HomeNew HampshireCheshire County
Cheshire County, New Hampshire: commercial real estate data.
Cheshire County, New Hampshire had an estimated 78,078 residents on July 1, 2024, up 2.1 percent since the 2020 census base of 76,449, across 707 square miles. County output reached $5.18 bn in 2024, 2,001 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 133 7(a) approvals worth $31.8 m since FY2020.
Underlined figures are computed by MMCG Analytics, not published by the agency.
Cheshire County
How many people live in Cheshire County
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202477,297
- Households30,620
- Average household size2.52
- Median household income$83,329
- Median age43.6
- Median gross rent$1,276 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$280,100
- Home value to household income3.4 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income18.4 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher35.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree14.0 percent
- Adults 25 and over55,786
- Population under 1813,760
- Share under 1817.8 percent
- Population 65 and over17,298
- Share 65 and over22.4 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6446,239
- Civilian labor force40,664
- Unemployment rate3.3 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over64.0 percent
- Rank by population among New Hampshire counties6th of 10
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents, Puerto Rico included743rd of 3,222
Cheshire County is the 6th largest of 10 New Hampshire counties by population. A median home costs 3.4 times median household income, which is moderately unaffordable by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 22.4 percent against 17.8 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.
Cheshire County
Is Cheshire County's population growing?
- Population, July 1, 202478,078
- Census 2020 base population76,449
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.13 percent
- Population change, 2023 to 2024446
- Births, 2024580
- Deaths, 2024842
- Natural change, 2024-262
- Net domestic migration, 2024607
- Net international migration, 2024103
- Total net migration, 2024710
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20242,139
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1135th of 3,144
The county has grown 2.13 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.
Cheshire County
Where are people moving to Cheshire County from?
- Tax returns filed by households arriving2,200
- People arriving, from those returns3,613
- Tax returns filed by households leaving1,836
- Net household movement364
- Adjusted gross income arriving$191.9 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$41.4 m
- Average income of an arriving household$87,231
- Average income of a leaving household$81,998
- Largest single originHillsborough County (351 households)
- Largest single destinationHillsborough County (263 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hillsborough County | 351 | 591 | $20.9 m |
| Worcester County | 179 | 333 | $12.9 m |
| Windham County | 144 | 221 | $8.7 m |
| Middlesex County | 102 | 148 | $12.1 m |
| Sullivan County | 93 | 149 | $4.2 m |
| Rockingham County | 51 | 87 | $8.0 m |
| Merrimack County | 46 | 62 | $2.5 m |
| Franklin County | 40 | 59 | $2.2 m |
Households arriving report $5,233 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 Hillsborough 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.
Cheshire County
What is the Cheshire County economy?
- County GDP, 2024$5.18 bn
- County GDP, 2023$4.93 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20245.0 percent
- GDP change over five years24.9 percent
- Rank by GDP among the New Hampshire areas BEA publishes6th of 10
- Rank by GDP among the US county areas BEA publishes702nd of 3,127
- GDP per resident$66,952
Output grew 5.0 percent in the latest year and 24.9 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.
Cheshire County
Employment by industry in Cheshire County
- Covered employment, annual average31,134
- Establishments reporting2,280
- Average annual pay$59,392
- Average weekly wage$1,142
- Retail trade, employment5,076
- Retail trade, average annual pay$41,105
- Manufacturing, employment4,939
- Manufacturing, average annual pay$71,814
- Health care and social assistance, employment4,064
- Health care and social assistance, average annual pay$65,956
- Accommodation and food services, employment2,520
- Accommodation and food services, average annual pay$27,456
- Construction, employment1,986
- Other services, except public administration, employment1,332
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 5,076 | 316 | $41,105 |
| Manufacturing | 4,939 | 136 | $71,814 |
| Health care and social assistance | 4,064 | 190 | $65,956 |
| Accommodation and food services | 2,520 | 174 | $27,456 |
| Construction | 1,986 | 323 | $77,046 |
| Other services, except public administration | 1,332 | 204 | $41,928 |
| Management of companies and enterprises | 913 | 19 | $118,406 |
| Administrative and support and waste management services | 873 | 138 | $51,942 |
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 5,076 jobs, 16.3 percent of covered employment.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Cheshire County
How many businesses are in Cheshire County?
- Establishments, all industries2,001
- Employment at those establishments27,755
- Annual payroll$1.53 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents25.9
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.
Cheshire County
Building permits in Cheshire County
- Housing units authorized by permit, 2024172
- Declared construction value permitted$51.2 m
- Single family units authorized156
- Multifamily units authorized16
- Multifamily share of units9.3 percent
- Average declared value per unit$297,766
- Units authorized per 1,000 households5.6
Single-family homes are 90.7 percent of units authorized, so the pipeline is predominantly single-family.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Cheshire County
SBA loans in Cheshire County (7(a) and 504)
- 7(a) approvals recorded133
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$31.8 m
- Average 7(a) approval$238,928
- Median 7(a) approval$100,000
- 10th percentile approval$21,860
- 90th percentile approval$536,000
- Largest single approval$2,190,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)903
- Jobs per approval6.8
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active23
- Distinct industries receiving approvals72
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer3.0 percent
- Loans on real estate terms4
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter124
- Franchise loans6
- Franchise share of approvals4.5 percent
- Leading industry by approval countLandscaping Services (8)
- Most active lenderTD Bank, National Association (32)
- 504 approvals recorded71
- 504 gross approval dollars$28.7 m
- Average 504 approval$404,761
- Median 504 approval$263,000
- Distinct CDCs active4
- 504 jobs per approval5.9
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved14.7
- Most active CDCGranite State Economic Development Corporation (63)
- Combined SBA approval dollars, 7(a) FY2020 to FY2026 and 504 FY2010 to FY2026$60.5 m
The average approval of $238,928 sits well above the median of $100,000, pulled up by a few larger deals, so the median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here gets. Only 3.0 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.
Cheshire County
SBA loan default and charge-off rates in Cheshire County
Do SBA loans in Cheshire County get paid back?
- Loans with a final outcome recorded35
- Paid in full34
- Charged off1
- Charge-off rate on resolved loans2.9 percent
- Status: Exempt from disclosure79
- Status: Paid in full34
- Status: Cancelled11
- Status: Charged off1
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed8
Of the 35 loans that have reached a final outcome, 2.9 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.
Cheshire County
SBA lending by place in Cheshire County
- Borrower cities with recorded lending26
- Keene, approvals50
- Swanzey, approvals12
- Rindge, approvals12
- Marlborough, approvals7
- Jaffrey, approvals7
- Gilsum, approvals5
| Borrower city | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Keene | 50 | $13,344,400 |
| Swanzey | 12 | $2,739,700 |
| Rindge | 12 | $1,359,500 |
| Marlborough | 7 | $2,037,600 |
| Jaffrey | 7 | $1,905,000 |
| Gilsum | 5 | $2,677,000 |
| Fitzwilliam | 5 | $2,171,500 |
| Stoddard | 4 | $668,000 |
| 18 other borrower cities | 31 | $4,874,700 |
Keene accounts for 50 approvals against 12 in Swanzey. 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.
Cheshire County
How large is Cheshire County?
- Land area707 sq mi
- Rank by land area among New Hampshire counties6th of 10
- Width, east to west31.8 mi
- Height, north to south32.4 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary5
- Residents per square mile of land109
- Establishments per square mile2.83
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.
Cheshire County
Flood risk in Cheshire County
- Communities in the county in the NFIP Community Status Book22
- Of those, participating in the NFIP22
- NFIP participation rate100.0 percent
- Best Community Rating System class in the county A lower CRS class is a larger flood insurance premium discount.Class 8
- Communities carrying a CRS class3
- Radon levels in Cheshire County, EPA zone predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/LZone 2
The EPA places Cheshire County in radon zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. The zone is a screening prediction for the county and does not substitute for a test at an address. The best Community Rating System class among the county's communities is 8, which carries a flood insurance premium discount for policies written in that community. 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 Cheshire 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 Cheshire County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population, American Community Survey 2020-202477,297
- Households30,620
- Average household size2.52
- Median household income$83,329
- Median age43.6
Common questions
Cheshire County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Cheshire County, New Hampshire?
The Census Bureau estimates 78,078 residents on July 1, 2024 (US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024). The American Community Survey 2020-2024 five-year estimate is 77,297, in 30,620 households, ranking 6th of 10 New Hampshire counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Cheshire County's population growing?
The population has grown 2.13 percent since the 2020 census base of 76,449, to 78,078 on July 1, 2024. In 2024 there were 580 births against 842 deaths, with net migration of 710. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Cheshire County?
$83,329. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $280,100, which is 3.4 times income, and median gross rent is $1,276 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are in Cheshire County?
2,001 establishments, employing 27,755 people with an annual payroll of $1.53 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is employment by industry in Cheshire County?
Retail trade is the largest private sector at 5,076 jobs, 16.3 percent of covered employment. Covered employment averages 31,134 jobs at an average annual pay of $59,392, or $1,142 a week. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Cheshire County?
133 7(a) approvals totaling $31.8 m since FY2020, across 23 lenders, with a median approval of $100,000, plus 71 504 approvals worth $28.7 m since FY2010. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Cheshire County get paid back?
Of the 35 loans that have reached a final outcome, 34 were paid in full and 1 charged off, a charge-off rate of 2.9 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
How many building permits were issued in Cheshire County?
172 housing units were authorized by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $51.2 m. Multifamily was 9.3 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Cheshire County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 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 Cheshire County come from?
The largest single origin is Hillsborough County, with 351 households. Arriving households report an average income of $87,231 against $81,998 for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Cheshire 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 Cheshire 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.
Cheshire County
Cities and places in Cheshire.
9 Census places lie wholly or partly in Cheshire County. All 9 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Keene | city | 22,939 | 50 | Wholly in this county |
| Jaffrey | CDP | 3,277 | 7 | Wholly in this county |
| Hinsdale | CDP | 1,580 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| Winchester | CDP | 1,306 | 2 | Wholly in this county |
| West Swanzey | CDP | 1,188 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Troy | CDP | 1,081 | 4 | Wholly in this county |
| Marlborough | CDP | 1,048 | 7 | Wholly in this county |
| North Walpole | CDP | 513 | 1 | Wholly in this county |
| Walpole | CDP | 512 | 3 | Wholly in this county |
A further 56 of the county's 133 SBA 7(a) approvals are to borrowers in cities that match no Census place in Cheshire County, the largest being Swanzey (12), Rindge (12), Gilsum (5). 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.