HomeNew HampshireBelknap County
Belknap County, New Hampshire: commercial real estate data.
Belknap County, New Hampshire has a population of 64,659 across 400 square miles, up 2.4 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $4.30 bn in 2024, 1,905 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 180 7(a) approvals worth $47.5 m.
123 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Belknap County
How many people live in Belknap County
- Population64,659
- Households26,337
- Average household size2.46
- Median household income$92,783
- Median age48.4
- Median gross rent$1,167 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$374,900
- Home value to household income4.0 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income15.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher33.5 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree13.1 percent
- Adults 25 and over49,359
- Population under 1811,189
- Share under 1817.3 percent
- Population 65 and over15,492
- Share 65 and over24.0 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6437,978
- Civilian labor force34,393
- Unemployment rate3.1 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over64.3 percent
- Rank by population among New Hampshire counties7th of 10
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents855th
Belknap County is the 7th largest of 10 New Hampshire counties by population. A median home costs 4.0 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 24.0 percent against 17.3 percent, which points demand at health care, services and single storey product rather than schools.
US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Belknap County
Is Belknap County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.44 percent
- Census 2020 base population63,704
- Births, 2024432
- Deaths, 2024783
- Natural change, 2024-351
- Net domestic migration, 2024580
- Net international migration, 202413
- Total net migration, 2024593
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20242,996
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents1024th
The county has grown 2.44 percent since the 2020 census base. Deaths exceeded births in 2024, so all of the growth came from people moving in. A market held up by migration alone is more sensitive to a change in relative cost than one growing from household formation.
US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
Belknap County
Where people moving to Belknap County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving2,404
- People arriving, from those returns3,945
- Adjusted gross income arriving$324.7 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$135,052
- Largest single originBelknap County Non-migrants (27,632 households)
- Largest single destination (27,632 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Belknap County Non-migrants | 27,632 | 51,309 | $2.85 bn |
| Other flows - Different State | 697 | 1,151 | $113.3 m |
| Merrimack County | 414 | 706 | $29.3 m |
| Hillsborough County | 262 | 413 | $26.7 m |
| Other flows - South | 260 | 448 | $67.2 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 249 | 381 | $27.5 m |
| Middlesex County | 177 | 290 | $35.5 m |
| Rockingham County | 163 | 293 | $24.4 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Belknap County Non-migrants, which is the catchment a retail or multifamily study should look at first.
US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Belknap County
What the Belknap County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$4.30 bn
- County GDP, 2023$3.99 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20247.6 percent
- GDP change over five years37.8 percent
- Rank by GDP among New Hampshire counties7th
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents773rd
- GDP per resident$66,437
Output grew 7.6 percent in the latest year and 37.8 percent over five, which is the trend line a lender will read behind any single year figure.
US Bureau of Economic Analysis, Regional, table CAGDP2, CAGDP2, through 2024.
Belknap County
Who employs people in Belknap County
- Covered employment, annual average25,854
- Establishments reporting2,240
- Average annual pay$56,999
- Average weekly wage$1,096
- Sector 44-45, employment5,010
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$42,007
- Sector 72, employment3,553
- Sector 72, average annual pay$31,077
- Sector 62, employment3,224
- Sector 62, average annual pay$66,814
- Sector 31-33, employment2,077
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$71,828
- Sector 23, employment1,564
- Sector 56, employment1,028
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 44-45 | 5,010 | 322 | $42,007 |
| Sector 72 | 3,553 | 260 | $31,077 |
| Sector 62 | 3,224 | 161 | $66,814 |
| Sector 31-33 | 2,077 | 81 | $71,828 |
| Sector 23 | 1,564 | 298 | $87,118 |
| Sector 56 | 1,028 | 159 | $51,967 |
| Sector 71 | 946 | 60 | $30,996 |
| Sector 81 | 880 | 214 | $47,429 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 5,010 jobs, 19.4 percent of covered employment. Average pay per job sits below median household income, so households here typically need more than one earner.
US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
Belknap County
What businesses operate in Belknap County
- Establishments, all industries1,905
- Employment at those establishments21,197
- Annual payroll$1.11 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents29.5
These are counts of establishments physically operating in the county, not listings, so they are the supply side a feasibility study measures demand against.
US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Belknap County
What is being built in Belknap County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024282
- Declared construction value permitted$118.6 m
- Single family units authorised242
- Multifamily units authorised40
- Multifamily share of units14.2 percent
- Average declared value per unit$420,459
- Units authorised per 1,000 households10.7
Multifamily is 14.2 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Belknap County
How much SBA lending happens in Belknap County
- 7(a) approvals recorded180
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$47.5 m
- Average 7(a) approval$264,025
- Median 7(a) approval$75,000
- 10th percentile approval$20,900
- 90th percentile approval$517,500
- Largest single approval$5,000,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)1,093
- Jobs per approval6.1
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active33
- Distinct industries receiving approvals93
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer4.4 percent
- Loans on real estate terms8
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter169
- Franchise loans11
- Franchise share of approvals6.1 percent
- Leading industry by approval countLandscaping Services (9)
- Most active lenderMeredith Village Savings Bank (52)
- 504 approvals recorded73
- 504 gross approval dollars$22.8 m
- Average 504 approval$312,233
- Median 504 approval$224,000
- Distinct CDCs active3
- 504 jobs per approval5.5
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved17.5
- Most active CDCGranite State Economic Development Corporation (54)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals71.1 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$70.3 m
The average approval of $264,025 sits well above the median of $75,000, so a small number of large deals is pulling the mean up. The median is the better guide to what a typical borrower here actually gets. Only 4.4 percent of approvals run on real estate terms, so SBA credit here is mostly working capital and equipment rather than property acquisition.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30. US Small Business Administration, 504 FOIA release, FY2010 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Belknap County
Do SBA loans in Belknap County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded38
- Paid in full36
- Charged off2
- Charge off rate on resolved loans5.3 percent
- Status: Charged off2
- Status: Paid in full36
- Status: Cancelled12
- Status: Exempt from disclosure122
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed8
Of the 38 loans that have reached a final outcome, 5.3 percent were charged off. This is computed only over resolved loans, because a loan still running has not yet succeeded or failed and counting it either way would be wrong.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Belknap County
Which parts of Belknap County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending14
- Laconia, approvals41
- Meredith, approvals33
- Gilford, approvals21
- BELMONT, approvals16
- Tilton, approvals13
- NEW HAMPTON, approvals9
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Laconia | 41 | $8,675,600 |
| Meredith | 33 | $9,492,900 |
| Gilford | 21 | $10,767,000 |
| BELMONT | 16 | $4,152,900 |
| Tilton | 13 | $3,178,700 |
| NEW HAMPTON | 9 | $779,600 |
| Alton | 9 | $958,000 |
| GILMANTON | 7 | $5,456,000 |
Laconia accounts for 41 approvals against 33 in Meredith. County level figures average over that gap, which is why a site decision is made at the submarket rather than the county.
US Small Business Administration, 7(a) FOIA release, FY2020 to FY2026 year to date, as of 2026-06-30.
Belknap County
How big is Belknap County
- Land area400 sq mi
- Rank by land area among New Hampshire counties9th of 10
- Width, east to west28.5 mi
- Height, north to south33.2 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary4
- Residents per square mile of land162
- Establishments per square mile4.76
US Census Bureau county boundary geometry, TIGER, adjacency computed from shared boundary vertices, TIGER county boundaries. US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year. US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
Coverage
What this page does not hold.
Every item below could be filled with a plausible figure. None of them is. On a page a lender may read, a number that cannot be traced is worse than an absence, so the absences are named.
- No NFIP communities are listed for this county in the FEMA Community Status Book.
- Flood zone record counts are not held. The flood coverage export has not landed, so no count is shown rather than an estimated one.
- Traffic counts resolve in the platform, not in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here.
- Zoning is in build. Parcel level zoning is not published on this page.
Feasibility studies
When a Belknap County site needs a document a lender will accept.
The same data layer behind this page is the one the studies are written from. A study for a Belknap County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population64,659
- Households26,337
- Average household size2.46
- Median household income$92,783
- Median age48.4
Common questions
Belknap County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Belknap County, New Hampshire?
64,659, in 26,337 households, ranking 7th of 10 New Hampshire counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Belknap County growing?
The population has grown 2.44 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 432 births against 783 deaths, with net migration of 593. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Belknap County?
$92,783. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $374,900, which is 4.0 times income, and median gross rent is $1,167 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Belknap County?
1,905 establishments, employing 21,197 people with an annual payroll of $1.11 bn. These are establishments physically operating in the county, not listings. Source: US Census Bureau, County Business Patterns, 2023.
What is the average wage in Belknap County?
Average annual pay is $56,999, or $1,096 a week, across 25,854 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Belknap County?
180 7(a) approvals totalling $47.5 m since FY2020, across 33 lenders, with a median approval of $75,000, plus 73 504 approvals worth $22.8 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Belknap County get paid back?
Of the 38 loans that have reached a final outcome, 36 were paid in full and 2 charged off, a charge off rate of 5.3 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Belknap County?
282 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $118.6 m. Multifamily was 14.2 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Belknap County?
Zone 2, a predicted average indoor radon screening level from 2 to 4 pCi/L. Source: US EPA, Map of Radon Zones, county spreadsheet, 2024-05 publication, EPA 402/A-16/001.
Where do people moving to Belknap County come from?
The largest single origin is Belknap County Non-migrants, with 27,632 households. Arriving households report an average income of $135,052 against null for those leaving. Source: US Internal Revenue Service, Statistics of Income county migration flows, 2021 to 2022 filing years.
Are traffic counts available for Belknap County on this page?
No. Annual average daily traffic resolves in the platform rather than in this dataset, so no AADT figure is printed here. It is a gap we know about rather than a figure we estimated.
Is zoning published for Belknap County?
Not yet. The zoning layer is in build. Nothing on this page presents parcel level zoning, and where a statutory framework applies it is marked as the statewide frame with confirm locally attached.