The Town Files

Hancock, New Hampshire

Town in Hillsborough County · population 1,731 (2020 Census)

Map: where Hancock is in New HampshireHancock
Median home
$436,700
Household income
$95,208
Jan low / Jul high
13° / 83°
Snow a year
73 in
Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
10
Median age
53.8

Hancock is a town of 1,731 people in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire. The median home is worth $436,700, above the typical New Hampshire town ($357,650). It ranks better for retirees than 99% of New Hampshire towns, hipper than 95% of New Hampshire towns, quieter than 86% of New Hampshire towns.

Hancock in our rankings:

How Hancock ranks

Percentile among New Hampshire towns with at least 500 people on The Town Files lifestyle rankings. 50 is typical for the state; 90 means better than 90% of New Hampshire towns.

Hancock lifestyle rankings vs other New Hampshire townsRetirement99th pctFamilies75th pctQuiet86th pctWalkability46th pctFirst-time buyersbottomYoung professionals70th pctVibrancy14th pctHip & trendy95th pctCollege town59th pctUpscale85th pctVacation homesbottomSeaside characterbottomCyclingbottomTransit63rd pctDriving73rd pcttypical
The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025).

Homes and cost of living

The median home in Hancock is worth $436,700, above the typical New Hampshire town ($357,650). Homes cost about 4.6 times the median household income of $95,208, which is more affordable than 18% of New Hampshire towns. Median rent is $1,208 a month. 85.6% of households own their home.

Hancock vs Hillsborough County vs typical New Hampshire townHancockHillsborough CountyTypical New Hampshire townHome value$436,700$421,100$357,650Household income$95,208$103,545$94,107Monthly rent$1,208$1,623$1,285
Census ACS 5-year estimates, 2020–2024. "Typical town" = median of New Hampshire towns with 500+ people.
HousingHancockTypical New Hampshire town
Median home value$436,700$357,650
Median rent$1,208$1,285
Median household income$95,208$94,107
Home value ÷ income4.6×3.8×
Homeownership85.6%82.1%
Median year built19691978
Seasonal / vacation homes7.3%—

Who lives in Hancock

PeopleHancockTypical New Hampshire town
Median age53.846.3
Age 65 and over30.2%22.3%
Under 1815.4%—
Bachelor's degree or higher53.9%36.8%
Below the poverty line4.1%7.2%
Veterans10.0%—
Born outside the U.S.7.1%—
Work from home14.9%14.2%
Average commute33.1 min27.1 min
Homes with broadband96.4%92.5%

Weather in Hancock

July highs average 82.5°F and January lows 13.1°F. About 48.3 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 72.7 inches of snow (typical New Hampshire town: 67.7 in). Expect about 9 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 150 nights at or below freezing.

Hancock monthly temperatures and precipitation10°20°30°40°50°60°70°80°90°32° freezing32°13°Jan35°14°Feb43°22°Mar56°34°Apr68°45°May77°55°Jun83°60°Jul80°58°Aug73°51°Sep60°38°Oct47°29°Nov37°20°DecPrecipitation (in) · snow (in) in blue3.319.33.416.64.015.33.83.23.80.14.34.34.04.35.10.43.82.34.315.5
NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals: average daily high and low by month; precipitation and snowfall in inches. Temperatures from the Jaffrey Silver Rch Airpark station (11.7 mi away); snowfall estimated from the 4 nearest snow stations, weighted by distance.

Tornadoes, storms and disasters

10 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Hancock since 1950, compared with 5 for the typical New Hampshire town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on May 31, 1998 about 4.4 miles from the town center. The most recent was on June 23, 2024.

Tornadoes within 10 miles of Hancock by decade01950s21960s01970s41980s21990s02000s02010s22020s
NOAA Storm Events Database, tornado tracks (start to end point) passing within 10 miles of the town center, 1950–2026.

Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 26 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on July 11, 1980.

Severe weather in Hillsborough County since 1996

Storm events in Hillsborough County since 1996 by typeHail101Flood45Drought22High Wind22Ice Storm8Lightning24Heavy Snow150Flash Flood51
NOAA Storm Events Database, Hillsborough County, 1996–2026 (all event types recorded since 1996). 7 deaths recorded.

Hillsborough County has been included in 31 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.

DeclaredIncidentDeclaration
April 3, 2020BiologicalDR-4516: Covid-19 Pandemic
March 13, 2020BiologicalEM-3445: Covid-19
March 25, 2015Severe StormDR-4209: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm
March 19, 2013Severe StormDR-4105: Severe Winter Storm And Snowstorm
October 30, 2012HurricaneEM-3360: Hurricane Sandy

Jobs and pay in Hillsborough County

Hillsborough County had 201,342 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $79,660 a year. Unemployment was 2.3% in 2023; in Hancock itself the ACS puts it at 1%.

Largest industries in Hillsborough CountyHealth care & social assistan…31,630 jobs · $71,467Retail25,113 jobs · $46,933Manufacturing25,111 jobs · $113,247Hotels & restaurants15,875 jobs · $29,611Professional & technical serv…14,329 jobs · $130,925Administrative & support10,777 jobs · $62,676
BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages, 2024, private-sector jobs and average annual pay.
Unemployment rate in Hillsborough County, 2000–20230%2%4%6%8%2000200420082012201620202023Hillsborough 2.3%
Annual average unemployment rate (BLS Local Area Unemployment Statistics via USDA ERS).

Public schools in Hancock

1 public school with 74 students, about 8.2 students per teacher.

SchoolGradesStudentsPer teacher
Hancock Elementary SchoolPK-4748.2

Towns near Hancock

Hancock questions

Is Hancock, New Hampshire a good place to retire?

On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Hancock scores better for retirees than 99% of New Hampshire towns and quieter than 86%. 30.2% of residents are 65 or older (median age 53.8).

How much does a house cost in Hancock?

The median owner-occupied home in Hancock is valued at $436,700 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $95,208, so homes cost about 4.6 times income. Median rent is $1,208 a month.

What is the weather like in Hancock?

July highs average 82.5°F and January lows 13.1°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 48.3 inches of precipitation a year and 72.7 inches of snow.

Does Hancock get tornadoes?

10 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Hancock since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on May 31, 1998. The typical New Hampshire town has had 5.

How this page is made. Every number comes from public data, matched to Hancock's Census boundary (GEOID 3301133700). Comparisons use the median of New Hampshire towns with at least 500 people. Weather comes from the nearest NOAA normals station; storm counts use NOAA tornado tracks within 10 miles of the town center. Data snapshot 2026-11-13.