The Town FilesRye, New Hampshire
Town in Rockingham County · population 5,543 (2020 Census)
- Median home
- $1,028,100
- Household income
- $140,655
- Jan low / Jul high
- 16° / 81°
- Snow a year
- 65 in
- Tornadoes ≤10 mi since 1950
- 3
- Median age
- 55.1
Rye is a town of 5,543 people in Rockingham County, New Hampshire. The median home is worth $1,028,100, above the typical New Hampshire town ($357,650). It ranks better for a vacation home than 100% of New Hampshire towns, more seaside character than 99% of New Hampshire towns, better for retirees than 96% of New Hampshire towns.
- #4 in The 25 Best Small Towns to Retire in New Hampshire
- #6 in The 50 Best Vacation-Home Small Towns in America
- #6 in 25 Small Towns in New Hampshire With the Mildest Winters
- #7 in The 50 Best Vacation-Home Places in America
- #20 in The 25 Most Walkable Small Towns in New Hampshire
- #25 in 25 Small Towns in New Hampshire With the Fewest Tornadoes Since 1950
How Rye 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.
Homes and cost of living
The median home in Rye is worth $1,028,100, above the typical New Hampshire town ($357,650). Homes cost about 7.3 times the median household income of $140,655, which is more affordable than 2% of New Hampshire towns. Median rent is $1,781 a month. 85.5% of households own their home.
| Housing | Rye | Typical New Hampshire town |
|---|---|---|
| Median home value | $1,028,100 | $357,650 |
| Median rent | $1,781 | $1,285 |
| Median household income | $140,655 | $94,107 |
| Home value ÷ income | 7.3× | 3.8× |
| Homeownership | 85.5% | 82.1% |
| Median year built | 1972 | 1978 |
| Seasonal / vacation homes | 18.0% | — |
Who lives in Rye
| People | Rye | Typical New Hampshire town |
|---|---|---|
| Median age | 55.1 | 46.3 |
| Age 65 and over | 31.7% | 22.3% |
| Under 18 | 18.2% | — |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 61.5% | 36.8% |
| Below the poverty line | 6.9% | 7.2% |
| Veterans | 6.5% | — |
| Born outside the U.S. | 5.2% | — |
| Work from home | 30.9% | 14.2% |
| Average commute | 28.9 min | 27.1 min |
| Homes with broadband | 97.8% | 92.5% |
Weather in Rye
July highs average 80.5°F and January lows 16.3°F. About 50.6 inches of rain and melted snow fall a year, with 65.0 inches of snow (typical New Hampshire town: 67.7 in). Expect about 11 days a year at 90°F or hotter and 143 nights at or below freezing.
Tornadoes, storms and disasters
3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Rye since 1950, compared with 5 for the typical New Hampshire town. 2 rated (E)F2 or stronger. The strongest, an F2, struck on May 3, 1976 about 9.4 miles from the town center. The most recent was on June 9, 1978.
Hail of 1 inch or larger has been reported within 10 miles 24 times; the largest was 2.00 inches on August 4, 2015.
Severe weather in Rockingham County since 1996
Rockingham County has been included in 35 federal disaster or emergency declarations since 1953, most often for flood, hurricane, snowstorm.
| Declared | Incident | Declaration |
|---|---|---|
| July 10, 2024 | Winter Storm | DR-4799: Severe Winter Storm And Flooding |
| April 19, 2024 | Severe Storm | DR-4771: Severe Storms And Flooding |
| September 14, 2023 | Flood | DR-4740: Severe Storms And Flooding |
| April 3, 2020 | Biological | DR-4516: Covid-19 Pandemic |
| March 13, 2020 | Biological | EM-3445: Covid-19 |
Jobs and pay in Rockingham County
Rockingham County had 157,028 jobs in 2024, paying an average of $73,537 a year. Unemployment was 2.3% in 2023; in Rye itself the ACS puts it at 4.2%.
Public schools in Rye
2 public schools with 400 students, about 9.5 students per teacher.
| School | Grades | Students | Per teacher |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rye Elementary School | PK-4 | 209 | 10.0 |
| Rye Junior High School | 5-8 | 191 | 9.1 |
Towns near Rye
- Portsmouth, NH3.6 mi · 21,956 people · home $688,500
- Kittery, ME4.0 mi · 4,973 people · home $461,400
- Kittery, ME6.1 mi · 10,070 people · home $468,500
- Greenland, NH6.4 mi · 4,067 people · home $662,800
- North Hampton, NH6.7 mi · 4,538 people · home $670,400
- South Eliot, ME8.0 mi · 3,719 people · home $475,600
- Hampton, NH8.2 mi · 9,597 people · home $545,300
- Eliot, ME8.3 mi · 6,717 people · home $498,900
Rye questions
Is Rye, New Hampshire a good place to retire?
On The Town Files lifestyle rankings, Rye scores better for retirees than 96% of New Hampshire towns and quieter than 56%. 31.7% of residents are 65 or older (median age 55.1).
How much does a house cost in Rye?
The median owner-occupied home in Rye is valued at $1,028,100 (Census ACS 2020–2024), against a median household income of $140,655, so homes cost about 7.3 times income. Median rent is $1,781 a month.
What is the weather like in Rye?
July highs average 80.5°F and January lows 16.3°F (NOAA 1991–2020 normals). It gets about 50.6 inches of precipitation a year and 65.0 inches of snow.
Does Rye get tornadoes?
3 tornadoes have passed within 10 miles of Rye since 1950 (NOAA Storm Events); the strongest was a F2 on May 3, 1976. The typical New Hampshire town has had 5.
- U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2020–2024)
- U.S. Census Bureau, 2020 Census and 2025 Gazetteer (2020 / 2025)
- NOAA NCEI U.S. Climate Normals (1991–2020)
- NOAA NCEI Storm Events Database (1950–2026)
- FEMA OpenFEMA Disaster Declarations (this product uses the FEMA OpenFEMA API but is not endorsed by FEMA) (1953–2026)
- NCES Common Core of Data (2023–24)
- BLS Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages; USDA ERS county unemployment (BLS LAUS) (2000–2024)
- The Town Files lifestyle rankings, built from federal demographic, school, crime and housing data (2025)