In early 2026, the U.S. Census Bureau released new aggregated five-year data for 2020-2024, building on less detailed one-year estimates for 2024. These data provide a clearer picture of county-level trends in household income, poverty, and health coverage, among other measures. Overall, New Hampshire’s southeastern counties had higher median household incomes, while some of the state’s more rural regions experienced larger income gaps, higher poverty rates, and greater public health coverage utilization.

Here’s what we learned regarding household income in particular:

Based on aggregated data from 2020-2024, New Hampshire’s statewide median household income was an estimated $99,031, with significant variation across counties and municipalities. Median household incomes were generally highest in southeastern New Hampshire, reflecting the longstanding influence of Boston-area job and wage growth on the state’s economy. During this period, Rockingham and Hillsborough Counties had median household incomes above the statewide median, while Merrimack County’s median income was statistically indistinguishable from the statewide level. All other counties had median incomes below the statewide median. Rockingham County, the state’s most southeastern and second most populous county, had a median household income nearly twice that of Coos County, the northernmost and least populous county.

While Coos County had the lowest median income during 2020-2024, it also experienced a much higher percentage of households with lower incomes than any other county; nearly 43% of households had incomes below $50,000 during the five-year period, while fewer than 5% had incomes of $200,000 or more. Sullivan County also had a notable gap, with nearly 30% of households earning less than $50,000 and about 10% earning $200,000 or more. Rockingham County was the only county where the share of higher-income households exceeded the share of lower-income households, with about 23% earning $200,000 or more compared to 18% earning less than $50,000.