HomeNew HampshireCarroll County
Carroll County, New Hampshire: commercial real estate data.
Carroll County, New Hampshire had an estimated 52,580 residents on July 1, 2024, up 5.0 percent since the 2020 census base of 50,099, across 931 square miles. County output reached $3.41 bn in 2024, 1,896 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 164 7(a) approvals worth $29.6 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Carroll County
How many people live in Carroll County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202451,804
- Households21,847
- Average household size2.37
- Median household income$86,463
- Median age54.6
- Median gross rent$1,195 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$388,900
- Home value to household income4.5 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income16.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher38.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree16.6 percent
- Adults 25 and over41,127
- Population under 187,631
- Share under 1814.7 percent
- Population 65 and over16,002
- Share 65 and over30.9 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6428,171
- Civilian labor force26,387
- Unemployment rate5.1 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over59.7 percent
- Rank by population among New Hampshire counties8th of 10
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included989th of 3,222
Carroll County is the 8th largest of 10 New Hampshire counties by population. A median home costs 4.5 times median household income, which is seriously unaffordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 30.9 percent against 14.7 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single story product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Carroll County
Is Carroll County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202452,580
- Census 2020 base population50,099
- Population change since the 2020 census base4.95 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024207
- Births, 2024288
- Deaths, 2024675
- Natural change, 2024-387
- Net domestic migration, 2024557
- Net international migration, 202440
- Total net migration, 2024597
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20243,751
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents540th of 3,144
The county has grown 4.95 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024 and the population still grew, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Carroll County
Where are people moving to Carroll County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving1,997
- People arriving, from those returns3,319
- Tax returns filed by households leaving1,567
- Net household movement430
- Adjusted gross income arriving$231.5 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$78.4 m
- Average income of an arriving household$115,920
- Average income of a leaving household$97,725
- Largest single originStrafford County (167 households)
- Largest single destinationStrafford County (150 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strafford County | 167 | 302 | $13.8 m |
| Middlesex County | 140 | 232 | $34.5 m |
| Essex County | 137 | 222 | $25.9 m |
| Rockingham County | 113 | 188 | $13.8 m |
| Belknap County | 111 | 192 | $10.0 m |
| Hillsborough County | 96 | 169 | $14.8 m |
| York County | 65 | 111 | $6.6 m |
| Merrimack County | 56 | 93 | $3.9 m |
Households arriving report $18,195 more average income than households leaving, so the migration is raising local spending power rather than just moving it around. The largest single source of arrivals is Strafford County, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Carroll County
What is the Carroll County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$3.41 bn
- County GDP, 2023$3.24 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20245.2 percent
- GDP change over five years37.6 percent
- Rank by GDP among the New Hampshire areas BEA publishes8th of 10
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes904th of 3,127
- GDP per resident$65,734
Output grew 5.2 percent in the latest year and 37.6 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Carroll County
Employment by industry in Carroll County
- Covered employment, annual average19,693
- Establishments reporting2,127
- Average annual pay$51,660
- Average weekly wage$993
- Accommodation and food services, employment4,099
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$34,650
- Retail trade, employment3,380
- Retail trade, average annual pay$39,074
- Health care and social assistance, employment2,362
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$67,825
- Construction, employment1,253
- Construction, average annual pay$66,639
- Arts, entertainment and recreation, employment1,089
- Manufacturing, employment840
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation and food services | 4,099 | 306 | $34,650 |
| Retail trade | 3,380 | 313 | $39,074 |
| Health care and social assistance | 2,362 | 138 | $67,825 |
| Construction | 1,253 | 288 | $66,639 |
| Arts, entertainment and recreation | 1,089 | 72 | $36,030 |
| Manufacturing | 840 | 73 | $53,325 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 787 | 149 | $67,843 |
| Other services, except public administration | 565 | 164 | $50,784 |
Accommodation and food services is the largest private sector at 4,099 jobs, 20.8 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Carroll County
How many businesses are in Carroll County?
- Establishments, all industries1,896
- Employment at those establishments17,163
- Annual payroll$816.9 m
- Establishments per 1,000 residents36.6
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against. County Business Patterns counts private establishments with paid employees in March 2023, while the Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages above counts every unemployment-insured employer, public ones included, as a 2024 annual average, so the two establishment and employment counts differ.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Carroll County
Building permits in Carroll County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 2024355
- Declared construction value permitted$165.3 m
- Single family units authorized351
- Multifamily units authorized4
- Multifamily share of units1.1 percent
- Average declared value per unit$465,552
- Units authorized per 1,000 households16.2
Single-family homes are 98.9 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Carroll County
SBA loans in Carroll County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded164
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$29.6 m
- Average 7(a) approval$180,410
- Median 7(a) approval$60,000
- 10th percentile approval$25,000
- 90th percentile approval$341,000
- Largest single approval$4,445,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)1,178
- Jobs per approval7.2
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active26
- Distinct industries receiving approvals81
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer5.5 percent
- Loans on real estate terms9
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter152
- Franchise loans3
- Franchise share of approvals1.8 percent
- Leading industry by approval countLandscaping Services (12)
- Most active lenderMeredith Village Savings Bank (47)
- 504 approvals recorded102
- 504 gross approval dollars$48.2 m
- Average 504 approval$472,618
- Median 504 approval$271,000
- Distinct CDCs active4
- 504 jobs per approval6.1
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved12.9
- Most active CDCGranite State Economic Development Corporation (89)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$77.8 m
The average approval of $180,410 sits well above the median of $60,000, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 5.5 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Carroll County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Carroll County
Do SBA loans in Carroll County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded32
- Paid in full31
- Charged off1
- Charge-off rate on resolved loans3.1 percent
- Status: Paid in full31
- Status: Cancelled17
- Status: Exempt from disclosure105
- Status: Charged off1
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed10
Of the 32 loans that have reached a final outcome, 3.1 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
Compare against the national and state SBA charge-off rates, computed the same way over resolved loans only.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Carroll County
SBA lending by place in Carroll County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending28
- Wolfeboro, approvals24
- North Conway, approvals23
- Moultonborough, approvals17
- Conway, approvals16
- Center Conway, approvals12
- Ossipee, approvals7
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Wolfeboro | 24 | $3,468,500 |
| North Conway | 23 | $12,613,700 |
| Moultonborough | 17 | $1,091,000 |
| Conway | 16 | $1,659,000 |
| Center Conway | 12 | $774,000 |
| Ossipee | 7 | $2,110,000 |
| Tamworth | 7 | $1,516,000 |
| Center Tuftonboro | 7 | $436,500 |
| 20 other borrower cities | 51 | $5,918,600 |
Wolfeboro accounts for 24 approvals against 23 in North Conway. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Carroll County
How large is Carroll County?
- Land area931 sq mi
- Rank by land area among New Hampshire counties4th of 10
- Width, east to west30.5 mi
- Height, north to south52.1 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land56
- Establishments per square mile2.04
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Carroll County
Flood risk in Carroll County
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book18
- Of those, participating in the NFIP18
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Communities carrying a CRS class0
- Radon levels in Carroll County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/LZone 1
The EPA places Carroll County in radon zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. 100.0 percent of the county's listed communities participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, per Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26.
Federal Emergency Management Agency, NFIP Community Status Book (OpenFEMA), as of 2026-09-26. US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Traffic counts, zoning and the flood zone at an address are not on this page; they resolve at the address in the platform. How this page was built →
Feasibility studies
When a Carroll County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Carroll County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202451,804
- Households21,847
- Average household size2.37
- Median household income$86,463
- Median age54.6
Common questions
Carroll County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Carroll County, New Hampshire?
The Census Bureau estimates 52,580 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 51,804, in 21,847 households, ranking 8th of 10 New Hampshire counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Carroll County's population growing?
The population has grown 4.95 percent since the 2020 census base of 50,099, to 52,580 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 288 births against 675 deaths, with net migration of 597. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Carroll County?
$86,463. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $388,900, which is 4.5 times income, and median gross rent is $1,195 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Carroll County?
1,896 establishments, employing 17,163 people with an annual payroll of $816.9 m. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Carroll County?
Accommodation and food services is the largest private sector at 4,099 jobs, 20.8 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 19,693 jobs at an average annual pay of $51,660, or $993 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Carroll County?
164 7(a) approvals totaling $29.6 m since FY2020, across 26 lenders, with a median approval of $60,000, plus 102 504 approvals worth $48.2 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Carroll County get paid back?
Of the 32 loans that have reached a final outcome, 31 were paid in full and 1 charged off, a charge-off rate of 3.1 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
How many building permits were issued in Carroll County?
355 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $165.3 m. Multifamily was 1.1 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Carroll County?
Zone 1, a predicted average indoor radon screening level greater than 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Carroll County come from?
The largest single origin is Strafford County, with 167 households. Arriving households report an average income of $115,920 against $97,725 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Carroll County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Carroll County?
No. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame, to be confirmed locally.
Carroll County
Cities and places in Carroll.
10 Census places lie wholly or partly in Carroll County. All 10 carry enough published place level data for a page of their own and are linked.
| Place | Type | Population | SBA 7(a) approvals, projects in this county | Lies in |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conway | CDP | 3,879 | 16 | Wholly in this county |
| Wolfeboro | CDP | 2,531 | 24 | Wholly in this county |
| North Conway | CDP | 2,041 | 23 | Wholly in this county |
| Sanbornville | CDP | 1,317 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Center Ossipee | CDP | 583 | 6 | Wholly in this county |
| Melvin Village | CDP | 324 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Bartlett | CDP | 312 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Suissevale | CDP | 230 | None recorded | Wholly in this county |
| Union | CDP | 131 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Center Sandwich | CDP | 101 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
A further 85 of the county's 164 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Carroll County, the largest being Moultonborough (17), Center Conway (12), Ossipee (7). Those are postal cities, unincorporated areas and cities outside the county, so no place row claims them; they are counted in the county total above.