Hillsborough County New Hampshire

The textile mills of Manchester, New Hampshire once provided cotton and wool for a good part of the world. Today the red-brick mills on Canal Street still bustle with activity -- small businesses, artists' studios, and a college. Manchester, the hub of Hillsborough County, has reinvented itself more than once, and is now a thriving city with new and established businesses.

Make that a double: Nashua, NH, the "Gateway City," is also a center for business and industry. And between the two, several traditional New England small towns offer family fun and affordable New Hampshire real estate. Hillsborough County, New Hampshire, is the best of several worlds.

Manchester, population 107,219 as of the 2000 census, is the largest city in New Hampshire, as well as the largest in Northern New England, and a center for commerce, sports and culture. Professional teams for baseball, arena football and hockey delight fans, while the Verizon Wireless Arena hosts everything from national acts to high school graduations. The Center of New Hampshire, on Elm Street, is a convention hub. A lively arts scene includes the Palace Theater on Hanover Street, and the recently-remodeled Currier Gallery on Orange Street.

French-Canadians worked the mills, and helped the original Yankee settlers build the city into what it is today. Along the way, Italians, Greeks and the Irish added their flavor to what would be known as the "Queen City." Hispanics came in the latter part of the 20th century. In recent years, Manchester "held up the torch" for newcomers from Eastern Europe, Southeast Asia and Africa. Twenty-five different languages are spoken by various students at Central High School, and they and their families have added their spice to an already-rich cultural stew.

Nashua, also a mill city, reinvented itself after the textile business literally went south. Today it is home to BAE Systems, Hewlett-Packard and other high-tech industries, and is part of the Boston high-tech "corridor." A new River Walk is helping to revive the downtown area.

The county also offers plenty of choices, including prime New Hampshire real estate, even for those who seek a quieter lifestyle. Goffstown has a small-town feel, with funky shops on Main Street and festivals to bring the community together. Hancock, Mason and Wilton are postcard-pretty, and Peterborough, to the far west of the county, has a strong arts community and has been called the "Portsmouth of the West." On a weekend, county residents can climb Mt. Monadnock (2,290 feet) or visit the Anheuser-Busch brewery in Merrimack (free samples and the Clydesdales).

In the 2000 census, the median income for a Hillsborough County household was $53,384. The median income for a family was $62,363. The per capita income for the county was $25,198. About 4.30 percent of families and 6.30 percent of the population were below the poverty line.

There's a place for everyone in Hillsborough County, whether it's an urban condo, antique farmhouse, or new construction near good schools. A Prudential Verani Realtor® is available to help you find a home, or a home for your business.