Hillsborough County, New Hampshire
County in New Hampshire, United States
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hillsborough County is the most populous county in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. As of the 2020 census, the population was 422,937,[1] almost one-third the population of the entire state. Its county seats are Manchester and Nashua, the state's two biggest cities. Hillsborough is northern New England's most populous county as well as its most densely populated.
Hillsborough County, New Hampshire | |
|---|---|
Manchester skyline | |
 Seal | |
 Location within the U.S. state of New Hampshire | |
| Coordinates: 42°53′44″N 71°34′58″W | |
| Country |  United States |
| State |  New Hampshire |
| Founded | 1769 |
| Named after | The Earl of Hillsborough |
| Seat | Manchester and Nashua |
| Largest city | Manchester |
| Area | |
• Total | 892.5 sq mi (2,312 km2) |
| • Land | 876.5 sq mi (2,270 km2) |
| • Water | 15.9 sq mi (41 km2) 1.8% |
| Population (2020) | |
• Total | 422,937 |
• Estimate (2025) | 433,415  |
| • Density | 491.1/sq mi (189.6/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Congressional districts | 1st, 2nd |
| Website | hcnh |
Hillsborough County comprises the Manchester-Nashua, NH Metropolitan Statistical Area, which in turn constitutes a portion of the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH-CT Combined Statistical Area.
History
Hillsborough was one of the five original counties identified for the old Province of New Hampshire in 1769, and was named for Wills Hill, 1st Earl of Hillsborough, who was British Secretary of State for the Colonies at the time. The county was formally organized at Amherst on March 19, 1771.[2]
In 1823, twelve townships of Hillsborough Country – Andover, Boscawen, Bradford, Dunbarton, Fishersfield (now Newbury), Henniker, Hooksett, Hopkinton, New London, Salisbury, Sutton, and Warner – became part of Merrimack County. The town of Merrimack along the Merrimack River in south-central Hillsborough County was not included in the newly formed county 9 miles (14 km) to the north. Hillsborough County's administrative functions were moved from Amherst to Milford in 1866, and then to the current seats of Manchester and Nashua in 1869.
Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 892 square miles (2,310 km2), of which 876 square miles (2,270 km2) is land and 16 square miles (41 km2) (1.8%) is water.[3] The highest point in Hillsborough county is Pack Monadnock Mountain at 2,290 feet (700 m).
Adjacent counties
- Merrimack County (north)
- Rockingham County (east)
- Essex County, Massachusetts (southeast)
- Middlesex County, Massachusetts (south)
- Worcester County, Massachusetts (southwest)
- Cheshire County (west)
- Sullivan County (northwest)
National protected area
Politics and government
In the 2012 presidential election, Time had listed Hillsborough as one of five critical counties affecting the outcome in the swing state of New Hampshire. Obama ended up winning with a margin of 50%–49%.[4]
Despite its more urban nature, Hillsborough County has historically been a more Republican leaning part of the state. But in 2020, Joe Biden and Jeanne Shaheen won Hillsborough County by a wider margin than they won statewide by.[5] Biden also received the highest percentage of the vote for a Democrat since Lyndon Johnson's 1964 landslide, largely driven due to large swings to Democrats in the county's historically Republican suburban communities.[6] In 2024, the county voted for Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, the first time it voted for a Democrat who lost the presidential election since 1968.
| Year | Republican | Democratic | Third party(ies) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | % | No. | % | No. | % | |
| 1876 | 8,190 | 54.57% | 6,790 | 45.24% | 29 | 0.19% |
| 1880 | 8,689 | 55.10% | 7,001 | 44.39% | 80 | 0.51% |
| 1884 | 8,540 | 53.31% | 7,075 | 44.17% | 404 | 2.52% |
| 1888 | 9,460 | 52.08% | 8,439 | 46.45% | 267 | 1.47% |
| 1892 | 9,875 | 52.08% | 8,785 | 46.33% | 303 | 1.60% |
| 1896 | 13,080 | 67.80% | 4,965 | 25.73% | 1,248 | 6.47% |
| 1900 | 12,653 | 58.76% | 8,339 | 38.72% | 543 | 2.52% |
| 1904 | 12,603 | 57.54% | 8,831 | 40.32% | 470 | 2.15% |
| 1908 | 12,568 | 57.29% | 8,701 | 39.66% | 669 | 3.05% |
| 1912 | 8,007 | 35.92% | 8,909 | 39.96% | 5,378 | 24.12% |
| 1916 | 9,927 | 46.33% | 10,939 | 51.05% | 562 | 2.62% |
| 1920 | 23,040 | 54.44% | 18,736 | 44.27% | 546 | 1.29% |
| 1924 | 22,098 | 51.66% | 16,002 | 37.41% | 4,673 | 10.93% |
| 1928 | 24,465 | 45.23% | 29,457 | 54.46% | 165 | 0.31% |
| 1932 | 23,308 | 41.50% | 32,458 | 57.79% | 395 | 0.70% |
| 1936 | 23,293 | 38.07% | 34,992 | 57.20% | 2,895 | 4.73% |
| 1940 | 26,201 | 38.09% | 42,580 | 61.91% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1944 | 25,921 | 37.99% | 42,306 | 62.00% | 9 | 0.01% |
| 1948 | 28,257 | 39.94% | 41,789 | 59.07% | 696 | 0.98% |
| 1952 | 41,263 | 49.68% | 41,802 | 50.32% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1956 | 45,248 | 55.50% | 36,234 | 44.44% | 46 | 0.06% |
| 1960 | 38,430 | 42.43% | 52,135 | 57.57% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1964 | 29,503 | 32.88% | 60,236 | 67.12% | 0 | 0.00% |
| 1968 | 42,409 | 46.01% | 45,423 | 49.28% | 4,337 | 4.71% |
| 1972 | 65,274 | 64.39% | 34,739 | 34.27% | 1,364 | 1.35% |
| 1976 | 53,581 | 53.11% | 45,544 | 45.15% | 1,755 | 1.74% |
| 1980 | 68,994 | 59.84% | 31,789 | 27.57% | 14,521 | 12.59% |
| 1984 | 81,462 | 70.68% | 33,314 | 28.91% | 475 | 0.41% |
| 1988 | 88,261 | 65.00% | 45,799 | 33.73% | 1,718 | 1.27% |
| 1992 | 61,620 | 39.04% | 58,470 | 37.04% | 37,750 | 23.92% |
| 1996 | 59,441 | 40.54% | 71,282 | 48.61% | 15,912 | 10.85% |
| 2000 | 80,649 | 48.65% | 77,625 | 46.83% | 7,487 | 4.52% |
| 2004 | 99,724 | 51.03% | 94,121 | 48.16% | 1,582 | 0.81% |
| 2008 | 97,178 | 47.47% | 104,820 | 51.20% | 2,711 | 1.32% |
| 2012 | 99,991 | 48.62% | 102,303 | 49.74% | 3,373 | 1.64% |
| 2016 | 100,013 | 46.70% | 99,589 | 46.50% | 14,555 | 6.80% |
| 2020 | 104,625 | 45.16% | 122,344 | 52.81% | 4,690 | 2.02% |
| 2024 | 112,057 | 47.80% | 118,776 | 50.66% | 3,608 | 1.54% |
County Commission
The executive power of Hillsborough County's government is held by three county commissioners, each representing one of the three commissioner districts within the county.
| District | Commissioner | Hometown | Party |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toni Pappas | Manchester | Republican |
| 2 | Michael Soucy | Nashua | Republican |
| 3 | Robert Rowe | Amherst | Republican |
In addition to the county commission, there are five directly elected officials; they include county attorney, register of deeds, county sheriff, register of probate, and county treasurer.[8]
| Office | Name |
|---|---|
| County Attorney | John Coughlin (R) |
| Register of Deeds | Dennis Hogan (R) |
| County Sheriff | Christopher Connelly (R) |
| Register of Probate | Christopher Maidment (R) |
| County Treasurer | David Fredette (R) |
County Convention
The legislative branch of Hillsborough County, also known as the County Convention or County Delegation, is made up of all of the members of the New Hampshire House of Representatives from the county.[11][12] As of 2022, there are 123 members from 45 districts.
| Affiliation | Members | Voting share | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party | 72 | 58.5% | |
| Republican Party | 51 | 41.5% | |
| Total | 123 | 100% | |
Demographics
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1790 | 32,883 | — | |
| 1800 | 43,899 | 33.5% | |
| 1810 | 49,249 | 12.2% | |
| 1820 | 53,884 | 9.4% | |
| 1830 | 37,724 | −30.0% | |
| 1840 | 42,494 | 12.6% | |
| 1850 | 57,478 | 35.3% | |
| 1860 | 62,140 | 8.1% | |
| 1870 | 64,238 | 3.4% | |
| 1880 | 75,634 | 17.7% | |
| 1890 | 93,247 | 23.3% | |
| 1900 | 112,640 | 20.8% | |
| 1910 | 126,072 | 11.9% | |
| 1920 | 135,512 | 7.5% | |
| 1930 | 140,165 | 3.4% | |
| 1940 | 144,888 | 3.4% | |
| 1950 | 156,987 | 8.4% | |
| 1960 | 178,161 | 13.5% | |
| 1970 | 223,941 | 25.7% | |
| 1980 | 276,608 | 23.5% | |
| 1990 | 336,073 | 21.5% | |
| 2000 | 380,841 | 13.3% | |
| 2010 | 400,721 | 5.2% | |
| 2020 | 422,937 | 5.5% | |
| 2025 (est.) | 433,415 | [13] | 2.5% |
| U.S. Decennial Census[14] 1790–1960[15] 1900–1990[16] 1990–2000[17] 2010–2020[1] | |||
2020 census
| Race | Percentage |
|---|---|
| White, not Hispanic or Latino | 83% |
| Asian | 6% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 8% |
| Black or African American | 3% |
As of the 2020 census, the county had a population of 422,937, and the median age was 40.9 years. 20.0% of residents were under the age of 18 and 16.6% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 98.5 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 96.9 males age 18 and over.[19] The population density was 482.8 inhabitants per square mile (186.4/km2).[20]
The racial makeup of the county was 82.8% White, 2.6% Black or African American, 0.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 3.9% Asian, 0.0% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 3.5% from some other race, and 6.9% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 7.9% of the population.[21]
75.6% of residents lived in urban areas, while 24.4% lived in rural areas.[22]
There were 167,875 households in the county, of which 28.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them and 23.7% had a female householder with no spouse or partner present. About 26.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.[19]
There were 175,571 housing units, of which 4.4% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 64.9% were owner-occupied and 35.1% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 0.7% and the rental vacancy rate was 4.2%.[19]
| Race / Ethnicity (NH = Non-Hispanic) | Pop 2000[23] | Pop 2010[24] | Pop 2020[25] | % 2000 | % 2010 | % 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White alone (NH) | 351,337 | 351,224 | 342,652 | 92.35% | 87.64% | 81.01% |
| Black or African American alone (NH) | 4,493 | 7,405 | 10,044 | 1.17% | 1.84% | 2.37% |
| Native American or Alaska Native alone (NH) | 824 | 742 | 630 | 0.21% | 0.18% | 0.14% |
| Asian alone (NH) | 7,554 | 12,898 | 16,413 | 1.98% | 3.21% | 3.88% |
| Pacific Islander alone (NH) | 102 | 99 | 112 | 0.02% | 0.02% | 0.02% |
| Other race alone (NH) | 559 | 975 | 2,383 | 0.14% | 0.24% | 0.56% |
| Mixed race or Multiracial (NH) | 3,806 | 6,137 | 17,205 | 0.99% | 1.53% | 4.06% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 12,166 | 21,241 | 33,498 | 3.19% | 5.30% | 7.92% |
| Total | 380,841 | 400,721 | 422,937 | 100.00% | 100.00% | 100.00% |
2010 census
As of the 2010 census, the racial makeup of the county was 81.0% white, 4.8% Asian, 3.9% black or African American, 1.7% American Indian, 2.1% from other races, and 2.0% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 8% of the population.[26]
2011–2015 American Community Survey
For the period 2011–2015, 24.8% of the county's population had French ancestry (including 9.9% of the total population with French Canadian ancestry), 20.9% had Irish, 13.1% had English, 10.2% had Italian, and 8.2% had German ancestry.[27] For the same time period, the estimated median annual income for a household in the county was $71,244, and the median income for a family was $85,966. Male full-time workers had a median income of $60,349 versus $44,270 for females. The per capita income for the county was $35,242. About 5.8% of families and 8.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 11.7% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.[28]
Communities
Cities
- Manchester (county seat)
- Nashua (county seat)
Towns
Census-designated places
Villages
Former towns
Education
School districts include:[29]
K-12 districts:
- Bedford School District
- Contoocook Valley School District
- Goffstown School District
- Hillsboro-Deering Cooperative School District
- Hudson School District
- Litchfield School District
- Manchester School District
- Mascenic Regional School District
- Merrimack School District
- Milford School District
- Nashua School District
- Pelham School District
- Wilton-Lyndeborough School District
- Windsor School District
Secondary districts:
- Hollis-Brookline Cooperative School District
- Souhegan Cooperative School District
- John Stark Regional School District
Elementary districts:
- Amherst School District
- Brookline School District
- Hollis School District
- Mason School District
- Mont Vernon School District
- New Boston School District
- Weare School District
Previously Bedford sent high school students to the Manchester School District.[30]
