Town guide

Dorchester, New Hampshire

Dorchester is a town in Grafton County, New Hampshire, home to about 410 people across 45 square miles. It has no ZIP code of its own: it’s part of 03266.

Homes sold for a median of $251 per square foot in the three months ending August 2026, a buyer’s market.

Population4109 per sq mi
Median home value$139,600Census, as estimated by owners
Price per sq ft$251Sold homes, 3 months to August 2026
Sold over asking14%Latest 3 months

ZIP codes in Dorchester

1 ZIP code, 1 shared with neighboring towns

Each card is that ZIP code’s whole market, including any part outside Dorchester. Seller’s market: under 4 months of supply; buyer’s market: over 6. Methodology

The Dorchester guide is on the way

We’re writing up Dorchester’s story and what everyday life there is like, for people thinking about moving in.

  • History
  • What it’s like to live there
  • Getting around
  • Things to do

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Around Dorchester

Distances

Nearest major airportPortland International Jetport (PWM)78 miles away
Closer regional airportLebanon Municipal Airport (LEB)26 miles away
Nearest city of 250,000+Boston, MA110 miles away
Nearest city of 1 million+New York, NY242 miles away

Straight-line distances from the center of Dorchester; driving is longer.

Source: Airports from OurAirports (scheduled passenger service); city centers and populations from the U.S. Census Bureau.

Who represents Dorchester

Source: Members of Congress from the congress-legislators project; districts from the Census Bureau’s relationship files; governor and mayor from Wikidata.

Population over time

Dorchester had 339 residents in the 2020 census, down 4% since 2000.

It’s the 223rd largest of 242 towns in New Hampshire by population.

Grafton County grew from 40,844 residents in 1900 to 91,118 in 2020.

Dorchester population by census2000: 353, 2010: 355, 2020: 339353200035520103392020

Grafton County, 1900–2020

Grafton County population, 1900 to 20201900: 40,844, 1910: 41,652, 1920: 40,572, 1930: 42,816, 1940: 44,645, 1950: 47,923, 1960: 48,857, 1970: 54,914, 1980: 65,806, 1990: 74,929, 2000: 81,743, 2010: 89,118, 2020: 91,11841K’00’1041K’20’3045K’40’5049K’60’7066K’80’9082K’00’1091K’20

Source: U.S. Census Bureau decennial censuses (counties 1900–1990 from the Bureau’s historical county file).

Weather by month

Average highs peak around 82°F in summer, and winter lows average 7°F. About 43.1 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year, with about 77 inches of snow.

Average high and low temperature and precipitation by month near DorchesterJan: high 29°F, low 7°F, 2.8 in; Feb: high 33°F, low 8°F, 2.3 in; Mar: high 42°F, low 17°F, 3 in; Apr: high 56°F, low 29°F, 3.4 in; May: high 68°F, low 40°F, 3.6 in; Jun: high 77°F, low 50°F, 4.1 in; Jul: high 82°F, low 55°F, 4.6 in; Aug: high 81°F, low 53°F, 3.9 in; Sep: high 73°F, low 46°F, 3.6 in; Oct: high 59°F, low 35°F, 4.7 in; Nov: high 46°F, low 25°F, 3.5 in; Dec: high 35°F, low 16°F, 3.6 in29°7°Jan2.833°8°Feb2.342°17°Mar3.056°29°Apr3.468°40°May3.677°50°Jun4.182°55°Jul4.681°53°Aug3.973°46°Sep3.659°35°Oct4.746°25°Nov3.535°16°Dec3.6Rain and melted snow, inches

Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Wentworth, NH weather station (5 miles away).

Jobs in Grafton County

54,232 jobs at 2,920 businesses in Grafton County. The biggest industries by employees:

Largest industries in Grafton CountyHealth care and social assistance: 13,764 jobs; Educational services: 9,876 jobs; Retail trade: 7,206 jobs; Hotels and restaurants: 5,591 jobs; Manufacturing: 5,360 jobs; Professional services: 1,974 jobs; Arts, entertainment and recreation: 1,813 jobs; Construction: 1,666 jobsHealth care and social assistance 25% Educational services 18% Retail trade 13% Hotels and restaurants 10% Manufacturing 10% Professional services 4% Arts, entertainment and recreation 3% Construction 3%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau County Business Patterns 2023 (private employers; jobs counted where people work).

Health care

3 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Dorchester.

Nearest hospitals

  • Speare Memorial HospitalCritical access hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 3 of 5 · Plymouth8.3 miles
  • Mary Hitchcock Memorial HospitalGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 3 of 5 · Lebanon23.1 miles
  • Alice Peck Day Memorial HospitalCritical access hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 4 of 5 · Lebanon23.7 miles

Providers with an office here

Mental health providers2
Physical and occupational therapists1

Source: Hospitals from CMS Hospital General Information (ratings are CMS overall star ratings); straight-line distances; providers from the CMS National Plan and Provider Enumeration System (NPPES), by practice address and primary specialty.

Places in and around Dorchester

Parks (4 nearby)

  • Jim Darling Natural Area · 23 acres1.0 mi
  • Plummers Ledge Natural Area · 4 acres2.8 mi
  • Polar Caves Park3.7 mi

Grocery stores

  • Walmart Supercenter5.8 mi
  • Market Basket6.6 mi
  • Hannaford7.0 mi

Pharmacies

  • CVS Pharmacy6.7 mi

Libraries (1 nearby)

  • Byron G. Merrill Library1.7 mi

Museums

  • Museum of the White Mountains8.4 mi

Counts are within about 4.5 miles of the center of town.

Source: Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors (openstreetmap.org/copyright), as mapped by volunteers; it can miss places or include closed ones.

Schools in Dorchester

Public schools here are run by Rumney School District. Check each district’s attendance zones for a specific address.

Public schools (1)
SchoolGradesStudentsTypeDistance
Russell Elementary SchoolRumneyK–884Public2.0 mi

Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.

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Where Dorchester is

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Towns near Dorchester

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Shares ZIP codes with Rumney and Groton.

Town boundaries don’t always match ZIP codes: a ZIP code can cross into neighboring towns, and a town can share a ZIP code with its neighbors. Facts describe the town itself; market figures describe whole ZIP codes.