New Hampshire Cities by Population 2026

New Hampshire’s local governance includes 10 counties and 234 incorporated municipalities, with a unique reliance on town governance rather than city-based structures. Counties handle broad services, but towns and cities operate as New Hampshire’s main governing bodies.

Manchester, New Hampshire’s largest city, operates under a mayor-alderman form of government, where the mayor oversees city departments like public safety and public works, and the Board of Aldermen manages legislation and budgeting. This setup provides Manchester with executive control, enabling the city to manage its services effectively.

In smaller towns, such as Concord and Dover, New Hampshire frequently uses the council-manager or town meeting model. In the town meeting model, residents gather to vote directly on policies and budgets, embodying New Hampshire’s tradition of local control and direct democracy.

New Hampshire counties, particularly in rural areas like Coös County and Grafton County, oversee unincorporated regions and provide services like law enforcement, public health, and emergency management. County commissioners manage these services, ensuring that sparsely populated areas receive essential support despite lacking formal town governance.

The town meeting system is prevalent in rural and suburban areas, where residents vote on town budgets, ordinances, and major projects. This participatory approach gives residents significant control over local decisions, with town select boards or councils implementing policies between meetings.

Unincorporated areas in New Hampshire are rare, as the majority of the state’s land is organized into towns. However, counties provide essential services to any unincorporated areas, coordinating with nearby towns to ensure seamless service provision.

New Hampshire’s regional planning commissions work with towns and counties to address regional issues like transportation, environmental protection, and land use, fostering cooperation on issues that impact multiple municipalities.