The constituent state of New Hampshire is one of the 13 original states, located in the New England region, at the extreme northeastern point of the U.S. Commonly referred to as the Granite State due to the vast granite formations and quarries dotted around the state.
New Hampshire has adopted more nicknames over the years; however, Mother of the River, the White Mountain State, and Switzerland of America are the most common three. All of these names hold extreme relevance and were adopted to best describe the state, which they do a good job of!
Full of natural beauty, incredible mountain ranges, and expansive, open forests, there is a plethora of outdoor things to do and hundreds of places to see in New Hampshire, whether you are visiting the state for vacation purposes, to eventually call it your new home, or for business reasons.
On the topic of business, if you would like to skip over to our New Hampshire business and economics fact section of this page, feel free to do so.
17 Awesome New Hampshire Facts – Complete List
1. The Robin Williams hit movie, Jumanji was filmed in Keene, New Hampshire.
2. In 2008, Funspot, located in Laconia, New Hampshire, was considered to be the largest arcade in the world by the Guinness World Records and is home to over 600 different games – Wow!
3. Despite popular belief, the first American astronaut to enter space in 1961 was in fact Alan Shepard, who was born and raised in Derry, New Hampshire.
4. New Hampshire’s motto has grabbed a lot of attention over the years for its, well, firey motto, “Live Free or Die”. This quote was derived from a New Hampshire resident and Revolutionary War vet John Stark, the full quote is, “Live free or die. Death is not the worst of evils.”
5. New Hampshire, like the 49 other states, has a two-letter postal abbreviation, which is used to identify the state when sending letters or packages to New Hampshire. Or, alternatively, when you want to find a specific address in New Hampshire. The postal abbreviation for New Hampshire is simple to follow, consisting of the first letters of both words, “NH”.
6. Out of all the U.S. states fortunate to have their own coastlines, New Hampshire’s is the shortest, with a shoreline stretching only around 18 miles.
7. The maximum speed limit you can legally travel on specific roads in New Hampshire is 70 mph.
8. All the way back in 1719, the Scottish/Irish settlers grew some of America’s first potatoes in Derry, NH. Funnily enough, this was obviously a monumental moment within the state as the white potato is New Hampshire’s official state vegetable.
9. New Hampshire is the only state crazy enough to deem wearing a seatbelt as “not mandatory”. This doesn’t seem right!
10. Located on the eastern side of New Hampshire, and also bordering the neighboring state of Maine, is the jaw-droppingly beautiful White Mountain National Forest.
Economic New Hampshire Interesting Facts
There is plenty to consider when taking a look at the business and economic New Hampshire interesting facts as there is a lot to dissect. Some have perceived New Hampshire as having a weak economy when compared with other states, however, this is not the reality, there is much to uncover with New Hampshire’s business climate and economic strength!
If you would like to learn how to register a business in New Hampshire so you can start your entrepreneurial journey, we have created a checklist walking you through the process.
Over the years New Hampshire’s popularity has gained traction, with many business owners, investors, and entrepreneurs deciding to call NH their new home.
When you compare the state GDP, median income, and college education system with the population and the state’s cost of living, New Hampshire has one of the most perfect business and economic environments in the entire country and has been voted by US News & World Report as having the second-best economy in the U.S.
Here is our List of Economic Facts about New Hampshire
- New Hampshire’s GDP is around $81 billion!
- New Hampshire is one of nine states to have no income tax.
- New Hampshire boasts one of the best education systems out of all 50 states, with over 47% of the population being college-educated.
- According to US News & World Report, New Hampshire has the second-best economic opportunity and equality.
- New Hampshire’s crime and corrections are the best and most successful in the nation (US News & World Report).
- New Hampshire also has ranked 4th for its natural environment, which takes into consideration things such as air and water quality, and pollution.
- New Hampshire’s employment ranking is extremely high too, with the unemployment rate being extremely low within the state.
- Healthcare access is very good in New Hampshire too, with many fantastic healthcare facilities.
- Wallethub has positioned New Hampshire 5th for its economic innovation rank.
- The minimum wage in New Hampshire is $7.25 per hour.
- Smart Manufacturing/High Technology (SMHT) is the largest and most significant contributor to the state’s economy.
- The median income in New Hampshire is $38,237.
- The average house price in New Hampshire is $287,015, however, this number is seasonally adjusted. To see the latest house prices in New Hampshire, take a look at Zillow’s website.
- Small businesses are quickly taking over the country, for the better! New Hampshire’s number of small businesses is rising each year, there are currently over 136,000 small businesses.
- Small businesses account for over 99% of all New Hampshire businesses.
- There are over 300,000 small business employees in New Hampshire.
- The number of small business employees make up over 49% of all employees in the state.
- New Hampshire is home to over 2,239 small business exporters.
- There is no sales tax in New Hampshire, meaning that the base sales tax rate is 0%!
- The corporate income tax rate in New Hampshire is 7.7% (flat rate).
All of these economic facts about New Hampshire provide many compelling reasons why people decide to move to the state for business and work opportunities, and it’s difficult to argue with any of them!
6 More Fun Facts of New Hampshire
Here are the remaining fun facts of New Hampshire:
11. New Hampshire was named after the English county called Hampshire in 1629, situated on the southern coast of England.
12. The largest city in the state in terms of population is Manchester, named after, you guessed it, the Northern English city of Manchester. With a population of over 112,000 Manchester, NH is the only city within the state with over 100,000 residents. Also, Manchester isn’t the capital of the state, that title belongs to the city of Concord.
14. The world-famous poem, “Mary Had a Little Lamb” was written by Saraj Josepha Hale of New Hampshire.
15. The nation’s first-ever documented serial killer, H.H. Holmes, was born in Gilmanton, New Hampshire during 1861. This chilling fact comes with some serious irony, due to the state having the best crimes and corrections in the entire country!
16. Located in Concord, New Hampshire you can find Nonni’s Italian Eatery. This famous restaurant holds the record for making the world’s largest meatball, weighing in at 222.5 pounds!
17. Located in Mystery Hill, New Hampshire, you can find “America’s Stonehenge“.
Thanks for taking a look at our 17+ interesting facts about New Hampshire! If you have some facts and fun information regarding New Hampshire’s past and present that we have not covered, make sure to comment below.
