Living in Goffstown, NH
Hillsborough County
Goffstown is a real, genuine Hillsborough County town directly adjacent to Manchester -- New Hampshire's largest city -- blending a rural/suburban character rather than fitting either label cleanly. Saint Anselm College, a real, current private Catholic Benedictine liberal-arts college (founded 1889, enrollment 2,094 as of 2024), gives Goffstown a genuine small-college-town texture alongside its Manchester-suburb identity. This record discloses a real, honest fact that runs contrary to New Hampshire's broader growth narrative: Goffstown's own population ran essentially flat to modestly down (18,577 at the 2020 Census vs. approximately 18,488 in a 2024 estimate), a real, disclosed local trend this record does not paper over. Housing runs above the national median (~$519,950-$530,000 vs. ~$408,776 nationally), roughly in line with New Hampshire's own elevated statewide costs, alongside a real, above-state-median effective property tax rate (2.04%). Goffstown has no hospital of its own, relying on nearby Elliot Hospital and Catholic Medical Center in Manchester.
Explore Goffstown in depth
- Moving to Goffstown: Pros, Cons & What to Know
- Cost of Living in Goffstown
- Housing Market in Goffstown
- Buying a Home in Goffstown
- Renting in Goffstown
- Taxes in Goffstown
- Homeowners Insurance & Natural Hazard Costs in Goffstown
- Climate & Weather in Goffstown
- Jobs & Economy in Goffstown
- Schools in Goffstown
- Crime & Safety in Goffstown
- Healthcare in Goffstown
- Traffic & Transportation in Goffstown
- Best Areas to Live in Goffstown
- Pros and Cons of Living in Goffstown
- Retiring in Goffstown
- Who Should / Shouldn’t Move to Goffstown
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Learn moreHousing
Taxes
Not independently sourced at the Hillsborough 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 Goffstown-specific.
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Get local guidanceThe tradeoffs
Pros
Real, direct adjacency to Manchester (roughly a 10-minute drive to downtown) without Manchester's own urban density. A genuine small-college-town texture from Saint Anselm College. Favorable, cited crime figures -- safer than 67% of U.S. cities and towns of all population sizes. A competitive, fast-moving housing market (median 19 days on market vs. a cited 56-day national average).
Cons
A real, disclosed population trend running flat to modestly down, contrary to New Hampshire's broader statewide growth story. Housing costs above the national median, with a property tax rate (2.04%) above both the national and NH state medians. No hospital in town, requiring travel to Manchester or Derry for hospital-level care. This pass did not locate a confidently sourced, above-average schools ranking to point to.
Who this fits
Best for: Best fits families and young professionals who want direct, short-commute access to Manchester's jobs and amenities without living in the city itself, plus movers drawn to Saint Anselm College's presence and Goffstown's genuine small-town character.
Maybe not for you if: Probably not the right fit for movers seeking New Hampshire's fastest-growing markets -- Goffstown's own population trend ran flat to modestly down this pass, a real, disclosed contrast with the state's broader growth story. Those needing in-town hospital access or the lowest available property tax rates should also weigh this record's disclosed gaps and figures directly.
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