Press Release: 2/25/2026

New Hampshire Continued to Rely on Migration from Massachusetts for Population Growth in 2025

 

February 23, 2026 | Jessica Williams, Policy Analyst

 

New population data from the U.S. Census Bureau provides insight into the state’s growing and changing population, as well as how that growth has changed over the years. New Hampshire has continued to rely on in-migration from other states, predominantly from neighboring Massachusetts, to grow its population. While the state continues to add residents, slower overall growth, an aging population, and changing migration patterns are influencing the state’s economic landscape.

Slower Growth and the Influence of In-Migration

Over the past fifteen years, New Hampshire’s population has grown by about 7.5%. Although the state has continued to add residents each year, population growth has been slower than in previous decades. From the 1960s through the 2000s, New Hampshire experienced substantial growth, driven in part by the economic expansion of the Boston metropolitan area. During the 1970s and 1980s, the state gained an average of more than 18,000 new residents each year. While data from the early 2020s show an uptick in population growth relative to the 2010s, New Hampshire has since added about 7,000 people each year, less than half of the annual gains during the 1970s and 1980s. The most recent data show no substantial deviation from this average; between July 1, 2024 and July 1, 2025, New Hampshire’s population increased by an estimated 6,800 people.

Beginning in 2017, deaths in New Hampshire have outpaced births, with recent population gains entirely dependent on net in-migration, which is the number of people moving into the state minus those moving out. International in-migration remained relatively consistent from 2011 through the years leading up to the COVID-19 pandemic. Domestic migration, or movement from other U.S. states, surged during the pandemic, likely driven by expanded remote work opportunities, potential early retirements, and the ability for some households to relocate to second homes full-time. As the pandemic wound down, domestic migration trends more closely matched pre-pandemic levels, while international migration nationwide declined to a historical low in 2025.

Where Are People Moving From?

New Hampshire has historically experienced a combined net in-migration from the other New England states, driven primarily by neighboring Massachusetts. In 2021 and 2022, net migration from Massachusetts rose sharply compared to the years leading up to the pandemic. That growth declined significantly in 2023, likely reflecting fewer opportunities for remote work, as well as the possibility of some households accelerating planned moves during 2021 and 2022. By 2024, net in-migration from Massachusetts rebounded to roughly pre-pandemic levels seen in 2018, suggesting a stabilization as pandemic-related migration patterns slowed.

While net migration from Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Vermont has varied, New Hampshire experienced larger net losses to neighboring Maine between 2021 and 2023. Rising costs of living and limited housing availability in New Hampshire, as well as some of the pandemic-related factors that spurred migration to New Hampshire from Massachusetts, likely influenced some Granite Staters to move northeast in search of more affordable costs. By 2024, however, net losses to Maine stabilized, returning closer to pre-pandemic levels, and net out-migration from New Hampshire to Connecticut increased to a level higher than the comparable figure for Maine in 2024.

Outside of New England, New Hampshire has gained population from Texas and California, likely reflecting the larger population sizes of those states. In 2023 and 2024 combined, New Hampshire also experienced gains from Colorado, Pennsylvania, and Louisiana.

At the same time, New Hampshire has had net losses to the South Atlantic region, including the Carolinas, Florida, and Virginia, likely driven in part by retirees seeking warmer weather and preferred amenities. New Hampshire also lost population to New York in 2023 and 2024 combined, following a period of net population growth from the state during the pandemic.

Looking Ahead and Affordability Challenges

As the state’s population continues to age, with more than one in three Granite Staters now over the age of 55, attracting and retaining younger families will be crucial for sustaining the state’s workforce and overall economy. New Hampshire has gained population from young families, even after accounting for net losses; however, decreased affordability, particularly for housing and child care costs, could hinder population growth by discouraging potential in-migration and population retention. If the state were to continue to rely on in-migration to grow its population and support its workforce, improving affordability for families with low and moderate incomes will be particularly important.