RANK #786 / 1001 NAT · POP 319,082
1YR FORECAST: +1.1%
5YR OUTLOOK: +24%
Rockingham County, New Hampshire, stands out for its 18 miles of Atlantic coastline, the shortest ocean coastline of any U.S. state. Located in the southeastern part of New Hampshire, it borders Massachusetts to the south and Maine to the northeast. Portsmouth, a historic seaport, was one of New Hampshire's first European settlements. The county offers a mix of rural, suburban, and coastal environments. Commuting to Boston, Massachusetts, is feasible, with a mean travel time for county residents around 28.9 minutes. Outdoor recreation opportunities include beaches like Hampton Beach and Wallis Sands, as well as multi-use rail trails such as the Rockingham Recreational Rail Trail for hiking, biking, and snowmobiling. Life in Rockingham County often appeals to families, with public schools generally performing above average. The county is considered among the healthiest in New Hampshire. The economy is supported by various sectors, including ongoing investments in data centers, energy infrastructure, and industrial and logistics operations. The Regional Economic Development Center of Southern New Hampshire (REDC) focuses on economic development planning for the area.
Rockingham County is one of 110 U.S. counties in this market profile — weaker than typical on the BoomTown Index. Within this cohort, its recent home-price change of +3.0% runs above the profile's typical +2.4%.
See all 110 Educated Suburban Growth counties →Overvalued relative to economy
Moderate climate & terrain
Above national median (15x)
Housing looks overvalued at 13.2x — home prices are high relative to local economic output. The typical U.S. county is 4–6x.
Estimated local headcount ranges. Larger employers shown as floor + "+"; smaller employers show exact counts where reported.
Bars show trailing 12-month growth. The dashed Forecast bars are the model's next-12-month projection; the whisker marks the ±1% range (cooling–accelerating).
Source: Redfin · Census BPS — Browse sales on Redfin →
Source: CDC/NCHS vital statistics via County Health Rankings (2020–2022 avg). Rates per 100,000 population. Grade based on homicide rate relative to national average (~6.3). Learn more →
Source: EPA Air Quality System (2021–2023). Grade based on 3-year average median AQI. Learn about AQI →
| PROJECT | AMOUNT | STATUS |
|---|---|---|
|
AI Data Center (Former Unifi Building)
White Fiber
|
$500M | Under Construction |
|
Rockingham 100 MW Solar Project
Undisclosed
|
$100M | Planned |
|
Rockingham County Municipal Building & Solar Array
Rockingham County
|
$77M | Under Construction |
|
Seabrook Station Nuclear Power Plant License Extension
NextEra Energy
|
— | Operating |
Source: public records, news, corporate announcements. Amounts are estimates where noted.
Bars show percentile rank among all 1001 counties.
At 21/100, Rockingham County faces headwinds that place it in the lower third of the 1001 counties we track. Median income of $118,331 combined with job growth of +0.2% suggests the local economy is struggling to keep pace with national trends.
Rockingham County leans toward the expensive side. A median home value of $497,500 against an income-to-home-value ratio of 0.24 means housing eats a bigger share of local earnings than the national norm. Renters face $1,687/month on average.
Rockingham County's population is growing — up +0.6% YoY — while the job market is roughly flat (employment change of +0.2%). Home values shifted +3.0% over the past year. In-migration is outpacing local hiring, which often points to remote workers or retirees driving the headcount.
Not particularly — 1.69% of Rockingham County's population moved in from another state, which is below the national average. Most residents are long-term locals rather than recent transplants.