Hillsborough County is the most populous
county
A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposes Chambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sove ...
of
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...
. As of the
2020 census, the population was 422,937, almost one-third the population of the entire state.
Its
county seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US ...
s are
Manchester
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The ...
and
Nashua, the state's two biggest cities. Hillsborough is northern
New England
New England is a region comprising six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York to the west and by the Canadian provinces ...
's most populous county as well as its most densely populated.
Hillsborough County comprises the Manchester-Nashua, NH
Metropolitan Statistical Area
In the United States, a metropolitan statistical area (MSA) is a geographical region with a relatively high population density at its core and close economic ties throughout the area. Such regions are neither legally incorporated as a city or tow ...
, which in turn constitutes a portion of the
Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
-
Worcester
Worcester may refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England
** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament
* Worcester Park, London, Engla ...
-
Providence
Providence often refers to:
* Providentia, the divine personification of foresight in ancient Roman religion
* Divine providence, divinely ordained events and outcomes in Christianity
* Providence, Rhode Island, the capital of Rhode Island in the ...
,
MA-
RI-
NH-
CT Combined Statistical Area
Combined statistical area (CSA) is a United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB) term for a combination of adjacent metropolitan statistical area, metropolitan (MSA) and micropolitan statistical areas (µSA) across the 50 US states and ...
.
History
Hillsborough was one of the five original counties identified for New Hampshire in 1769, and was named for
Wills Hill, 1st Earl of Hillsborough, who was
British
British may refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories, and Crown Dependencies.
** Britishness, the British identity and common culture
* British English, ...
Secretary of State for the Colonies
The secretary of state for the colonies or colonial secretary was the British Cabinet minister in charge of managing the United Kingdom's various colonial dependencies.
History
The position was first created in 1768 to deal with the increas ...
at the time. The county was formally organized at
Amherst Amherst may refer to:
People
* Amherst (surname), including a list of people with the name
* Earl Amherst of Arracan in the East Indies, a title in the British Peerage; formerly ''Baron Amherst''
* Baron Amherst of Hackney of the City of London, ...
on March 19, 1771.
In 1823, twelve townships of Hillsborough Country – Andover, Boscawen, Bradford, Dunbarton, Fishersfield (now Newbury), Henniker, Hooksett, Hopkinton, New London, Salisbury, Sutton, and Warner – became part of
Merrimack County
Merrimack County is a county in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 153,808, making it the third-most populous county in New Hampshire. Its county seat is Concord, the state capital. The county was or ...
. The
town of Merrimack along the
Merrimack River
The Merrimack River (or Merrimac River, an occasional earlier spelling) is a river in the northeastern United States. It rises at the confluence of the Pemigewasset and Winnipesaukee rivers in Franklin, New Hampshire, flows southward into Mas ...
in south-central Hillsborough County was not included in the newly formed county to the north. Hillsborough County's administrative functions were moved from Amherst to Milford in 1866, and then to the current seats of Manchester and Nashua in 1869.
Geography
According to the
U.S. Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau (USCB), officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the U.S. Federal Statistical System, responsible for producing data about the American people and economy. The Census Bureau is part of the ...
, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (1.8%) is water.
The highest point in Hillsborough county is
Pack Monadnock Mountain
Pack Monadnock or Pack Monadnock Mountain , is the highest peak of the Wapack Range of mountains and the highest point in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire. The mountain, a monadnock, is located in south-central New Hampshire within the towns o ...
at .
Adjacent counties
*
Merrimack County
Merrimack County is a county in the U.S. state of New Hampshire. As of the 2020 Census, the population was 153,808, making it the third-most populous county in New Hampshire. Its county seat is Concord, the state capital. The county was or ...
(north)
*
Rockingham County (east)
*
Essex County, Massachusetts
Essex County is a county in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of Massachusetts. At the 2020 census, the total population was 809,829, making it the third-most populous county in the state, and the eightieth-most populous in the countr ...
(southeast)
*
Middlesex County, Massachusetts
Middlesex County is located in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, in the United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 1,632,002, making it the most populous county in both Massachusetts and New England and the 22nd most populous cou ...
(south)
*
Worcester County, Massachusetts
Worcester County is a county located in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. At the 2020 census, the population was 862,111, making it the second-most populous county in Massachusetts while also being the largest in area. The largest city and tr ...
(southwest)
*
Cheshire County (west)
*
Sullivan County (northwest)
National protected area
*
Wapack National Wildlife Refuge
Wapack National Wildlife Refuge is a National Wildlife Refuge of the United States located in southern New Hampshire. It was the state's first refuge and was established through a donation by Lawrence and Lorna Marshall in 1972. The refuge is lo ...
Politics and government
In the 2012 presidential election,
''Time'' had listed Hillsborough as one of five critical counties affecting the outcome in the swing state of New Hampshire. Obama ended up winning with a margin of 50%–49%. Despite its more urban nature, Hillsborough County has historically been a more Republican leaning part of the state, although there is evidence to suggest that is changing. In 2020,
Joe Biden and
Jeanne Shaheen
Cynthia Jeanne Shaheen ( ; née Bowers, born January 28, 1947) is an American retired educator and politician serving as the senior United States senator from New Hampshire since 2009. A member of the Democratic Party, Shaheen served as the 78 ...
won Hillsborough County by a wider margin than they won statewide by.
Biden also received the highest percentage of the vote for a Democrat since
Lyndon Johnson's 1964 landslide, largely driven due to large swings to
Democrats in the county's historically
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
suburban communitie
County Commission
The executive power of Hillsborough County's government is held by three county commissioners, each representing one of the three commissioner districts within the county.
In addition to the county commission, there are five directly elected officials; they include county attorney, register of deeds, county sheriff, register of probate, and county treasurer.
Legislative branch
The legislative branch of Hillsborough County is made up of all of the members of the
New Hampshire House of Representatives
The New Hampshire House of Representatives is the lower house in the New Hampshire General Court, the bicameral legislature of the state of New Hampshire. The House of Representatives consists of 400 members coming from 204 legislative district ...
from the county. As of 2022, there are 123 members from 45 districts.
Demographics
As of the
2020 United States census
The United States census of 2020 was the twenty-fourth decennial United States census. Census Day, the reference day used for the census, was April 1, 2020. Other than a pilot study during the 2000 census, this was the first U.S. census to off ...
, there were 422,937 people residing in the county.
The population density was .
The racial makeup of the county was 81.0% white, 4.8% Asian, 3.9% black or African American, 1.7% American Indian, 2.1% from other races, and 2.0% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 8% of the population.
For the period 2011–2015, 24.8% of the county's population had
French
French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to:
* Something of, from, or related to France
** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents
** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...
ancestry (including 9.9% of the total population with
French Canadian
French Canadians (referred to as Canadiens mainly before the twentieth century; french: Canadiens français, ; feminine form: , ), or Franco-Canadians (french: Franco-Canadiens), refers to either an ethnic group who trace their ancestry to Fre ...
ancestry), 20.9% had
Irish
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
, 13.1% had
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ...
, 10.2% had
Italian
Italian(s) may refer to:
* Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries
** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom
** Italian language, a Romance language
*** Regional Ita ...
, and 8.2% had
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
ancestry. For the same time period, the estimated median annual income for a household in the county was $71,244, and the median income for a family was $85,966. Male full-time workers had a median income of $60,349 versus $44,270 for females. The per capita income for the county was $35,242. About 5.8% of families and 8.8% of the population were below the
poverty line
The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...
, including 11.7% of those under age 18 and 5.9% of those age 65 or over.
Communities
Cities
*
Manchester
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The ...
(county seat)
*
Nashua (county seat)
Towns
*
Amherst Amherst may refer to:
People
* Amherst (surname), including a list of people with the name
* Earl Amherst of Arracan in the East Indies, a title in the British Peerage; formerly ''Baron Amherst''
* Baron Amherst of Hackney of the City of London, ...
*
Antrim
*
Bedford
Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population of the Bedford built-up area (including Biddenham and Kempston) was 106,940, making it the second-largest settlement in Bedfordshire, behind Luton, whilst t ...
*
Bennington
*
Brookline
Brookline may refer to:
Places in the United States
* Brookline, Massachusetts, a town near Boston
* Brookline, Missouri
* Brookline, New Hampshire
* Brookline (Pittsburgh), a neighborhood in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
* Brookline, Vermont
See ...
*
Deering
*
Francestown
*
Goffstown
*
Greenfield
Greenfield or Greenfields may refer to:
Engineering and Business
* Greenfield agreement, an employment agreement for a new organisation
* Greenfield investment, the investment in a structure in an area where no previous facilities exist
* Greenf ...
*
Greenville
*
Hancock Hancock may refer to:
Places in the United States
* Hancock, Iowa
* Hancock, Maine
* Hancock, Maryland
* Hancock, Massachusetts
* Hancock, Michigan
* Hancock, Minnesota
* Hancock, Missouri
* Hancock, New Hampshire
** Hancock (CDP), New Hampshir ...
*
Hillsborough
*
Hollis
*
Hudson
*
Litchfield
*
Lyndeborough
*
Mason
*
Merrimack
*
Milford
*
Mont Vernon
*
New Boston
*
New Ipswich
New Ipswich is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 5,204 at the 2020 census. New Ipswich, situated on the Massachusetts border, includes the villages of Bank, Davis, Gibson Four Corners, Highbridge, New ...
*
Pelham
*
Peterborough
Peterborough () is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, east of England. It is the largest part of the City of Peterborough unitary authority district (which covers a larger area than Peterborough itself). It was part of Northamptonshire unti ...
*
Sharon
*
Temple
A temple (from the Latin ) is a building reserved for spiritual rituals and activities such as prayer and sacrifice. Religions which erect temples include Christianity (whose temples are typically called churches), Hinduism (whose temples ...
*
Weare
*
Wilton
*
Windsor
Windsor may refer to:
Places Australia
* Windsor, New South Wales
** Municipality of Windsor, a former local government area
* Windsor, Queensland, a suburb of Brisbane, Queensland
**Shire of Windsor, a former local government authority around Wi ...
Census-designated places
*
Amherst Amherst may refer to:
People
* Amherst (surname), including a list of people with the name
* Earl Amherst of Arracan in the East Indies, a title in the British Peerage; formerly ''Baron Amherst''
* Baron Amherst of Hackney of the City of London, ...
*
Antrim
*
Bennington
*
East Merrimack
*
Francestown
*
Goffstown
*
Greenville
*
Hancock Hancock may refer to:
Places in the United States
* Hancock, Iowa
* Hancock, Maine
* Hancock, Maryland
* Hancock, Massachusetts
* Hancock, Michigan
* Hancock, Minnesota
* Hancock, Missouri
* Hancock, New Hampshire
** Hancock (CDP), New Hampshir ...
*
Hillsborough
*
Hudson
*
Klondike Corner
*
Milford
*
New Boston
*
Peterborough
Peterborough () is a cathedral city in Cambridgeshire, east of England. It is the largest part of the City of Peterborough unitary authority district (which covers a larger area than Peterborough itself). It was part of Northamptonshire unti ...
*
Pinardville
Pinardville is a census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Goffstown, Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. It is a suburban neighborhood adjacent to the city of Manchester. The population was 5,034 at the 2020 census. Pinard ...
*
Wilton
Villages
*
Grasmere
*
West Peterborough
Former towns
*
Monson
Education
School districts include:
K-12 districts:
*
Bedford School District
Bedford is a market town in Bedfordshire, England. At the 2011 Census, the population of the Bedford built-up area (including Biddenham and Kempston) was 106,940, making it the second-largest settlement in Bedfordshire, behind Luton, whilst ...
*
Contoocook Valley School District Contoocook may refer to a place name in New Hampshire, the United States:
*The Contoocook River, a tributary of the Merrimack River
*Contoocook, New Hampshire, a village in the town of Hopkinton, named for the river
**Contoocook Railroad Bridge, ol ...
*
Goffstown School District
*
Hillsboro-Deering Cooperative School District
*
Hudson School District
Hudson may refer to:
People
* Hudson (given name)
* Hudson (surname)
* Henry Hudson, English explorer
* Hudson (footballer, born 1986), Hudson Fernando Tobias de Carvalho, Brazilian football right-back
* Hudson (footballer, born 1988), Hudson R ...
*
Litchfield School District
Litchfield may refer to:
Places Antarctica
* Litchfield Island, Palmer Archipelago
Australia
* Litchfield Municipality, Northern Territory
* Litchfield National Park, Northern Territory
* Litchfield Station, Northern Territory
Canada
* Lit ...
*
Manchester School District
Manchester School District is a school district headquartered in Manchester, New Hampshire.
It is the largest school district in the state, according to the Associated Press.
History
Circa 2003 Hooksett contracted with Manchester to educate i ...
*
Mascenic Regional School District
*
Merrimack School District Merrimack School District is a school district headquartered in Merrimack, New Hampshire.
History
In the 1995–1996 school year, the district enacted a policy against talking about LGBT issues, called "Prohibition of Alternative Lifestyle Instruc ...
*
Milford School District
Milford School District (MSD) is the school district of Milford, Delaware, United States.
It includes areas in Kent County and Sussex County, including all of Milford, Ellendale, Houston, Lincoln, Slaughter Beach, and a portion of Frederica ...
*
Nashua School District
The Nashua School District is a school division serving the students of Nashua, New Hampshire. The current Superintendent of the district is Dr. Mario Andrade. As of 2020, the District Board of Education members are: Heather Raymond, Chair; Raym ...
*
Pelham School District
Pelham School District (School Administrative Unit #28) is a school district headquartered in Pelham, New Hampshire
Pelham is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 14,222 at the 2020 census, up fr ...
*
Wilton-Lyndeborough School District
*
Windsor School District
Secondary districts:
*
Hollis-Brookline Cooperative School District
*
Souhegan Cooperative School District Souhegan may refer to:
* The Souhegan River in the U.S. state of New Hampshire
* Souhegan High School, along the Souhegan River in Amherst, New Hampshire
See also
* Skowhegan, Maine
Skowhegan () is the county seat of Somerset County, Maine. ...
*
John Stark Regional School District
John is a common English name and surname:
* John (given name)
* John (surname)
John may also refer to:
New Testament
Works
* Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John
* First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John
* Seco ...
Elementary districts:
*
Amherst School District Amherst may refer to:
People
* Amherst (surname), including a list of people with the name
* Earl Amherst of Arracan in the East Indies, a title in the British Peerage; formerly ''Baron Amherst''
* Baron Amherst of Hackney of the City of London, ...
*
Brookline School District
Public Schools of Brookline (PSB) is the school district of Brookline, Massachusetts.
it had over 7,500 students. They operate eight elementary (K-8) schools and one high school in the Town of Brookline.
Schools
; Senior high school:
* Brookl ...
*
Hollis School District Hollis may refer to:
*Hollis (singer)
* Hollis (name)
Places
* Hollis, Alaska
* Hollis, Kansas
* Hollis, Maine
* Hollis, Missouri
* Hollis, New Hampshire
* Hollis, Oklahoma
* Hollis, Queens, neighborhood in New York
**Hollis (LIRR station)
H ...
*
Mason School District
Mason may refer to:
Occupations
* Mason, brick mason, or bricklayer, a craftsman who lays bricks to construct brickwork, or who lays any combination of stones, bricks, cinder blocks, or similar pieces
* Stone mason, a craftsman in the stone-cutt ...
*
Mont Vernon School District
Mont may refer to:
Places
* Mont., an abbreviation for Montana, a U.S. state
* Mont, Belgium (disambiguation), several places in Belgium
* Mont, Hautes-Pyrénées, a commune in France
* Mont, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, a commune in France
* Mont, Sa ...
*
New Boston School District
New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created.
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz
Albums and EPs
* ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013
* ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...
*
Weare School District
Weare is a town in Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 9,092 at the 2020 census. It is close to two important New Hampshire cities, Manchester and Concord.
History
It was granted to veterans of the Canad ...
Previously Bedford sent high school students to the Manchester School District.
See also
*
References
External links
Hillsborough County web site*
ttps://web.archive.org/web/20070125111924/http://www.hcsonh.us/ Hillsborough County Sheriff OfficeHistorical material in ''Statistics and Gazetteer of New Hampshire'' (1875)
{{coord, 42.92, -71.72, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-NH_source:UScensus1990
Counties in Greater Boston
1769 establishments in New Hampshire
Populated places established in 1769