A town along the Vermont border ranked as the best place to live in New Hampshire and No. 862 in the United States, according to Niche.
Niche’s 2026 Best Places to Live list compares more than 18,000 towns, suburbs, and neighborhoods nationwide.
The rankings are based on a combination of public data (U.S. Census, FBI, Bureau of Labor Statistics, and CDC), proprietary research, and millions of resident reviews, according to the data website. Niche evaluates cost of living, crime, public schools, job opportunities, and local amenities.
Several New Hampshire locations, including many near the Atlantic coast, appear among the top-ranked communities in the U.S.
Hanover named best place to live in NH, No. 862 in US
Hanover, an Ivy League college town along the Vermont border, ranked No. 1 in New Hampshire and No. 862 nationally.
The riverside town has a population of 11,685 and a “dense suburban” feel, according to Niche. Median home value is $824,900, median monthly rent is $2,253, and median household income is $169,583. About 64% of residents have a master’s degree or higher.
Hanover is home to Dartmouth College, which is ranked as the 5th-best college in America by Niche.
“Hanover is in Grafton County and is one of the best places to live in New Hampshire,” Niche said in its description of the town. “Living in Hanover offers residents a dense suburban feel and most residents own their homes. Many young professionals live in Hanover and residents tend to be liberal.”
The town received a “B+” grade for crime and safety, according to Niche. Additionally, public schools in the area are highly rated.
Hanover also ranked No. 95 among the places with the best public schools in America, No. 243 among the best places to raise a family in America, and No. 7,224 among the best places for young professionals in America.
Top 30 places to live in NH, according to Niche
Here are the top 30 places to live in New Hampshire (including cities, city neighborhoods, suburbs, and towns), and their national rankings, according to Niche:
- Hanover (Town in New Hampshire) – #862 in America
- Durham (Town in New Hampshire) – #1,852 in America
- Bedford (Suburb of Manchester, NH) – #2,015 in America
- Amherst (Suburb of Manchester, NH) – #2,029 in America
- Portsmouth (City in New Hampshire) – #2,476 in America
- Newfields (Town in New Hampshire) – #2,708 in America
- Bow (Town in New Hampshire) – #3,036 in America
- Stratham (Town in New Hampshire) – #3,100 in America
- Brookline (Suburb of Manchester, NH) – #3,153 in America
- Windham (Suburb in New Hampshire) – #3,343 in America
- Hollis (Suburb of Manchester, NH) – #3,424 in America
- Lebanon (Town in New Hampshire) – #3,607 in America
- Plymouth (Town in New Hampshire) – #3,646 in America
- Exeter (Town in New Hampshire) – #3,907 in America
- Holderness (Town in New Hampshire) – #4,317 in America
- Brentwood (Town in New Hampshire) – #4,337 in America
- Campton (Town in New Hampshire) – #4,359 in America
- Rye (Town in New Hampshire) – #4,457 in America
- Hopkinton (Town in New Hampshire) – #4,606 in America
- South Hooksett (Suburb of Manchester, NH) – #4,654 in America
- Mont Vernon (Suburb of Manchester, NH) – #4,805 in America
- Newmarket (Town in New Hampshire) – #4,820 in America
- Peterborough (Town in New Hampshire) – #4,837 in America
- Gilford (Town in New Hampshire) – #4,849 in America
- Auburn (Suburb of Manchester, NH) – #4,951 in America
- Bethlehem (Town in New Hampshire) – #5,023 in America
- Londonderry (Suburb in New Hampshire) – #5,036 in America
- Madbury (Town in New Hampshire) – #5,067 in America
- Hampton Falls (Town in New Hampshire) – #5,266 in America
- Greenland (Town in New Hampshire) – #5,300 in America
Top 10 places to live in the U.S., according to Niche
Here are the top 10 places to live in the U.S. (including cities, city neighborhoods, suburbs, and towns), according to Niche:
- Atlantic Station (Neighborhood in Atlanta, GA)
- Colonial Village (Neighborhood in Arlington, VA)
- Evergreen Park (Neighborhood in Palo Alto, CA)
- Downtown North (Neighborhood in Palo Alto, CA)
- Clarendon Hills (Suburb of Chicago, IL)
- Midtown (Neighborhood in Atlanta, GA)
- Ardmore (Suburb of Philadelphia, PA)
- Devon (Suburb of Philadelphia, PA)
- Penn Wynne (Suburb of Philadelphia, PA)
- College Terrace (Neighborhood in Palo Alto, CA)
This article originally appeared on wickedlocal.com. Reporting by Bailey Allen.
