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Hillsborough County, New Hampshire

Coordinates: 42°55′N 71°43′W / 42.92°N 71.72°W / 42.92; -71.72
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Hillsborough County, New Hampshire
County
Manchester skyline
Manchester skyline
Official seal of Hillsborough County, New Hampshire
Seal
Map of New Hampshire highlighting Hillsborough County
Location within the U.S. state of New Hampshire
Coordinates: 42°53′44″N 71°34′58″W / 42.895584°N 71.582741°W / 42.895584; -71.582741
Country United States
State New Hampshire
Founded1769
Named afterThe Earl of Hillsborough
SeatManchester and Nashua
Largest cityManchester
Area
 • Total
892.5 sq mi (2,312 km2)
 • Land876.5 sq mi (2,270 km2)
 • Water15.9 sq mi (41 km2)  1.8%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total
422,937
 • Estimate 
(2024)
430,462 Increase
 • Density491.1/sq mi (189.6/km2)
Time zoneUTC−5 (Eastern)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−4 (EDT)
Congressional districts1st, 2nd
Websitehcnh.org

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 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

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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

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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

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National protected area

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Politics and government

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2020 presidential election by voting ward in Hillsborough County

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.

United States presidential election results for Hillsborough County, New Hampshire[7]
Year Republican Democratic Third party(ies)
No.  % No.  % No.  %
2024 112,057 47.80% 118,776 50.66% 3,608 1.54%
2020 104,625 45.16% 122,344 52.81% 4,690 2.02%
2016 100,013 46.70% 99,589 46.50% 14,555 6.80%
2012 99,991 48.62% 102,303 49.74% 3,373 1.64%
2008 97,178 47.47% 104,820 51.20% 2,711 1.32%
2004 99,724 51.03% 94,121 48.16% 1,582 0.81%
2000 80,649 48.65% 77,625 46.83% 7,487 4.52%
1996 59,441 40.54% 71,282 48.61% 15,912 10.85%
1992 61,620 39.04% 58,470 37.04% 37,750 23.92%
1988 88,261 65.00% 45,799 33.73% 1,718 1.27%
1984 81,462 70.68% 33,314 28.91% 475 0.41%
1980 68,994 59.84% 31,789 27.57% 14,521 12.59%
1976 53,581 53.11% 45,544 45.15% 1,755 1.74%
1972 65,274 64.39% 34,739 34.27% 1,364 1.35%
1968 42,409 46.01% 45,423 49.28% 4,337 4.71%
1964 29,503 32.88% 60,236 67.12% 0 0.00%
1960 38,430 42.43% 52,135 57.57% 0 0.00%
1956 45,248 55.50% 36,234 44.44% 46 0.06%
1952 41,263 49.68% 41,802 50.32% 0 0.00%
1948 28,257 39.94% 41,789 59.07% 696 0.98%
1944 25,921 37.99% 42,306 62.00% 9 0.01%
1940 26,201 38.09% 42,580 61.91% 0 0.00%
1936 23,293 38.07% 34,992 57.20% 2,895 4.73%
1932 23,308 41.50% 32,458 57.79% 395 0.70%
1928 24,465 45.23% 29,457 54.46% 165 0.31%
1924 22,098 51.66% 16,002 37.41% 4,673 10.93%
1920 23,040 54.44% 18,736 44.27% 546 1.29%
1916 9,927 46.33% 10,939 51.05% 562 2.62%
1912 8,007 35.92% 8,909 39.96% 5,378 24.12%
1908 12,568 57.29% 8,701 39.66% 669 3.05%
1904 12,603 57.54% 8,831 40.32% 470 2.15%
1900 12,653 58.76% 8,339 38.72% 543 2.52%
1896 13,080 67.80% 4,965 25.73% 1,248 6.47%
1892 9,875 52.08% 8,785 46.33% 303 1.60%
1888 9,460 52.08% 8,439 46.45% 267 1.47%
1884 8,540 53.31% 7,075 44.17% 404 2.52%
1880 8,689 55.10% 7,001 44.39% 80 0.51%
1876 8,190 54.57% 6,790 45.24% 29 0.19%

County Commission

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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)

[9][10]

County Convention

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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

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Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
179032,883—
180043,89933.5%
181049,24912.2%
182053,8849.4%
183037,724−30.0%
184042,49412.6%
185057,47835.3%
186062,1408.1%
187064,2383.4%
188075,63417.7%
189093,24723.3%
1900112,64020.8%
1910126,07211.9%
1920135,5127.5%
1930140,1653.4%
1940144,8883.4%
1950156,9878.4%
1960178,16113.5%
1970223,94125.7%
1980276,60823.5%
1990336,07321.5%
2000380,84113.3%
2010400,7215.2%
2020422,9375.5%
2024 (est.)430,462[13]1.8%
U.S. Decennial Census[14]
1790–1960[15] 1900–1990[16]
1990–2000[17] 2010–2020[1]

2020 census

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2020 American Community Survey Population Estimates, Race and Hispanic Origin[18]
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]

Hillsborough County, New Hampshire – Racial and ethnic composition
Note: the US Census treats Hispanic/Latino as an ethnic category. This table excludes Latinos from the racial categories and assigns them to a separate category. Hispanics/Latinos may be of any race.
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

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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

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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

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Population density of Hillsborough County by census block (2020)[29]

Cities

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Towns

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Census-designated places

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Villages

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Former towns

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Education

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School districts include:[30]

K-12 districts:

Secondary districts:

Elementary districts:

Previously Bedford sent high school students to the Manchester School District.[31]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
  2. ^ History of Hillsborough County, New Hampshire. Hurd, Duane Hamilton, ed. Philadelphia, J. W. Lewis & co., 1885. Accessed via Library of Congress July 19, 2023.
  3. ^ "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on December 27, 2014. Retrieved December 27, 2014.
  4. ^ "The White House – Obama's Path to Victory", Time, pp. 16–17, November 19, 2012
  5. ^ "NH-SOS – 2020". sos.nh.gov. Retrieved July 26, 2021.
  6. ^ "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections".
  7. ^ Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved November 17, 2025.
  8. ^ Hillsborough County > Departments
  9. ^ "General Election Winners – 11/03/2020" (PDF). New Hampshire Secretary of State's Office. November 11, 2020. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 25, 2021. Retrieved December 8, 2020.
  10. ^ "2024 General Election Results". New Hampshire Secretary of State.
  11. ^ "RSA Chapter 24". The New Hampshire General Court.
  12. ^ "DELEGATION". Hillsborough County, New Hampshire.
  13. ^ "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Counties: April 1, 2020 to July 1, 2024". Retrieved April 13, 2025.
  14. ^ "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 27, 2014.
  15. ^ "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved December 27, 2014.
  16. ^ "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved December 27, 2014.
  17. ^ "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. Retrieved December 27, 2014.
  18. ^ "U.S Census Bureau QuickFacts".
  19. ^ a b c "2020 Decennial Census Demographic Profile (DP1)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved December 18, 2025.
  20. ^ "2020 Population and Housing State Data". The United States Census Bureau. United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 14, 2021.
  21. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Redistricting Data (Public Law 94-171)". United States Census Bureau. 2021. Retrieved December 18, 2025.
  22. ^ "2020 Decennial Census Demographic and Housing Characteristics (DHC)". United States Census Bureau. 2023. Retrieved December 18, 2025.
  23. ^ "P004: Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2000: DEC Summary File 1 – Hillsborough County, New Hampshire". United States Census Bureau.
  24. ^ "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2010: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Hillsborough County, New Hampshire". United States Census Bureau.
  25. ^ "P2 Hispanic or Latino, and Not Hispanic or Latino by Race – 2020: DEC Redistricting Data (PL 94-171) - Hillsborough County, New Hampshire". United States Census Bureau.
  26. ^ "DP-1 Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2016.
  27. ^ "DP02 Selected Social Characteristics in the United States – 2011–2015 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved March 7, 2017.
  28. ^ "DP03 SELECTED ECONOMIC CHARACTERISTICS – 2011–2015 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on February 13, 2020. Retrieved March 7, 2017.
  29. ^ TIGER/Line Shapefile, 2020, State, New Hampshire, 2020 Census Block, U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Census Bureau, Geography Division, Spatial Data Collection and Products Branch (Point of Contact), retrieved May 22, 2025
  30. ^ "2020 CENSUS - SCHOOL DISTRICT REFERENCE MAP: Hillsborough County, NH" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Archived (PDF) from the original on July 22, 2022. Retrieved July 22, 2022. - Text list
  31. ^ "Bedford withdrawal from West approved". New Hampshire Union Leader. Manchester, NH. January 10, 2006. p. B1CI. Retrieved January 10, 2006.
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42°55′N 71°43′W / 42.92°N 71.72°W / 42.92; -71.72

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