Grafton County vs Merrimack County
Grafton County, New Hampshire versus Merrimack County, New Hampshire: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US counties.
Grafton County and Merrimack County score about the same overall (51 vs 53 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Grafton County | Merrimack County |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $80k | $89k |
| Cost of Living | $50k | $50k |
| Home Value | $273k | $298k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $2k | $2k |
| Property Tax Rate | 1.96% | 2.16% |
| Income Tax | 1.39% | 0.00% |
| Sales Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 8.07% | 7.24% |
| Unemployment | 2.8% | 3.6% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 17°F | 23°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 66°F | 71°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 43.9 in | 45.6 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 72.3 in | 67.8 in |
| Sunny Days | 210 days | 217 days |
| Summer Humidity | 59°F | 60°F |
| Comfortable Days | 57 days | 84 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 81.8 | 78.2 |
| Air Quality | 37 AQI | 39 AQI |
| School Quality | 100.0 | 100.0 |
| Violent Crime | 931/100k | 1044/100k |
| Property Crime | 991/100k | 810/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 90,836 | 153,918 |
| Median Age | 44.1 | 42.8 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.19 | 0.15 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.99 | 0.99 |
| Political Leaning | D+25 | Even |
| White (%) | 88.8% | 91.1% |
| Black (%) | 1.0% | 1.5% |
| Hispanic (%) | 2.6% | 2.5% |
| Asian (%) | 3.4% | 1.9% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 4.1% | 3.0% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 23 min | 27 min |
| Walkability | 8.1/20 | 6.7/20 |
| Airport Distance | 119 mi | 73 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 86.3% | 90.3% |
| Amenities Nearby | 0.44 | 0.78 |
| Park & Nature Access | Excellent | Excellent |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US counties: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Grafton County or Merrimack County more affordable?
- Merrimack County has the lower cost of living: its index is $50k, compared with Grafton County's $50k and Merrimack County's $50k. Median rent is $1k in Grafton County versus $1k in Merrimack County.
- Is Grafton County or Merrimack County safer?
- Grafton County has the lower violent crime rate. Grafton County reports 931/100k and Merrimack County reports 1044/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Grafton County or Merrimack County?
- The median home value is $273k in Grafton County and $298k in Merrimack County, so homes are more affordable in Grafton County.