What it's like to live in Keene
Keene is a small city in New Hampshire with home prices that remain within reach, unemployment below the national average, crime rates well below the national average, and commutes that run shorter than most cities. Those factors carry real weight for anyone weighing where to move next.
The tradeoffs are worth naming plainly. Keene deals with cold, harsh winters, snowy winters, and fewer dining and entertainment options than a bigger city.
The good
- Affordable home prices
- Low unemployment
- Low crime rates
- Short commutes
- Clean air
- Highly educated workforce
The not so good
- Cold, harsh winters
- Snowy winters — 60" per year
- Smaller place — fewer dining and entertainment options
How Keene compares
Median household income
Median rent (per month)
Median home value
What it takes to move to Keene
Based on Keene's median rent, home value and household income
To rent
$2,684
up front: first month plus a typical one-month deposit
- Income to keep rent under 30%: $53,680 a year
- 43% of Keene renters spend 30% or more of their income on rent
To buy
$50,500
a 20% down payment on the median home
- With 10% down: $25,250
- Homes cost 3.2× the typical local household income (US: 4.1×)
Moving costs, closing costs and taxes not included.
The details
Cost of livingNear US average
$1,342/mo median rent
Cost of living works in this city's favor. Median rent sits around $1,342 a month, nothing that raises eyebrows. Solid value overall. Home prices are reasonable, with a median around $252,500. Not a steal, but not intimidating either.
Median home value $252,500 · 43% of renters cost-burdened
Job market▼ 33% below US
2.9% unemployment
Unemployment here is 2.9%, a little below the national average of 4.3%.
City-level (BLS)
Safety▼ 56% below US
143 violent crimes per 100k
Pretty safe, all things considered. Violent crime sits below the national average, nothing alarming, just ordinary city-life awareness.
Property crime 2114/100k · Keene Police Department · 2025 data
Getting around▼ 34% below US
17 min average commute
Commutes run short here, averaging 17.2 minutes. That's an underrated perk of living in a smaller or well-planned city, where time isn't lost sitting in traffic. 8 in 10 workers drive to work; 16% work from home.
How workers get to work
Climate
Summers are comfortable, with highs around 80°F, and winters are cold and harsh, with lows dropping to 13°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 & workforce▲ 23% above US
44% bachelor's degree or higher
The population is well-educated, with 44% holding college degrees. That points to a strong professional base and generally a healthy local economy.
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 11:1, 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 Saint-Gaudens National Historical Park (38 miles away). There are 8 national parks and sites within a day's drive.
Bottom line
Keene's strongest points are home prices that remain within reach and unemployment below the national average; the main tradeoffs are cold, harsh winters and snowy winters. A year of median rent ($1,342/mo) equals 21% of the median household income here, about the same as the 21% typical nationwide. It tends to suit job seekers, anyone prioritizing low crime, and remote workers (16% of workers here already work from home). It may be a harder fit for anyone who dislikes long, cold winters.
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