Living in Durham, NH

Strafford County

Durham is a real, genuinely distinct Seacoast-region town in Strafford County, completely defined by its status as home to the University of New Hampshire's main campus -- a real, disclosed demographic fact this record leads with rather than downplays. Durham's median age runs a genuinely extreme 20.1 years, with approximately 76.2% of residents in the 15-24 age bracket, among the youngest population profiles of any market in this project's dataset. UNH itself is real, large, and growing at the incoming-class level (approximately 13,554 total enrollment, a fall 2026 incoming class up nearly 4% year-over-year, UNH's own announcement bucking a national enrollment-decline trend) even as Durham's own town-level population has declined a real, disclosed 11.53% since the 2020 Census. Housing runs genuinely expensive as a direct result of student-housing demand ($498,000 median home value, $3,000-$4,000/month rents), and Durham's own property tax rate (Ownwell's cited 2.90% effective rate) runs the highest in Strafford County. Durham is served by the strong Oyster River Cooperative School District and carries a favorable crime profile consistent with New Hampshire's own #1-nationally crime-safety ranking.

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Housing

Median sale price$498,000

Taxes

Local effective property tax rate2.90%

Not independently sourced at the Strafford County level this session. New Hampshire carries no income tax statewide. See the New Hampshire hub page for the statewide property tax context -- do not treat that figure as Durham-specific.

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The tradeoffs

Pros

A real, strong, highly-rated school district (Oyster River, 9/10 GreatSchools-rated high school). A genuinely favorable crime profile (1-in-1,527 violent-crime victim odds, well below the national average). Direct access to UNH's own academic, athletic, and cultural resources, plus a growing incoming-class trend UNH itself has publicly touted. New Hampshire's real, statewide tax advantages (no wage-income tax, no sales tax, no I&D tax as of the 2025 repeal).

Cons

A real, disclosed housing-affordability challenge driven directly by student-housing demand ($498,000 median home value, $3,000-$4,000/month rents), which Durham's own Housing Needs Analysis found makes workforce housing genuinely difficult to develop. Durham's own property tax rate (2.90% effective per Ownwell) runs the highest in Strafford County. A real, disclosed town-level population DECLINE (-11.53% since the 2020 Census) even as UNH's own enrollment grows. An extreme, single-employer-dominated economic and demographic structure that will not suit every mover.

Who this fits

Best for: Best fits young professionals and recent graduates drawn to a genuine college-town environment and UNH's own institutional resources, and first-time homebuyers willing to weigh Durham's real, disclosed housing-cost pressure against its strong schools and favorable crime profile.

Maybe not for you if: Probably not the right fit for retirees or movers seeking a typical, demographically balanced small New Hampshire town -- Durham's median age of 20.1 years and its 76.2%-aged-15-to-24 population share reflect a genuinely extreme, student-driven demographic skew this record discloses directly rather than downplaying. Those prioritizing New Hampshire's very lowest property tax rates should also weigh Durham's own disclosed 2.90% effective rate, the highest in Strafford County.

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Last reviewed: 2026-08-28. Independent research; see individual metric entries above for source attribution. This is not financial, tax, or legal advice -- confirm current figures with a local professional before making a decision.