Governor John Lynch |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110619061102/http://www.governor.nh.gov/media/news/2011/061511-hb218.htm |archive-date=June 19, 2011 |access-date=July 12, 2011 }}</ref> The I-93 Corridor transit study suggested a rail alternative along the [[Manchester and Lawrence Railroad|Manchester and Lawrence branch line]] which could provide freight and passenger service.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.nh.gov/dot/org/aerorailtransit/railandtransit/documents/NHSRPTAC36-28-11f.pdf|title=New Hampshire State Rail Plan<!--Bot generated title-->|website=Nh.gov|access-date=September 4, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171010203652/https://www.nh.gov/dot/org/aerorailtransit/railandtransit/documents/NHSRPTAC36-28-11f.pdf|archive-date=October 10, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> This rail corridor would also have access to Manchester-Boston Regional Airport.

Eleven public transit authorities operate local and regional bus services around the state, and eight private carriers operate express bus services which link with the national intercity bus network.<ref name="nhdotrs">{{cite web |url=http://www.nh.gov/dot/nhrideshare/ |title=NH Rideshare—Your Source for Transportation Alternatives |publisher=NH Dept. of Transportation |access-date=February 3, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110425100918/http://www.nh.gov/dot/nhrideshare/ |archive-date=April 25, 2011 |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[New Hampshire Department of Transportation]] operates a statewide ride-sharing match service, in addition to independent ride matching and guaranteed ride home programs.<ref name="nhdotrs" />

[[Tourist railroad]]s include the [[Conway Scenic Railroad]], [[Hobo-Winnipesaukee Railroad]], and the [[Mount Washington Cog Railway]].

===Freight railways===
{{Main list|List of New Hampshire railroads}}

Freight railways in New Hampshire include [[Concord and Claremont Railroad|Claremont & Concord Railroad]] (CCRR), [[Pan Am Railways]] via subsidiary Springfield Terminal Railway (ST), the [[New England Central Railroad]] (NHCR), the [[St. Lawrence and Atlantic Railroad]] (SLR), and [[New Hampshire Northcoast Corporation]] (NHN).

==Education==
[[File:Baker-Library-Dartmouth-College-Hanover-New-Hampshire-05-2018a.jpg|thumb|right|[[Dartmouth College]]'s [[Baker Memorial Library|Baker Library]]]]
[[File:Thompson Hall, UNH Sunset.jpg|thumb|right|Thompson Hall, at [[University of New Hampshire|UNH]], was built in 1892.]]

===High schools===
{{See also|List of high schools in New Hampshire|List of school districts in New Hampshire}}

The first public high schools in the state were the Boys' High School and the Girls' High School of [[Portsmouth, New Hampshire|Portsmouth]], established either in 1827 or 1830, depending on the source.<ref>{{cite book |first=Emit Duncan |last=Grizzell |title=Origin and Development of the High School in New England Before 1865 |publisher=[[Macmillan Company]] |year=1923 |location=New York |isbn=978-1-4067-4258-9 |page=181 |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=jP20VWHFqV4C |oclc=1921554 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |first=George Gary |last=Bush |title=№ 22, History of Education in New Hampshire |series=United States Bureau of Education Circular of Information, № 3, 1898 |publisher=[[United States Government Printing Office|GPO]] |year=1898 |location=Washington, D. C. |page=134 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MEIXAAAAYAAJ |oclc=817663 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last1=Wallace |first1=R. Stuart |last2=Hall |first2=Douglas E. |title=A New Hampshire Education Timeline |publisher=[[New Hampshire Historical Society]] |url=http://www.nhhistory.org/edu/support/nhlearnmore/nhedtimeline.pdf |access-date=January 28, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090225063655/http://www.nhhistory.org/edu/support/nhlearnmore/nhedtimeline.pdf |archive-date=February 25, 2009 }}</ref>

New Hampshire has more than 80 public high schools, many of which serve more than one town. The largest is [[Pinkerton Academy]] in [[Derry, New Hampshire|Derry]], which is owned by a private non-profit organization and serves as the public high school of several neighboring towns. There are at least 30 private high schools in the state.

New Hampshire is also the home of several prestigious [[University-preparatory school|university-preparatory]] schools, such as [[Phillips Exeter Academy]], [[St. Paul's School (New Hampshire)|St. Paul's School]], [[Proctor Academy]], [[Brewster Academy]], and [[Kimball Union Academy]].

In 2008, the state tied with Massachusetts as having the highest scores on the SAT and ACT standardized tests given to high school students.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.v-weiss.de/table.html |title=The IQ-Trapper |publisher=Volkmar Weiss |website=V-weiss.de |date=May 30, 2009 |access-date=July 31, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100417015438/http://www.v-weiss.de/table.html |archive-date=April 17, 2010 |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Colleges and universities===
{{Main list|List of colleges and universities in New Hampshire}}
* [[Antioch University New England]]
* [[Colby-Sawyer College]]
* [[Community College System of New Hampshire]]:
** [[Great Bay Community College]]
** [[Lakes Region Community College]]
** [[Manchester Community College (New Hampshire)|Manchester Community College]]
** [[Nashua Community College]]
** [[NHTI, Concord's Community College]]
** [[River Valley Community College]]
** [[White Mountains Community College]]
* [[Dartmouth College]]
** [[Tuck School of Business]]
** [[Geisel School of Medicine]]
** [[Thayer School of Engineering]]
** [[Guarini School of Graduate and Advanced Studies]]
* [[Franklin Pierce University]]
* [[Hellenic American University]]
* [[Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences]]
* [[New England College]]
* [[New Hampshire Institute of Art]]
* [[Rivier University]]
* [[Saint Anselm College]]
* [[Southern New Hampshire University]]
* [[Thomas More College of Liberal Arts]]
* [[University System of New Hampshire]]:
** [[University of New Hampshire]]
*** [[University of New Hampshire School of Law]]
*** [[University of New Hampshire at Manchester]]
** [[Granite State College]]
** [[Keene State College]]
** [[Plymouth State University]]

==Media==
===Daily newspapers===
{{Main list|List of newspapers in New Hampshire}}
{{div col|colwidth=25em}}
* ''[[Berlin Daily Sun]]''
* ''[[Concord Monitor]]''
* ''[[Conway Daily Sun]]''
* ''[[Eagle Times]]'' of [[Claremont, New Hampshire|Claremont]]
* ''[[The Eagle Tribune|Eagle Tribune]]'' ([[Lawrence, Massachusetts]] area, including parts of southern New Hampshire)
* ''[[Foster's Daily Democrat]]'' of [[Dover, New Hampshire|Dover]]
* ''[[Keene Sentinel]]''
* ''[[Laconia Daily Sun]]''
* ''[[New Hampshire Union Leader]]'' of [[Manchester, New Hampshire|Manchester]], formerly known as the ''Manchester Union Leader''
* ''[[The Portsmouth Herald]]''
* ''[[The Sun (Lowell)|The Sun]]'' ([[Lowell, Massachusetts]] area, including parts of southern New Hampshire)
* ''[[Valley News]]'' of [[Lebanon, New Hampshire|Lebanon]]
{{div col end}}

===Other publications===
{{div col|colwidth=25em}}
* ''[[Area News Group]]''
* ''Business New Hampshire Magazine''
* ''The Cabinet Press''
** [[Milford Cabinet]]
** Bedford Journal
** Hollis/Brookline Journal
** Merrimack Journal
* ''Carriage Towne News'' (covering [[Kingston, New Hampshire|Kingston]] and surrounding towns)
* ''[[The Dartmouth]]'' ([[Dartmouth College]] student newspaper)
* ''[[The Exeter News-Letter]]''
* ''[[Free Keene]]''
* ''[[The Hampton Union]]''
* ''[[Hippo Press]]'' (covering Manchester, Nashua, and Concord)
* ''The Liberty Block''
* ''[[Manchester Express]]''
* ''Manchester Ink Link''<ref>{{Cite web| url=http://www.manchesterinklink.com/| title=ManchesterInkLink.com| publisher=Manchester Ink Link| access-date=December 9, 2016| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161201063635/https://manchesterinklink.com/| archive-date=December 1, 2016| url-status=dead}}</ref>
* ''[[The New Hampshire]]'' (University of New Hampshire student newspaper)
* ''[[New Hampshire Business Review]]''
* ''[[New Hampshire Free Press]]''
* ''[[The New Hampshire Gazette]]'' (Portsmouth alternative biweekly)
* ''NH Living Magazine''<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.nhliving.com | title=NHLiving.com | website=New Hampshire Living | access-date=February 3, 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160124193951/http://www.nhliving.com/ | archive-date=January 24, 2016 | url-status=live }}</ref>
* ''[https://www.nhrocks.com/ NH Rocks]''<ref>{{Cite web| url=https://www.nhrocks.com/| title=NH Rocks: Connecting You with Things to Do in New Hampshire| publisher=NH Rocks| access-date=June 22, 2020}}</ref>
* ''Salmon Press Newspapers'' (family of weekly newspapers covering Lakes Region and North Country)
{{div col end}}
* ''[[The Telegraph (Nashua, New Hampshire)|The Telegraph]]'' of [[Nashua, New Hampshire|Nashua]]

===Radio stations===
{{Main list|List of radio stations in New Hampshire}}

===Television stations===
{{Main list|List of television stations in New Hampshire}}
* [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] affiliate [[WMUR]], Channel 9, Manchester
* [[Public Broadcasting Service|PBS]] affiliate Channel 11, Durham ([[New Hampshire Public Television]]); repeater stations in Keene and Littleton
* [[True Crime Network]] affiliate [[WWJE-DT|WWJE]], Channel 50, Derry/Manchester
* [[Ion Television]] station [[WBPX-TV|WPXG]], Channel 21, Concord (satellite of [[WBPX-TV|WBPX]] in Boston)

==Sports==
The following sports teams are based in New Hampshire:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Club
!Sport
!Venue
!League
!Level
!notes
|-
|[[Amoskeag Rugby Club]]
|[[Rugby union]]
|Northeast Athletic Club, [[Pembroke, New Hampshire|Pembroke]]
|[[New England Rugby Football Union]]
|[[Amateur sports|Amateur]]
|
|-
|[[Nashua Silver Knights]]
|[[Baseball]]
|[[Holman Stadium (Nashua)|Holman Stadium]], Nashua
|[[Futures Collegiate Baseball League]]
|[[Collegiate summer baseball]]
|
|-
|[[New Hampshire Fisher Cats]]
|[[Baseball]]
|[[Northeast Delta Dental Stadium|Delta Dental Stadium]], Manchester
|[[Double-A (baseball)|Double-A Eastern League]]
|[[Professional]]
|Double-A affiliate of the [[Toronto Blue Jays]]
|-
|[[New Hampshire Wild]]
|[[Baseball]]
|[[Warren H. Doane Diamond|Doane Diamond]], Concord
|[[Empire Professional Baseball League]]
|[[Professional]]
|Independent minor league
|-
|Northeast Ruckus
|[[American football]]
|Nor Rock Field
|[[Women's Football Alliance|Womans Football Alliance]]
|[[Semi-professional sports|Semi-professional]]
|Based in [[Windham, New Hampshire|Windham]], plays home games in nearby [[Raymond, New Hampshire]]
|-
|[[Seacoast United Phantoms]]
|[[Soccer]]
|New England Sports Park
|[[USL League Two]]
|[[Semi-professional sports|Semi-professional]]
|Based in Portsmouth, plays home games in nearby [[Hampton, New Hampshire]]
|-
|New Hampshire Mountain Kings
|[[Ice hockey|Ice Hockey]]
|Tri-Town Ice Arena, [[Hooksett, New Hampshire|Hooksett]]
|[[North American Hockey League]]
|[[Amateur]]
|
|}

The sport of [[paintball]] was invented in [[Henniker, New Hampshire|Henniker]] in 1981.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Slater |first1=Dashka |title=Who Made That Paintball? |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/17/magazine/who-made-that-paintball.html |website=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=October 2, 2023 |date=August 15, 2014}}</ref> [[Sutton, New Hampshire|Sutton]] was the home of the world's first commercial paintball facility.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Pendak |first1=Jared |title=Paintball Pioneer, Ex-New London Resident, Reflects |url=https://www.vnews.com/Archives/2015/02/gurnsey-jp-vn-022615 |website=vnews.com |publisher=The Valley News |access-date=October 2, 2023 |date=February 26, 2015}}</ref>

The [[New Hampshire Motor Speedway]] in [[Loudon, New Hampshire|Loudon]] is an oval track and road course that has been visited by national motorsport championship series such as the [[NASCAR Cup Series]], the NASCAR [[Xfinity Series]], the NASCAR [[Craftsman Truck Series]], NASCAR [[Whelen Modified Tour]], [[American Canadian Tour]] (ACT), the [[Champ Car]] and the [[IndyCar Series]]. Other motor racing venues include [[Star Speedway]] and [[New England Dragway]] in [[Epping, New Hampshire|Epping]], [[Lee USA Speedway]] in [[Lee, New Hampshire|Lee]], Twin State Speedway in [[Claremont, New Hampshire|Claremont]], [[Monadnock Speedway]] in [[Winchester, New Hampshire|Winchester]] and [[Canaan Motor Club|Canaan Fair Speedway]] in [[Canaan, New Hampshire|Canaan]].

New Hampshire has two universities competing at the [[NCAA Division I]] in all collegiate sports: the [[Dartmouth Big Green]] ([[Ivy League]]) and the [[New Hampshire Wildcats]] ([[America East Conference]]), as well as three [[NCAA Division II]] teams: Franklin Pierce Ravens, Saint Anselm Hawks, and Southern New Hampshire Penmen ([[Northeast-10 Conference]]). Most other schools compete in [[NCAA Division III]] or the [[National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics|NAIA]].

Annually since 2002, high-school statewide all-stars compete against Vermont in 10 sports during "Twin State" playoffs.<ref>{{cite news |last=Fantino |first=John A. |title=Vermont breaks through |work=[[Burlington Free Press]] |date=July 20, 2008}}</ref>

==Culture==
In the spring, New Hampshire's many [[sugar house|sap houses]] hold sugaring-off open houses. In summer and early autumn, New Hampshire is home to many [[fair|county fairs]], the largest being the [[Hopkinton State Fair]], in [[Contoocook, New Hampshire|Contoocook]]. New Hampshire's [[Lakes Region (New Hampshire)|Lakes Region]] is home to many summer camps, especially around [[Lake Winnipesaukee]], and is a popular tourist destination. The Peterborough Players have performed every summer in [[Peterborough, New Hampshire|Peterborough]] since 1933. The [[Barnstormers Theatre]] in [[Tamworth, New Hampshire|Tamworth]], founded in 1931, is one of the longest-running professional summer theaters in the United States.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/new-england-summer-theater-six-oldest/|title=The New England Summer Theater—Six of the Oldest|date=May 27, 2017|access-date=February 20, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190221001914/http://www.newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/new-england-summer-theater-six-oldest/|archive-date=February 21, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

In September, New Hampshire is host to the ''New Hampshire Highland Games''. New Hampshire has also registered an official [[tartan]] with the proper authorities in [[Scotland]], used to make kilts worn by the [[Lincoln, New Hampshire|Lincoln]] Police Department while its officers serve during the games. The [[autumn leaf color|fall foliage]] peaks in mid-October. In the winter, [[List of ski areas and resorts in the United States#New Hampshire|New Hampshire's ski areas]] and [[snowmobile]] trails attract visitors from a wide area.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nhstateparks.org/about-us/Trails/ |title=Bureau of Trails |publisher=NH Division of Parks and Recreation |website=nhstateparks.org |access-date=February 3, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160205191241/https://www.nhstateparks.org/about-us/Trails/ |archive-date=February 5, 2016 |url-status=dead }}</ref> After the lakes freeze over they become dotted with [[ice fishing]] ice houses, known locally as bobhouses.

[[Funspot Family Fun Center|Funspot]], the world's largest video arcade<ref name="Largest videogame arcade (current) – Guinness World Records">{{cite web |title=Largest videogame arcade (current) |url=https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/92261-largest-videogame-arcade |website=www.guinnessworldrecords.com |date=January 12, 2016 |publisher=Guinness World Records |access-date=February 2, 2022}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.nhbr.com/November-24-2017/2017-Business-Excellence-Winner-Robert-Lawton-of-Funspot/|title=2017 Business Excellence Winner: Robert Lawton of Funspot|date=November 1, 2017|website=www.nhbr.com|access-date=December 22, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171223044051/http://www.nhbr.com/November-24-2017/2017-Business-Excellence-Winner-Robert-Lawton-of-Funspot/|archive-date=December 23, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> (now termed a museum), is in [[Laconia, New Hampshire|Laconia]].

===In fiction===
Many [[:Category:Novels set in Hampshire|novels]], [[:Category:Plays set in New Hampshire|plays]] and [[:Category:Films set in New Hampshire|screenplays]] have been set in New Hampshire.

====Theater====
* The fictional New Hampshire town of Grover's Corners serves as the setting of the [[Thornton Wilder]] play ''[[Our Town]]''. Grover's Corners is based, in part, on the real town of [[Peterborough, New Hampshire|Peterborough]]. Several local landmarks and nearby towns are mentioned in the text of the play, and Wilder himself spent some time in Peterborough at the [[MacDowell Colony]], writing at least some of the play while in residence there.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Graves |first1=Annie |title=Looking Back on Our Town: Eighty years after Thornton Wilder wrote his classic, the play still lives. |url=https://newengland.com/yankee-magazine/living/new-england-nostalgia/looking-back-on-our-town/ |work=[[Yankee (magazine)|Yankee magazine]] |publisher=Yankee Publishing, Inc. |access-date=October 30, 2020 |date=January 2, 2018}}</ref>

====Comics====
* Al Capp, creator of the comic strip ''[[Li'l Abner]]'', used to joke that [[Dogpatch]], the setting for the strip, was based on [[Seabrook, New Hampshire|Seabrook]], where he would vacation with his wife.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.seacoastonline.com/2004news/07042004/news/24976.htm |first=Susan |last=Morse |title=Last of the Yankees |work=[[Portsmouth Herald]] |date=July 4, 2004 |access-date=July 31, 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050926124300/http://www.seacoastonline.com/2004news/07042004/news/24976.htm |archive-date=September 26, 2005 }}</ref>

====Television====
Many [[:Category:Television_shows_set_in_New_Hampshire|television programs]] have been set in New Hampshire. Notable recent examples include:
* In the AMC drama ''[[Breaking Bad]]'' ("[[Granite State (Breaking Bad)|Granite State]]"<ref name=":3">{{cite news |last=Goodman |first=Tim |date=September 22, 2013 |title='Breaking Bad' Deconstruction, Ep. 15: 'Granite State' |work=The Hollywood Reporter |url=https://hollywoodreporter.com/bastard-machine/breaking-bad-deconstruction-ep-15-634297 |url-status=live |access-date=March 10, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140219152057/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/bastard-machine/breaking-bad-deconstruction-ep-15-634297 |archive-date=February 19, 2014}}</ref>) series lead [[Walter White (Breaking Bad)|Walter White]] escapes to a cabin in a fictional county in northern New Hampshire.
* An episode of the NBC drama ''[[The West Wing]]'' takes place in the fictional [[Hartsfield's Landing]], New Hampshire.
* In the sixth season of [[HBO]] hit series ''[[The Sopranos]]'', in an episode named for New Hampshire's famous slogan of "[[Live Free or Die]]", character [[List of The Sopranos characters#Vito Spatafore|Vito Spatafore]] flees [[New Jersey]] for the small fictional town of Dartford, New Hampshire, because of his inadvertently being [[Outing|outed]] as a gay man.<ref name="Live Free or Die – Season 6 Ep. 6, The Sopranos, HBO">{{cite web |title=Live Free or Die |url=https://www.hbo.com/the-sopranos/season-06a/6-live-free-or-die |website=www.hbo.com |publisher=HBO |access-date=February 2, 2022 |archive-date=February 2, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220202204945/https://www.hbo.com/the-sopranos/season-06a/6-live-free-or-die |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Notable people==
{{Main list|List of people from New Hampshire}}

Prominent individuals from New Hampshire include 14th President of the United States [[Franklin Pierce]], [[Founding Fathers of the United States|founding father]] [[Nicholas Gilman]], Senator [[Daniel Webster]], [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]] hero [[John Stark]], editor [[Horace Greeley]], founder of the [[Christian Science]] religion [[Mary Baker Eddy]], poet [[Robert Frost]], sculptor [[Daniel Chester French]], astronaut [[Alan Shepard]], rock musician [[Ronnie James Dio]], author [[Dan Brown]], actor-comedian [[Adam Sandler]], inventor [[Dean Kamen]], comedians [[Sarah Silverman]] and [[Seth Meyers]], restaurateurs [[Richard and Maurice McDonald]], WWE wrestler [[Triple H]], and streamer [[Ludwig Ahgren]].

==See also==
* [[Local government in New Hampshire]]
* [[Outline of New Hampshire]]
* [[List of states and territories of the United States]]

==Notes==
{{NoteFoot}}

==References==

{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==

{{refbegin}}
* {{cite book |title = New England |last=Sletcher |first=Michael |location=Westport, CT |publisher=Greenwood Press |year=2004 |isbn = 978-0-313-32753-7}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20160112175904/http://www.vnews.com/webextras/webextras-land.html ''Land Use in Cornish, N.H.''], a 2006 documentary presentation by James M. Patterson of the ''[[Valley News]]'', depicts various aspects of the societal and cultural environment of northern New Hampshire.
{{refend}}

==External links==

{{Sister project links|voy=New Hampshire}}

===State government===

* {{official website|http://www.nh.gov/}}
* [http://www.nh.gov/nhinfo/ New Hampshire Almanac]
* [http://www.visitnh.gov/ Visitnh.gov], New Hampshire Office of Travel and Tourism Development

===U.S. Government===

* [https://www.loc.gov/rr/program/bib/states/newhampshire/ New Hampshire State Guide from the Library of Congress]
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080516020523/http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/state/state_energy_profiles.cfm?sid=NH Energy Facts for New Hampshire]
* [http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/state-fact-sheets/state-data.aspx?StateFIPS=33&StateName=New%20Hampshire#.U8Q0PbEXtQs New Hampshire State Facts] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160819115827/http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/state-fact-sheets/state-data.aspx?StateFIPS=33&StateName=New%20Hampshire#.U8Q0PbEXtQs |date=August 19, 2016 }}, USDA Economic Research Service
* [http://www.usgs.gov/state/state.asp?State=NH USGS real-time, geographic, and other scientific resources of New Hampshire]

===Other===
* [https://www.imdb.com/search/text?realm=title&field=locations&q=New+Hampshire Internet Movie Database listing of films shot in the state]
* [http://www.nhhistory.org/ New Hampshire Historical Society]
* [https://www.nhrocks.com/ NH Rocks] New Hampshire Statewide Destination Marketing Organization
* {{OSM relation|67213}}

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{{New Hampshire|expanded}}
{{Rivers of New Hampshire}}
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{{New England}}
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[[Category:New Hampshire| ]]
[[Category:1788 establishments in the United States]]
[[Category:Contiguous United States]]
[[Category:New England states]]
[[Category:Northeastern United States]]
[[Category:States and territories established in 1788]]
[[Category:States of the East Coast of the United States]]
[[Category:States of the United States]]