Study: If it wasn’t for people moving here (especially from Massachusetts), New Hampshire would be shrinking
Courtesy of Ken Johnson, UNH
The latest chapter in New Hampshire demographics reads like the other chapters over the past half-decade: More people are dying here than are being born, with the difference made up by people moving here from out of state.
As often as not, “from out of state” means “from Massachusetts.”
The latest update from Ken Johnson, senior demographer at the Carsey School of Public Policy at UNH, says that deaths outnumbered births in New Hampshire in 2021 and 2022, continuing a trend that began in 2017. New Hampshire is one of the oldest states in the country, meaning we have a relative shortage of women of child-bearing age and a lot of elderly residents.
In those two years, more people died (28,700) than were born (24,900) in the state but 18,300 more people moved into New Hampshire than moved out, giving us an overall population gain of about one-tenth of a percent.
Johnson said about 44% of the new migrants in 2021 and 2022 came from Massachusetts, with another 8% from Maine and Vermont. Most of the rest came from throughout the country, with about 7% of people moving here from overseas.
This pattern has gone on long enough that the majority of New Hampshire is “from away,” to use a colloquialism. In data terms, only about 41% of Granite State residents were born in the state.
“Attracting migrants and retaining residents have important implications for the state’s future population, labor force, and economy as well as for the people, communities, and organizations that make New Hampshire a desirable place to live, work, and raise families,” Johnson wrote. — DAVID BROOKS/CONCORD MONITOR
Majority of Granite Staters support creating more affordable housing
Nearly four out of five people in the Granite State believe their communities need more affordable housing, according to a survey by Saint Anselm College’s Center for Ethics and Society released in August.
The survey also showed people believe zoning laws are a major contributor to lack of affordable housing. “The reason why there aren’t enough homes is not for a lack of developers who want to build. The zoning laws make this difficult,” says the center’s Executive Director Max Latona.
The percentage of people who think NH should change its planning and zoning laws to allow for more affordable housing has more than doubled since 2020, according to the survey. Much of NH is zoned for single family homes making it difficult to find land zoned for less expensive housing options, such as multifamily homes, and municipal zoning ordinances can slow or stop local development.
NIMBYism (Not In My Back Yard)—the idea that people support something in general or in the abstract, but not in their own neighborhood—is on the decline according to the survey. “What was compelling wasn’t just the demand for more housing but the number of people who identified land regulations needed adjusting,” Latona says. “Sixty percent of respondents said towns and cities should change their zoning laws.”
Latona says the survey provides evidence for leaders that there is support for pro-housing measures. “Sometimes policy makers know there is support for an issue, but they don’t get enough vocal support.” — SCOTT MERRILL/BUSINESS NH MAGAZINE
Wentworth-Douglass Hospital opens new Center for Heart Health in Somersworth
Wentworth Douglass Hospital’s Center for Heart Health has opened their newest location at 3 Terrascape Parkway in Somersworth on Friday, October 6.
The Center for Heart Health at Somersworth currently offers echocardiogram services four days per week and a device clinic, for those with pacemakers, one day per week. The hospital plans to grow its diagnostic services in this new location soon, with the addition of stress testing and expanded device clinic and echocardiogram services.
Dr. Michael Metzger, Dr. Sachin Saksena, and advanced practice registered nurse Sunny-Fenn McNally have joined the Wentworth Douglass Hospital medical staff and are now accepting patients in Somersworth. Business hours are Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Existing-Home Sales Fell 2% in September
Existing-home sales faded in September, according to the National Association of Realtors. Among the four major U.S. regions, sales rose in the Northeast but receded in the Midwest, South and West. All four regions registered year-over-year sales declines.
Total existing-home sales — completed transactions that include single-family homes, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops — waned 2.0% from August to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.96 million in September. Year-over-year, sales dropped 15.4% (down from 4.68 million in September 2022).
“As has been the case throughout this year, limited inventory and low housing affordability continue to hamper home sales,” said NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun. “The Federal Reserve simply cannot keep raising interest rates in light of softening inflation and weakening job gains.”
Total housing inventory registered at the end of September was 1.13 million units, up 2.7% from August but down 8.1% from one year ago (1.23 million). Unsold inventory sits at a 3.4-month supply at the current sales pace, up from 3.3 months in August and 3.2 months in September 2022.
The median existing-home price for all housing types in September was $394,300, an increase of 2.8% from September 2022 ($383,500). All four U.S. regions posted price increases.
“For the third straight month, home prices are up from a year ago, confirming the pressing need for more housing supply,” Yun said.
According to the REALTORS Confidence Index, properties typically remained on the market for 21 days in September, up from 20 days in August and 19 days in September 2022. Sixty-nine percent of homes sold in September were on the market for less than a month.
First-time buyers were responsible for 27% of sales in September, down from 29% in August 2023 and September 2022. NAR’s 2022 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers — released in November 2022 — found that the annual share of first-time buyers was 26%, the lowest since NAR began tracking the data.
All-cash sales accounted for 29% of transactions in September, up from 27% in August and 22% in September 2022.
Individual investors or second-home buyers, who make up many cash sales, purchased 18% of homes in September, up from 16% in August and 15% one year ago.
Distressed sales — foreclosures and short sales — represented 1% of sales in September, unchanged from last month and the previous year.
According to Freddie Mac, the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage averaged 7.57% as of October 12. That’s up from 7.49% the previous week and 6.92% one year ago.
Single-family home sales slipped to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 3.53 million in September, down 1.9% from 3.6 million in August and 15.8% from the prior year. The median existing single-family home price was $399,200 in September, up 2.5% from September 2022.
Existing condominium and co-op sales recorded a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 430,000 units in September, down 2.3% from August and 12.2% from one year ago. The median existing condo price was $353,800 in September, up 6.8% from the prior year ($331,300).
Existing-home sales in the Northeast rose 4.2% from August to an annual rate of 500,000 in September, down 16.7% from September 2022. The median price in the Northeast was $439,900, up 5.2% from the prior year.
In the Midwest, existing-home sales declined by 4.1% from the previous month to an annual rate of 930,000 in September, down 18.4% from one year ago. The median price in the Midwest was $293,300, up 4.7% from September 2022.
Existing-home sales in the South dipped 1.1% from August to an annual rate of 1.82 million in September, a decrease of 11.7% from the previous year. The median price in the South was $360,500, up 3.1% from September 2022.
In the West, existing-home sales trailed off 5.3% from the previous month to an annual rate of 710,000 in September, down 19.3% from one year ago. The median price in the West was $606,100, up 1.8% from September 2022.
“The Northeast posted the strongest price gain resulting from higher demand coupled with inventory falling by 20%,” Yun said. “The West experienced softer price growth reflecting a pause after years of unsustainable and rapid price increases, especially in the Rocky Mountain region.” — The National Association of Realtors press release
Another piece of Chinese owned property in Nashua has come to the public’s attention — the former Daniel Webster College property, encompassing some 52 acres. Nashua Mayor Jim Donchess encouraged the Board of Aldermen on Sept. 9 to pass a resolution giving him the authority to seek state and/or federal funds to purchase the property, currently owned by Xinhua Education Consulting Services Corp.
The nonprofit and ReVision Energy expand renewable energy portfolio with new solar panels across five properties in the Monadnock Region
While home prices might be moderating in other parts of the country, the median price of a single-family house in New Hampshire rose to $550,000 in August, the second highest price point this current year. That price is just $3,000 more than the $547,000 recorded in July, but it is $47,500 more than January’s $502,500. The highest median price in 2025 was $569,450, recorded in June and the most ever recorded in the state.
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Relax & Co., which provided an array of services to property owners in the Lake Sunapee area, had already been forced to lay off workers earlier this month.
