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Moving to
Derry.
Derry is an unincorporated community in Rockingham County, NH. It has no city government: the county runs it, and the Census counts it as its own place.
What it's like to live in Derry
Derry is an unincorporated community in New Hampshire with county unemployment below the national average, household incomes running above the national average, crime rates well below the national average, and air quality that stays clean most of the year. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Derry deals with commute times longer than most cities, cold winters, heavy snowfall, and fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city.
The good
- Low unemployment in the county
- Higher-than-average incomes
- Low crime rates
- Clean air
- Low student-teacher ratio
The not so good
- Above-average commute times
- Cold winters
- Heavy snowfall — 76" per year
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
- Car-dependent — few commuters use transit
How Derry compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Derry
Based on Derry's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$3,098
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $61,960 a year
- 50% of Derry renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$78,240
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $39,120
- Homes cost 4.3× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,549/mo median rent
Rent is pretty middle of the road, at $1,549 a month median. Not a bargain, not a budget-buster. About typical for a city this size. Home prices run above average, with a median around $391,200. Buyers should expect to stretch their budget here.
Median home value $391,200 · 50% of renters cost-burdened
Job market
3.4% county unemployment
Unemployment in Rockingham County is 3.4%, a little below the national average of 4.3%. That's the county-wide rate; BLS doesn't measure a place this size on its own.
Rockingham County (county-wide)
Safety▼ 56% below US
144 violent crimes per 100k
Safety is genuinely one of the selling points here. Both violent and property crime run well below the national average, the kind of numbers that fade into the background after a week of living somewhere.
Property crime 629/100k · Derry Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▲ 13% above US
29 min average commute
Commutes run about average, at 29.3 minutes. Fine day to day, but it adds up over a year, and where someone lives relative to where they work starts to matter. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 14% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are warm, with highs around 82°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 20°F. Rainfall is regular throughout the year.
Average month
30-year averages, 1991–2020
Healthcare
1 hospital
There's one Medicare-certified hospital inside city limits, rated 4.0 out of 5 by Medicare. Hospitals in neighboring towns aren't counted here.
Medicare-certified hospitals
Education & workforceNear US average
37% bachelor's degree or higher
Education levels run about average, with 37% college-educated. It's a mix of white-collar and blue-collar work, which can be an asset or a limitation depending on the field.
Schools
10 public schools inside the boundary
There are 10 public schools inside the boundary and 5 private schools. The student-to-teacher ratio is 13:1, well below the national average of 16:1. Smaller class sizes are generally a positive sign for a district.
Parks & recreation
The nearest national park or historic site is Lowell National Historical Park (16 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Derry's strongest points are county unemployment below the national average and household incomes running above the national average; the main tradeoffs are commute times longer than most cities and cold winters. A year of median rent ($1,549/mo) equals 20% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit job seekers (county-wide unemployment is low) and anyone prioritizing low crime. It may be a harder fit for anyone who doesn't drive.
Other places near Derry
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