Demographics

As of the census

Census

A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...

of 2000, there were 277,359 people, 104,529 households, and 74,320 families residing in the county. The population density

Population density

Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 was 399 people per square mile (154/km²). There were 113,023 housing units at an average density of 163 per square mile (63/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 96.80% White

Race (United States Census)

Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 0.58% Black

Race (United States Census)

Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

 or African American

Race (United States Census)

Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 0.18% Native American

Race (United States Census)

Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 1.11% Asian

Race (United States Census)

Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 0.04% Pacific Islander

Race (United States Census)

Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, 0.38% from other races

Race (United States Census)

Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

, and 0.92% from two or more races. 1.19% of the population were Hispanic

Race (United States Census)

Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

 or Latino

Race (United States Census)

Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...

 of any race. 18.1% were of Irish

Irish people

The Irish people are an ethnic group who originate in Ireland, an island in northwestern Europe. Ireland has been populated for around 9,000 years , with the Irish people's earliest ancestors recorded having legends of being descended from groups such as the Nemedians, Fomorians, Fir Bolg, Tuatha...

, 14.6% English

English people

The English are a nation and ethnic group native to England, who speak English. The English identity is of early mediaeval origin, when they were known in Old English as the Anglecynn. England is now a country of the United Kingdom, and the majority of English people in England are British Citizens...

, 11.8% Italian

Italian people

The Italian people are an ethnic group that share a common Italian culture, ancestry and speak the Italian language as a mother tongue. Within Italy, Italians are defined by citizenship, regardless of ancestry or country of residence , and are distinguished from people...

, 10.5% French

French people

The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...

, 8.0% French Canadian

French Canadian

French Canadian or Francophone Canadian, , generally refers to the descendents of French colonists who arrived in New France in the 17th and 18th centuries...

, 6.0% German and 5.6% American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 ancestry according to Census 2000. 94.3% spoke English

English language

English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...

, 1.8% French

French language

French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...

 and 1.3% Spanish

Spanish language

Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...

 as their first language.

There were 104,529 households out of which 35.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 59.50% were married couples

Marriage

Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...

 living together, 8.20% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.90% were non-families. 22.00% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.00% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.11.

In the county the population was spread out with 26.40% under the age of 18, 6.20% from 18 to 24, 32.80% from 25 to 44, 24.40% from 45 to 64, and 10.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 97.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 95.40 males.

The median income for a household in the county was $58,150, and the median income for a family was $66,345. (These figures had risen to $72,600 and $85,361 respectively, as of a 2007 estimate.) Males had a median income of $45,598 versus $30,741 for females. The per capita income

Per capita income

Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...

 for the county was $26,656. About 3.10% of families and 4.50% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.00% of those under age 18 and 6.40% of those age 65 or over.

Cities and towns

There are 37 communities in Rockingham County - 36 towns and the City of Portsmouth:

City/Town	Population Population A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...  (2000)	Population Ranking	Land Area km²	Area Ranking	Density Population density Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...  /km²	Density Ranking
Atkinson Atkinson, New Hampshire Atkinson is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 6,751 at the 2010 census.- History :Atkinson has a rich history, dating back to the American Revolution...	6,178	14	28.8	28	214.3	11
Auburn Auburn, New Hampshire Auburn is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4,953 at the 2010 census. The town was called by WMUR News 9 as number one of "New Hampshire's Most Beautiful Towns" in July 2010. It was also named 18 in The New York Times' "Top 200 Towns To Raise a Family."-...	4,682	19	65.3	11	71.7	26
Brentwood Brentwood, New Hampshire Brentwood is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 4,486. Brentwood has been the county seat of Rockingham County since 1997...	3,197	30	43.6	16	73.4	25
Candia Candia, New Hampshire Candia is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 3,909 at the 2010 census. The town includes the villages of Candia, Candia Four Corners and East Candia.-History:...	3,911	23	78.5	5	49.8	31
Chester Chester, New Hampshire Chester is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4,768 at the 2010 census. It is home to Chester College .-History:Incorporated in 1722, Chester once included Candia, set off in 1763...	3,792	24	67.1	10	56.5	37
Danville Danville, New Hampshire Danville is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4,387 at the 2010 census. Danville is part of the Timberlane Regional School District, with students attending Danville Elementary School, Timberlane Regional Middle School, and Timberlane Regional High...	4,023	22	30.3	27	132.6	18
Deerfield Deerfield, New Hampshire Deerfield is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4,280 at the 2010 census. Deerfield is home to the annual Deerfield Fair.- History :...	3,678	26	131.9	1	27.9	36
Derry Derry, New Hampshire -Climate:-Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there were 33,109 people, 12,537 households, and 8,767 families residing in the town. The population density was 924.8 people per square mile . There were 13,277 housing units at an average density of 143.2/km²...	34,021	1	92.7	4	367.0	4
East Kingston East Kingston, New Hampshire East Kingston is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,357 at the 2010 census.-History:East Kingston was once a part of Kingston called Kingston East Parish, but was granted a separate charter in 1738 by Massachusetts Colonial Governor Jonathan Belcher,...	1,784	33	25.9	31	68.9	27
Epping Epping, New Hampshire Epping is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 6,411 at the 2010 census. Epping includes the area known as Camp Hedding....	5,476	16	67.4	9	32.9	34
Exeter Exeter, New Hampshire Exeter is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The town's population was 14,306 at the 2010 census. Exeter was the county seat until 1997, when county offices were moved to neighboring Brentwood...	14,058	6	50.9	13	276.4	7
Fremont Fremont, New Hampshire Fremont is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4,283 at the 2010 census. Fremont is crossed by the Rockingham Recreation Trail and NH Route 107.-History:...	3,510	28	44.4	15	79.0	24
Greenland Greenland, New Hampshire Greenland is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 3,549 at the 2010 census. It is drained by the Winnicut River and bounded on the northwest by Great Bay.- History :...	3,208	29	27.2	30	118.1	21
Hampstead Hampstead, New Hampshire Hampstead is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 8,523 at the 2010 census. Hampstead, which includes the village of East Hampstead, is home to a portion of the Rockingham Recreational Trail.- History :...	8,297	9	34.5	21	240.5	9
Hampton Hampton, New Hampshire Hampton is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 14,976 at the 2010 census. Located beside the Atlantic Ocean, Hampton is home to Hampton Beach, a summer tourist destination....	14,937	5	33.7	22	442.6	3
Hampton Falls Hampton Falls, New Hampshire Hampton Falls is a New England town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,236 at the 2010 census.-History:...	1,880	32	31.6	25	59.4	29
Kensington Kensington, New Hampshire Kensington is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 2,124 at the 2010 census.-History:Once a parish of Hampton, Kensington was incorporated in 1737 by Massachusetts Governor Jonathan Belcher, when New Hampshire was still part of that colonial province...	1,893	31	31.0	26	61.2	28
Kingston Kingston, New Hampshire Kingston is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population at the 2010 census was 6,025.- History :Kingston was the fifth town to be established in New Hampshire. Originally, it was a part of Hampton, New Hampshire...	5,862	15	50.8	14	115.4	22
Londonderry Londonderry, New Hampshire -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 23,236 people, 7,623 households, and 6,319 families residing in the town. The population density was 555.8 people per square mile . There were 7,718 housing units at an average density of 184.6 per square mile...	23,236	3	108.3	3	214.6	10
New Castle New Castle, New Hampshire New Castle is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 968 at the 2010 census. It is the smallest town in New Hampshire, and the only one located entirely on islands. It is home to Fort Constitution Historic Site, Fort Stark Historic Site, and the New Castle...	1,010	35	2.1	37	469.8	2
Newfields Newfields, New Hampshire Newfields is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 1,680 at the 2010 census. The primary village in town, where 301 people resided at the 2010 census, is defined as the Newfields census-designated place , and is located along New Hampshire Route 85 and the...	1,551	34	18.2	36	85.3	23
Newington Newington, New Hampshire Newington is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 753 at the 2010 census. It is bounded to the west by Great Bay, northwest by Little Bay and northeast by the Piscataqua River. It is home to Portsmouth International Airport at Pease , and to the New...	775	37	21.7	34	35.8	33
Newmarket Newmarket, New Hampshire Newmarket is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 8,936 at the 2010 census. Some residents are students and employees at the nearby University of New Hampshire in Durham....	8,027	10	32.5	24	247.0	8
Newton Newton, New Hampshire Newton is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4,603 at the 2010 census.- History :The sixth town to be granted from the Masonian land purchase of 1746, Newton was originally part of Salisbury, Massachusetts; later, part of Amesbury, Massachusetts; then...	4,289	20	25.7	32	167.1	13
North Hampton North Hampton, New Hampshire North Hampton is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4,301 at the 2010 census. While the majority of the town is inland, North Hampton includes a part of New Hampshire's limited Atlantic seacoast.-History:...	4,259	21	36.0	20	118.2	20
Northwood Northwood, New Hampshire Northwood is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4,241 at the 2010 census.-History:First settled in 1763, Northwood was incorporated on February 6, 1773 by Colonial Governor John Wentworth, when a large tract of land called "North Woods" was separated from...	3,640	27	72.5	7	50.2	30
Nottingham Nottingham, New Hampshire Nottingham is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4,785 at the 2010 census. It is the location of Pawtuckaway State Park.-History:...	3,701	25	120.4	2	30.8	35
Plaistow Plaistow, New Hampshire - External links :* * * * * * * *...	7,747	12	27.5	29	281.4	6
Portsmouth Portsmouth, New Hampshire Portsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire in the United States. It is the largest city but only the fourth-largest community in the county, with a population of 21,233 at the 2010 census...	20,784	4	40.4	17	514.1	1
Raymond Raymond, New Hampshire Raymond is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 10,138 at the 2010 census. Part of Pawtuckaway State Park is in the north....	9,674	8	74.5	6	129.8	19
Rye Rye, New Hampshire Rye is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 5,298 at the 2010 census.-History:The first settlement in New Hampshire, originally named Pannaway, was established in 1623 at Odiorne's Point. The first settler in Rye was William Berry...	5,182	17	32.7	23	158.5	15
Salem Salem, New Hampshire Salem is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 28,776 at the 2010 census. Salem is a marketing and distributing center north of Boston, with a major amusement attraction, Canobie Lake Park, and a large shopping mall, the Mall at Rockingham Park.- History :The...	29,115	2	64.0	12	169.9	12
Sandown Sandown, New Hampshire Sandown is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 5,986 at the 2010 census.- History :Once part of Kingston, Sandown was incorporated as a separate town in 1756 by Colonial Governor Benning Wentworth. It was named for picturesque Sandown on the Isle of Wight...	5,143	18	36.0	19	142.8	17
Seabrook Seabrook, New Hampshire Seabrook is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 8,693 at the 2010 census. Located at the southern end of the coast of New Hampshire on the border with Massachusetts, Seabrook is noted as the location of the Seabrook Nuclear Power Station, the third-most...	7,934	11	22.9	33	345.7	5
South Hampton South Hampton, New Hampshire South Hampton is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 814 at the 2010 census. South Hampton is home to Cowden State Forest and Powwow River State Forest.- History :...	844	36	20.4	35	41.4	32
Stratham Stratham, New Hampshire Stratham is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 7,255 at the 2010 census. It is bounded on the west by the Squamscott River. The town is the home of the only U.S. Lindt & Sprüngli factory and the headquarters of the Timberland Corporation.-History:Stratham...	6,355	13	39.1	18	162.4	14
Windham Windham, New Hampshire Windham is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 13,592 at the 2010 census.- History :The area was initially home to the Pawtucket Native Americans. Scottish immigrants began to settle in the area in 1719. The region was known as “Nutfield” and included what...	10,709	7	69.4	8	154.3	16
Totals:	278,362		1,800		155.0

Attractions

The Rockingham County Botanical Garden

Rockingham County Botanical Garden

The Rockingham County Botanical Garden is a botanical garden at 113B North Road, Brentwood, New Hampshire, USA. At present, the garden is open to the public only on Thursday mornings, 9 a.m. until noon, between April 1 and October 15....

 is a botanical garden

Botanical garden

A botanical garden The terms botanic and botanical, and garden or gardens are used more-or-less interchangeably, although the word botanic is generally reserved for the earlier, more traditional gardens. is a well-tended area displaying a wide range of plants labelled with their botanical names...

 located in Brentwood

Brentwood, New Hampshire

Brentwood is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. As of the 2010 census, the town had a total population of 4,486. Brentwood has been the county seat of Rockingham County since 1997...

. Strawbery Banke

Strawbery Banke

Strawbery Banke is an outdoor history museum located in the South End historic district of Portsmouth, New Hampshire. It is the oldest neighborhood in New Hampshire to be settled by Europeans, and the earliest neighborhood remaining in the present-day city of Portsmouth...

 Museum in Portsmouth

Portsmouth, New Hampshire

Portsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire in the United States. It is the largest city but only the fourth-largest community in the county, with a population of 21,233 at the 2010 census...

 is a collection of historic buildings from the seventeenth through nineteenth centuries. Canobie Lake Park

Canobie Lake Park

Canobie Lake Park is an amusement park located in Salem, New Hampshire, United States, about north of Boston, Massachusetts.-Description:Canobie Lake Park opened on August 23, 1902, as a trolley park for the Massachusetts Northeast Street Railway Company. The amusement park has opened every summer...

, located in Salem

Salem, New Hampshire

Salem is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 28,776 at the 2010 census. Salem is a marketing and distributing center north of Boston, with a major amusement attraction, Canobie Lake Park, and a large shopping mall, the Mall at Rockingham Park.- History :The...

, is an amusement park that opened in 1902. Also in Salem is Rockingham Park

Rockingham Park

Rockingham Park is a horse racing establishment in Salem, New Hampshire, in the United States. First built in 1906, it was used as an area for many to gamble on the weekends. Seabiscuit raced there in 1935 and 1936, and Mom's Command ran in her first race and gained her first victory there in...

 racetrack, which features weekly horse racing

Horse racing

Horse racing is an equestrian sport that has a long history. Archaeological records indicate that horse racing occurred in ancient Babylon, Syria, and Egypt. Both chariot and mounted horse racing were events in the ancient Greek Olympics by 648 BC...

, and America's Stonehenge

America's Stonehenge

America's Stonehenge is an archaeological site consisting of a number of large rocks and stone structures scattered around roughly within the town of Salem, New Hampshire in the northeast United States. America's Stonehenge is open to the public for a fee...

, which claims to be a pre-Columbian collection of stone structures. Derry

Derry, New Hampshire

-Climate:-Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there were 33,109 people, 12,537 households, and 8,767 families residing in the town. The population density was 924.8 people per square mile . There were 13,277 housing units at an average density of 143.2/km²...

 was home to poet Robert Frost

Robert Frost

Robert Lee Frost was an American poet. He is highly regarded for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American colloquial speech. His work frequently employed settings from rural life in New England in the early twentieth century, using them to examine complex social and...

, who taught at nearby Pinkerton Academy

Pinkerton Academy

Pinkerton Academy is a secondary school in Derry, New Hampshire. It is the largest independent academy in the United States, serving roughly 3,600 students as the high school for the communities of Derry, Hampstead, Chester and sometimes Auburn...

. His home, the Robert Frost Farm, has been preserved as a state park.

Rockingham County is also home to New Hampshire's entire seacoast and features several popular resort towns. Hampton Beach

Hampton Beach, New Hampshire

Hampton Beach is a village district, census-designated place, and beach resort within the town of Hampton, in the U.S. state of New Hampshire, located on the Atlantic Ocean. Its population at the 2010 census was 2,275. Hampton Beach is located in Rockingham County, approximately south of Portsmouth...

 has a boardwalk and Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom

Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom

Opened in 1899, the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom is a seasonal live music and comedy venue located on the boardwalk of Hampton Beach, New Hampshire. The venue is open from April to November, and within those eight months schedules upwards of 70 shows...

. The town of Rye

Rye, New Hampshire

Rye is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 5,298 at the 2010 census.-History:The first settlement in New Hampshire, originally named Pannaway, was established in 1623 at Odiorne's Point. The first settler in Rye was William Berry...

 features several undeveloped beaches such as Odiorne Point State Park

Odiorne Point State Park

Odiorne Point State Park is a New Hampshire state park located on the seacoast in Rye near Portsmouth. The location of the first settlement in New Hampshire, the point got its name from the Odiorne family, who settled on the land in the mid-1660s....

 and contains New Hampshire's portion of the Isles of Shoals

Isles of Shoals

The Isles of Shoals are a group of small islands and tidal ledges situated approximately off the east coast of the United States, straddling the border of the states of New Hampshire and Maine.- History :...

. Seabrook

Seabrook, New Hampshire

Seabrook is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 8,693 at the 2010 census. Located at the southern end of the coast of New Hampshire on the border with Massachusetts, Seabrook is noted as the location of the Seabrook Nuclear Power Station, the third-most...

 contains the Seabrook Greyhound Racing Park and the Seabrook Nuclear Power Plant, the last nuclear plant opened in the United States.

Politics

Presidential election results

Year	Democrat Democratic Party (United States) The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...	Republican Republican Party (United States) The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
2008	49.9% 83,723	48.8% 81,917
2004	47.5% 75,437	51.7% 82,069
2000	45.9% 61,628	49.1% 65,860