Living in Peterborough, NH

Hillsborough County

Peterborough is the real, widely documented inspiration for the fictional Grover's Corners in Thornton Wilder's Pulitzer Prize-winning play 'Our Town' -- this record independently verified that connection this pass rather than repeating it uncritically, finding it well-supported (Wilder wrote the play while in residence at Peterborough's MacDowell artist colony, and Peterborough has dedicated the real intersection of Grove and Main streets with 'Grover's Corners' street signs). Peterborough is genuinely, substantially the most retirement-oriented of the four New Hampshire Tier B markets covered in this research pass: its senior (65+) population share runs approximately 28.55%-30.6%, and its median age (55.5 years) sits well above New Hampshire's own already-elevated statewide figure. Peterborough's crime rate runs genuinely favorable (one of the lower rates in America), its ConVal Regional High School carries a cited 90% graduation rate, and Monadnock Community Hospital anchors a genuinely broad local healthcare service line for a 25-bed Critical Access Hospital. This record also discloses a real, documented flood history honestly: the April 2007 flood produced the highest peak discharge ever recorded at Peterborough's own Contoocook River streamgage.

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Housing

Median sale price$467,997

Taxes

Local effective property tax rate2.23%

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 Peterborough-specific.

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The tradeoffs

Pros

A genuinely low, favorable crime rate -- one of the lower rates in America. Strong schools (ConVal Regional High School's cited ~90% graduation rate). A real, distinctive cultural identity as the documented inspiration for Thornton Wilder's 'Our Town,' reinforced by MacDowell's continuing operation as an active artist-residency colony. A genuinely broad local hospital service line (Monadnock Community Hospital) for a small, 25-bed facility. New Hampshire's real, statewide no-income-tax, no-sales-tax structure.

Cons

A real, documented historical flood event on the Contoocook River (April 2007, the highest peak discharge ever recorded at Peterborough's own streamgage) worth weighing for river-adjacent properties. A property tax rate where the ConVal school district portion alone makes up over half the total bill -- a real, disclosed illustration of New Hampshire's high, structural reliance on local property taxes. A real, disclosed population-figure scope uncertainty this pass did not fully resolve. Housing costs running close to New Hampshire's own already-elevated statewide figures, not a clearly below-average option.

Who this fits

Best for: Best fits retirees drawn to Peterborough's genuinely elevated senior population share, low crime, and small-town New England character, and families and mountain/outdoor-recreation lovers drawn to its strong schools and Monadnock-region setting.

Maybe not for you if: Probably not the right fit for movers seeking New Hampshire's most affordable housing -- Peterborough's own cited figures run close to the state's already-elevated statewide averages rather than clearly below them. River-adjacent property buyers should also weigh this record's disclosed, real April 2007 Contoocook River flood history directly.

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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.