HomeNew HampshireMerrimack County
Merrimack County, New Hampshire: commercial real estate data.
Merrimack County, New Hampshire has a population of 155,967 across 934 square miles, up 2.6 percent since the 2020 census base. County output reached $13.79 bn in 2024, 4,213 establishments operate here, and the SBA record carries 347 7(a) approvals worth $89.8 m.
123 sourced county values · tier FULL · 11 sections
Merrimack County
How many people live in Merrimack County
- Population155,967
- Households60,901
- Average household size2.56
- Median household income$97,004
- Median age42.9
- Median gross rent$1,360 per month
- Median owner-occupied home value$367,600
- Home value to household income3.8 times
- Annual rent as a share of median income16.8 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a bachelor degree or higher38.9 percent
- Adults 25 and over with a graduate degree16.2 percent
- Adults 25 and over113,343
- Population under 1828,657
- Share under 1818.4 percent
- Population 65 and over31,061
- Share 65 and over19.9 percent
- Working age population, 18 to 6496,249
- Civilian labor force84,301
- Unemployment rate3.1 percent
- Labor force participation, adults 18 and over66.2 percent
- Rank by population among New Hampshire counties3rd of 10
- Rank by population among US county-equivalents446th
Merrimack County is the 3rd largest of 10 New Hampshire counties by population. A median home costs 3.8 times median household income, which is an affordable ownership market by national standards. Residents 65 and over outnumber those under 18, at 19.9 percent against 18.4 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.
Merrimack County
Is Merrimack County growing
- Population change since the 2020 census base2.64 percent
- Census 2020 base population153,805
- Births, 20241,277
- Deaths, 20241,683
- Natural change, 2024-406
- Net domestic migration, 2024887
- Net international migration, 2024325
- Total net migration, 20241,212
- Cumulative net domestic migration, 2021 to 20244,099
- Rank by growth among US county-equivalents969th
The county has grown 2.64 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.
Merrimack County
Where people moving to Merrimack County come from
- Tax returns filed by households arriving5,047
- People arriving, from those returns8,082
- Adjusted gross income arriving$438.7 m
- Net adjusted gross income movement$0
- Average income of an arriving household$86,915
- Largest single originMerrimack County Non-migrants (62,728 households)
- Largest single destination (62,728 households)
| Origin | Households | People | Adjusted gross income |
|---|---|---|---|
| Merrimack County Non-migrants | 62,728 | 119,611 | $6.35 bn |
| Hillsborough County | 1,464 | 2,297 | $99.6 m |
| Other flows - Different State | 1,375 | 2,317 | $140.5 m |
| Other flows - South | 529 | 915 | $51.5 m |
| Rockingham County | 511 | 793 | $41.1 m |
| Other flows - Northeast | 490 | 765 | $53.3 m |
| Belknap County | 429 | 724 | $20.6 m |
| Other flows - West | 236 | 436 | $24.0 m |
The largest single source of arrivals is Merrimack 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.
Merrimack County
What the Merrimack County economy runs on
- County GDP, 2024$13.79 bn
- County GDP, 2023$12.95 bn
- GDP change, 2023 to 20246.5 percent
- GDP change over five years33.6 percent
- Rank by GDP among New Hampshire counties3rd
- Rank by GDP among US county-equivalents343rd
- GDP per resident$88,431
Output grew 6.5 percent in the latest year and 33.6 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.
Merrimack County
Who employs people in Merrimack County
- Covered employment, annual average77,147
- Establishments reporting5,546
- Average annual pay$68,857
- Average weekly wage$1,324
- Sector 62, employment11,818
- Sector 62, average annual pay$71,553
- Sector 44-45, employment8,949
- Sector 44-45, average annual pay$44,080
- Sector 31-33, employment5,577
- Sector 31-33, average annual pay$77,753
- Sector 72, employment5,422
- Sector 72, average annual pay$29,221
- Sector 23, employment3,927
- Sector 42, employment3,912
| Sector | Employment | Establishments | Average annual pay |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sector 62 | 11,818 | 425 | $71,553 |
| Sector 44-45 | 8,949 | 517 | $44,080 |
| Sector 31-33 | 5,577 | 198 | $77,753 |
| Sector 72 | 5,422 | 344 | $29,221 |
| Sector 23 | 3,927 | 578 | $82,830 |
| Sector 42 | 3,912 | 250 | $94,952 |
| Sector 54 | 3,522 | 551 | $107,402 |
| Sector 56 | 3,515 | 392 | $65,784 |
The largest sector is the biggest private employer group at 11,818 jobs, 15.3 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.
Merrimack County
What businesses operate in Merrimack County
- Establishments, all industries4,213
- Employment at those establishments62,841
- Annual payroll$3.79 bn
- Establishments per 1,000 residents27.0
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.
Merrimack County
What is being built in Merrimack County
- Housing units authorised by permit, 2024355
- Declared construction value permitted$110.2 m
- Single family units authorised288
- Multifamily units authorised67
- Multifamily share of units18.9 percent
- Average declared value per unit$310,426
- Units authorised per 1,000 households5.8
Multifamily is 18.9 percent of units authorised, so the pipeline is predominantly for sale product.
US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
Merrimack County
How much SBA lending happens in Merrimack County
- 7(a) approvals recorded347
- 7(a) gross approval dollars$89.8 m
- Average 7(a) approval$258,713
- Median 7(a) approval$87,000
- 10th percentile approval$20,000
- 90th percentile approval$531,500
- Largest single approval$4,660,000
- Jobs reported supported, 7(a)2,302
- Jobs per approval6.6
- Distinct 7(a) lenders active45
- Distinct industries receiving approvals151
- Median 7(a) term120 months
- Share of loans on real estate terms, 240 months or longer3.7 percent
- Loans on real estate terms13
- Loans on working capital terms, 120 months or shorter330
- Franchise loans16
- Franchise share of approvals4.6 percent
- Leading industry by approval countLandscaping Services (28)
- Most active lenderMerrimack County Savings Bank (80)
- 504 approvals recorded158
- 504 gross approval dollars$64.9 m
- Average 504 approval$410,918
- Median 504 approval$258,000
- Distinct CDCs active4
- 504 jobs per approval6.0
- 504 jobs per million dollars approved14.6
- Most active CDCGranite State Economic Development Corporation (78)
- 7(a) share of SBA approvals68.7 percent
- Combined SBA approval dollars$154.7 m
The average approval of $258,713 sits well above the median of $87,000, 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 3.7 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.
Merrimack County
Do SBA loans in Merrimack County get paid back
- Loans with a final outcome recorded93
- Paid in full91
- Charged off2
- Charge off rate on resolved loans2.2 percent
- Status: Paid in full91
- Status: Cancelled28
- Status: Exempt from disclosure198
- Status: Committed, not yet disbursed28
- Status: Charged off2
Of the 93 loans that have reached a final outcome, 2.2 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.
Merrimack County
Which parts of Merrimack County get the lending
- Places in the county with recorded lending27
- Concord, approvals116
- HOOKSETT, approvals40
- BOW, approvals28
- EPSOM, approvals15
- HENNIKER, approvals13
- Hopkinton, approvals13
| Place | Approvals | Gross approval dollars |
|---|---|---|
| Concord | 116 | $28,079,400 |
| HOOKSETT | 40 | $16,046,200 |
| BOW | 28 | $13,703,400 |
| EPSOM | 15 | $4,006,200 |
| HENNIKER | 13 | $1,141,500 |
| Hopkinton | 13 | $1,040,500 |
| Pittsfield | 12 | $1,544,100 |
| CHICHESTER | 12 | $1,013,400 |
Concord accounts for 116 approvals against 40 in HOOKSETT. 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.
Merrimack County
How big is Merrimack County
- Land area934 sq mi
- Rank by land area among New Hampshire counties3rd of 10
- Width, east to west42.9 mi
- Height, north to south40.8 mi
- Geographies sharing a boundary6
- Residents per square mile of land167
- Establishments per square mile4.51
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 Merrimack 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 Merrimack County site starts with the figures you are reading, carrying the same source and period into the credit file.
- Population155,967
- Households60,901
- Average household size2.56
- Median household income$97,004
- Median age42.9
Common questions
Merrimack County questions, answered from the record.
How many people live in Merrimack County, New Hampshire?
155,967, in 60,901 households, ranking 3rd of 10 New Hampshire counties. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
Is Merrimack County growing?
The population has grown 2.64 percent since the 2020 census base. In 2024 there were 1,277 births against 1,683 deaths, with net migration of 1,212. Source: US Census Bureau, Population Estimates Program, Vintage 2024, Vintage 2024, estimates 2020 to 2024.
What is the median household income in Merrimack County?
$97,004. The median owner-occupied home is valued at $367,600, which is 3.8 times income, and median gross rent is $1,360 per month. Source: US Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2020-2024 5-year.
How many businesses are there in Merrimack County?
4,213 establishments, employing 62,841 people with an annual payroll of $3.79 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 Merrimack County?
Average annual pay is $68,857, or $1,324 a week, across 77,147 covered jobs. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024 annual averages.
How much SBA lending happens in Merrimack County?
347 7(a) approvals totalling $89.8 m since FY2020, across 45 lenders, with a median approval of $87,000, plus 158 504 approvals worth $64.9 m. These are approvals recorded in the release, not loans disbursed.
Do SBA loans in Merrimack County get paid back?
Of the 93 loans that have reached a final outcome, 91 were paid in full and 2 charged off, a charge off rate of 2.2 percent. Loans still running are excluded, because they have not yet succeeded or failed.
What is being built in Merrimack County?
355 housing units were authorised by permit in 2024, with a declared construction value of $110.2 m. Multifamily was 18.9 percent of units. Source: US Census Bureau, Building Permits Survey, 2024 annual.
What is the radon zone for Merrimack 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 Merrimack County come from?
The largest single origin is Merrimack County Non-migrants, with 62,728 households. Arriving households report an average income of $86,915 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 Merrimack 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 Merrimack 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.