When you live in the Granite State, you get to enjoy beautiful weather, affordable living, and many other perks. One of the many great things about New Hampshire is that it is a fairly safe place to live. For example, it has the second-lowest number of car thefts in the entire nation.
However, this doesn't mean New Hampshire is entirely free of crime. Certain parts of the state can have especially high levels of crime, and New Hampshire residents are vulnerable to burglaries and vandalism. Here are some important things you should know about crime in New Hampshire.
An overview of New Hampshire crime rates
Statistically speaking, New Hampshire is one of the safest places to live. In the past year, people reported 16,673 crimes in New Hampshire. This gives the state a crime rate of 12 crimes per 1,000 residents. Four crimes occur in every square mile of New Hampshire land. Compared to other states, the crime rate in New Hampshire is quite low. The national average crime rate is 23 crimes per 1,000 people.
The majority of crimes in New Hampshire are nonviolent. You only have a 1 in 728 chance of becoming a violent crime victim in New Hampshire. Meanwhile, you have a 1 in 94 chance of becoming a victim of a property crime.
Common types of crime in New Hampshire
Crime in New Hampshire falls into several different categories. Here are a few common types of crime you should be aware of.
Burglary
Burglary refers to any crime where the criminal broke into your property to take something. In 2021, New Hampshire residents reported Vivint Car Guard can help. This useful device syncs to our outdoor camera and notifies you about suspicious behavior near your car. You can also use Car Guard to track your vehicle if someone takes it.
Notable crime rates in New Hampshire cities
Of course, not all parts of the state have the same crime rate. Here are a few essential details you need to know about high-crime and low-crime areas in New Hampshire.
The safest cities in New Hampshire
Since New Hampshire's crime rates are already so low, the especially safe cities in the state really stand out. These cities in New Hampshire have the honor of being some of the safest cities in the entire nation.
- Atkinson: This little town near Boston has an extremely low property crime rate of 2.7 per 1,000 residents.
- Windham: Windham's property crime rate of 3.5 per 1,000 residents is significantly lower than state averages.
- Londonderry: This mid-sized town has a violent crime rate that is 86% less than national averages.
- Durham: Durham has just 7.2 property crimes per 1,000 residents.
- Hanover: This college town has a property crime rate that is 50% lower than state averages, and it hasn't had a murder in years.
The most dangerous cities in New Hampshire
Keep in mind that a few parts of New Hampshire have more of a problem with crime. Compared to the rest of the state, these cities can be a little risky:
- Manchester: The biggest city in the state also has a higher-than-average crime rate. The Manchester, New Hampshire crime rate for property crime is 22.4 per 1,000 residents which is higher than both state and national averages.
- Rochester: Rochester's violent crime rates are fairly low, but it does have a problem with property crime. There are 27.7 property crimes per 1,000 Rochester residents.
- Concord: The capital of New Hampshire is also one of the most dangerous cities. It has 16.6 property crimes and 1.9 violent crimes per 1,000 residents.
- Littleton: Despite being a very small town, Littleton has an unusually high level of violent crimes and 16.2 property crimes per 1,000 residents.
- Conway: Conway has the fifth-highest level of crime in the state. There are 19.7 property crimes and 2.2 violent crimes that occur per 1,000 residents.
- Laconia: This charming lakeside city has the second-highest number of property crimes in the entire state. It has 29.6 property crimes per 1,000 residents.
