Map the Block › Places › New Hampshire › Cheshire County
Cheshire County, New Hampshire: crime rate, income and local data
FBI reports put Cheshire County at 1.4 violent crimes per 1,000 people a year over 2021-2025, 17% higher than the rate for New Hampshire (1.2). The median household earns $83,329 and the unemployment rate was 3.0% in August 2026. About 77,297 people live in the county.
Last updated . Crime: FBI 2021-2025. Income and housing: Census ACS 2020-2024. Unemployment: BLS August 2026. Road work: October 11, 2026.
Also on the map: income · hazard risk · Superfund · dams
What is the crime rate in Cheshire County?
From 2021 through 2025, Cheshire County averaged 110 reported violent crimes a year, along with 802 property crimes. Per 1,000 residents, the violent-crime rate works out to 1.4: 17% higher than the New Hampshire rate (1.2), and 62% lower than the national rate (3.7). Property crime ran at 10.2 per 1,000, against 9.4 statewide. CDC death records show about 2 homicide deaths a year in the county (2.4 per 100,000), a count that includes cases police may classify differently.
| Offense (yearly average, 2021-2025) | Cheshire County | Per 1,000 | New Hampshire per 1,000 | U.S. per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Violent crime | 110 | 1.4 | 1.2 | 3.7 |
| Murder | 1 | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.06 |
| Rape | 45 | 0.58 | 0.40 | 0.40 |
| Robbery | 11 | 0.14 | 0.14 | 0.62 |
| Aggravated assault | 54 | 0.69 | 0.65 | 2.6 |
| Property crime | 802 | 10.2 | 9.4 | 18.1 |
| Burglary | 68 | 0.87 | 0.61 | 2.4 |
| Larceny-theft | 689 | 8.8 | 8.2 | 13.0 |
| Motor vehicle theft | 45 | 0.57 | 0.64 | 2.6 |
Most crime never reaches the police, so these are reported crimes, a floor rather than the full count. In 2024 about half of violent crimes (48%) and about 3 in 10 property crimes (31%) were reported to police (U.S. Justice Department, National Crime Victimization Survey). Rates also depend on how completely each agency reports to the FBI. County figures add up the city police and sheriff reports in the county (17 agencies; 100% of residents covered).
What is the median household income in Cheshire County?
Half of households in Cheshire County make more than $83,329 and half make less; across New Hampshire the midpoint is $99,031. Owner-occupied homes have a median value of $280,100, and the median rent is $1,276 a month. 6.3% of households received SNAP benefits in the past year (state: 6.1%). The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 3.0% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 1,188 people out of work and looking.
| Census ACS 2020-2024 | Cheshire County | New Hampshire | United States |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 77,297 | 1,394,868 | 334,922,499 |
| Median household income | $83,329 | $99,031 | $80,734 |
| Median home value (owner-occupied) | $280,100 | $402,500 | $332,700 |
| Median gross rent | $1,276 | $1,491 | $1,413 |
| Unemployment rate (2020-2024 average) | 3.3% | 3.3% | 5.2% |
| People below the poverty line | 8.7% | 7.2% | 12.5% |
| Households receiving SNAP (food stamps) | 6.3% | 6.1% | 12.1% |
| Adults 25+ with a bachelor's degree or higher | 35.5% | 40.6% | 35.7% |
| Homeowner households | 72.7% | 72.8% | 65.2% |
| Median age | 43.6 | 43.3 | 38.9 |
| Households with broadband internet | 91.8% | 92.9% | 91.0% |
| People without health insurance | 6.2% | 5.3% | 8.4% |
What natural hazards and environmental sites are in Cheshire County?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall natural-hazard risk for Cheshire County as “Relatively Low”. No single hazard among floods, wildfire, tornadoes, heat waves, earthquakes and hurricanes is rated higher than “Relatively Moderate”. The index compares counties with each other and also weighs how vulnerable and resilient a community is, so it is a long-run estimate, not a forecast.
Superfund sites
1 Superfund site is on or proposed for EPA's National Priorities List in Cheshire County: Troy Mills Landfill. A listing means EPA is managing a long-term cleanup; it does not by itself mean anyone is exposed today.
High-hazard dams
The National Inventory of Dams lists 23 high-hazard dams in Cheshire County. 8 are rated Poor or Unsatisfactory in condition, 13 Satisfactory or Fair. The two tallest are Otter Brook Dam (119 ft) and Surry Mountain Dam (83 ft). “High hazard” describes what lies downstream (people would probably die if the dam failed), not how likely the dam is to fail.
Industrial chemical releases
2 facilities in the county filed Toxics Release Inventory reports for 2024, together reporting 10,679 pounds of listed chemicals released on site. Reported releases are legal permitted amounts in most cases.
Disasters, air and water
Cheshire County was covered by 3 federal major disaster declarations from 2016 through 2025 (Flood 2, Severe Storm 1), not counting COVID-19. EPA air monitors logged 0 days in 2024 when the air quality index reached “unhealthy for sensitive groups” or worse. Of 34 community water systems, none had an open health-based drinking-water violation in EPA's records (September 2026). EPA puts the county in radon zone 2 (moderate). NHTSA counted 11 traffic deaths in the county in 2024.
Is there road construction in Cheshire County?
Cheshire County had 6 highway work zones in the October 11, 2026 feed from the state DOT (0 active that day). Listed roads include NH 123A, US 202 and NH Route 124. The map's construction layer is refreshed every morning.
See today's work zones on the map →
How many schools, nursing homes and parks are in Cheshire County?
Federal school lists show 44 public and 13 private schools in the county. 7 nursing homes are certified by Medicare or Medicaid here; star ratings for each are on the map and on Medicare's Care Compare. USGS mapping shows 33 fire or EMS stations and 23 police or sheriff stations. 3 state parks or recreation areas: Monadnock State Park, Pisgah State Park and Rhododendron State Park.
Gun shops, liquor stores and Planned Parenthood in Cheshire County
Gun shops
7 gun shops with a public storefront are on the map in Cheshire County, plus 22 more licensed dealers without a public storefront (not shown). One of them is a pawnshop licensed to sell guns. On the ATF list: Alstead Gun Shop LLC (Alstead), Monadnock Firearms (Fitzwilliam), Runnings (Hinsdale), Samson Worldwide LLC (Keene), Trader Johns Gun Shop (Winchester), Walmart #3549 (Keene) and Warner Tool Company INC (Swanzey).
Liquor stores
7 liquor stores are on the map in Cheshire County: New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlet (2 locations), New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlet (Hinsdale), New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlet (Jaffrey), New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlet (Swanzey), New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlet (Walpole) and New Hampshire Liquor & Wine Outlet (Winchester). New Hampshire has no complete public liquor licence list we can use, so this count also draws on OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps and may miss some stores or include closed ones.
Planned Parenthood
One Planned Parenthood health center is on the map in Cheshire County: Planned Parenthood of Northern New England-Keene Clinic (Keene).
See them on the map: gun shops · liquor stores · Planned Parenthood →
Sources: ATF licensee list (Sept 2026); state liquor licence lists, OpenStreetMap and Overture Maps (non-official; partial in some states); HHS Title X directory and CMS NPPES.
Common questions
What is the crime rate in Cheshire County?
Cheshire County averaged 110 reported violent crimes a year in 2021-2025, or 1.4 per 1,000 residents, 17% higher than the New Hampshire rate (1.2). The property-crime rate was 10.2 per 1,000 (FBI Uniform Crime Reporting).
What is the median household income in Cheshire County?
$83,329 (Census American Community Survey, 2020-2024 average), compared with $99,031 for New Hampshire and $80,734 nationally.
What is the unemployment rate in Cheshire County?
The newest monthly figure from the Bureau of Labor Statistics is 3.0% for August 2026 (preliminary), with 1,188 people out of work and looking.
What natural hazards affect Cheshire County?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates the overall natural-hazard risk for Cheshire County as “Relatively Low”. No single hazard among floods, wildfire, tornadoes, heat waves, earthquakes and hurricanes is rated higher than “Relatively Moderate”.
Are there Superfund sites in Cheshire County?
1 Superfund site is on or proposed for EPA's National Priorities List in Cheshire County: Troy Mills Landfill.
Is there road construction in Cheshire County right now?
Cheshire County had 6 highway work zones in the October 11, 2026 feed from the state DOT (0 active that day). Listed roads include NH 123A, US 202 and NH Route 124.
How many nursing homes are in Cheshire County?
7 Medicare- or Medicaid-certified nursing homes (CMS provider data, September 2026).
How does Cheshire County compare with neighboring counties?
| County | Population | Violent crimes per 1,000 (2021-25) | Median household income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Franklin County, MA | 70,944 | 2.9 | $74,907 |
| Hillsborough County | 426,378 | 1.6 | $103,545 |
| Sullivan County | 43,715 | 1.2 | $80,858 |
| Windham County, VT | 45,923 | 2.6 | $72,217 |
| Worcester County, MA | 867,788 | 3.1 | $95,939 |
More: New Hampshire statewide numbers · Sex-offender registry search (U.S. Justice Department, NSOPW)
Where do these numbers come from?
- Crime: FBI Uniform Crime Reporting 2021-2025 (agency level, Return A), averaged and summed by county by Map the Block; Census population; state and national rates: FBI estimated crimes 2021-2025.
- Income, housing, education: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2020-2024 5-year, table B19013 (median household income) and related tables.
- Monthly unemployment: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Local Area Unemployment Statistics (LAUS), county data, not seasonally adjusted. Public domain.
- Hazards: FEMA National Risk Index v1.20 (December 2025), county scores; disasters: FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations Summaries.
- Superfund: U.S. EPA, Superfund site boundaries and NPL status (October 2026). Dams: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Inventory of Dams (public map service, October 2026). Chemical releases: U.S. EPA Toxics Release Inventory, reporting year 2024 (basic data file).
- Air and water: U.S. EPA AirData, annual AQI by county 2024; EPA Air Quality Design Values 2023-2025 (June 2026); U.S. EPA SDWIS via ECHO drinking-water download (September 30, 2026). Traffic deaths: NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System (FARS) 2024; Census population.
- Work zones: State departments of transportation, via the U.S. DOT Work Zone Data Exchange (WZDx) and state 511 feeds; refreshed every morning (snapshot October 11, 2026).
- Schools: National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE public school locations 2024-25; budgets: U.S. Census Bureau, Annual Survey of School System Finances, fiscal year 2024; National Center for Education Statistics, EDGE Private School geocodes (Private School Survey 2023-24). Nursing homes: U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Nursing Home Provider Information and Penalties (September 2026). Stations: U.S. Geological Survey, National Structures Dataset (Fire Stations/EMS Stations), October 2026 pull.
- Parks: USGS Protected Areas Database of the U.S. (PAD-US 4.1); state park agencies' open data (CA, NY, PA, TN, TX, FL, NJ, KY, HI, UT, MT and others); OpenStreetMap contributors for some hours, phones, fees and camping; U.S. National Park Service: unit boundaries (Land Resources Division), Acreage Report (Sept 30, 2026), park pages on nps.gov (hours, fees), Visitor Use Statistics (2025).
Map the Block shows public statistics about places, not people, and does not rate or rank neighborhoods as places to live. Figures are as published by each source; check the source before relying on a number.
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