Town guide

Rochester, New Hampshire

Rochester is a city in Strafford County, New Hampshire, home to about 33,144 people across 45 square miles. Its ZIP codes are 03839, 03867 and 03868.

Homes sold for a median of $279 per square foot across 3 ZIP codes in the three months ending August 2026, and all of them were seller’s markets.

Population33,144736 per sq mi
Median home value$279,100Census, as estimated by owners
Price per sq ft$279Sold homes, 3 months to August 2026
Sold over asking51%Median of 3 ZIP codes

ZIP codes in Rochester

3 ZIP codes

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

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

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Around Rochester

Distances

Nearest major airportPortland International Jetport (PWM)41 miles away
Closer regional airportPortsmouth International Airport at Pease (PSM)17 miles away
Nearest city of 250,000+Boston, MA67 miles away
Nearest city of 1 million+New York, NY237 miles away

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

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

Who represents Rochester

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

Rochester had 32,492 residents in the 2020 census, up 14% since 2000.

It’s the 6th largest of 242 towns in New Hampshire by population.

Strafford County grew from 39,337 residents in 1900 to 130,889 in 2020.

Rochester population by census2000: 28,461, 2010: 29,752, 2020: 32,49228,461200029,752201032,4922020

Strafford County, 1900–2020

Strafford County population, 1900 to 20201900: 39,337, 1910: 38,951, 1920: 38,546, 1930: 38,580, 1940: 43,553, 1950: 51,567, 1960: 59,799, 1970: 70,431, 1980: 85,408, 1990: 104,233, 2000: 112,233, 2010: 123,143, 2020: 130,88939K’00’1039K’20’3044K’40’5060K’60’7085K’80’90112K’00’10131K’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 15°F. About 41.2 inches of rain and melted snow fall in a typical year.

Average high and low temperature and precipitation by month near RochesterJan: high 33°F, low 15°F, 2.5 in; Feb: high 35°F, low 17°F, 2.2 in; Mar: high 44°F, low 25°F, 3.7 in; Apr: high 57°F, low 35°F, 3.7 in; May: high 67°F, low 45°F, 3.5 in; Jun: high 77°F, low 54°F, 3.9 in; Jul: high 82°F, low 60°F, 3.5 in; Aug: high 81°F, low 58°F, 3.2 in; Sep: high 73°F, low 50°F, 3.4 in; Oct: high 60°F, low 39°F, 4.4 in; Nov: high 48°F, low 31°F, 3.9 in; Dec: high 37°F, low 22°F, 3.3 in33°15°Jan2.535°17°Feb2.244°25°Mar3.757°35°Apr3.767°45°May3.577°54°Jun3.982°60°Jul3.581°58°Aug3.273°50°Sep3.460°39°Oct4.448°31°Nov3.937°22°Dec3.3Rain and melted snow, inches

Source: NOAA 1991–2020 climate normals, Rochester Skyhaven Ap, NH weather station (3 miles away).

Jobs in Strafford County

39,697 jobs at 2,729 businesses in Strafford County. The biggest industries by employees:

Largest industries in Strafford CountyRetail trade: 7,277 jobs; Health care and social assistance: 7,247 jobs; Hotels and restaurants: 4,667 jobs; Manufacturing: 4,405 jobs; Finance and insurance: 3,756 jobs; Construction: 1,944 jobs; Professional services: 1,789 jobs; Administrative and support: 1,641 jobsRetail trade 18% Health care and social assistance 18% Hotels and restaurants 12% Manufacturing 11% Finance and insurance 10% Construction 5% Professional services 5% Administrative and support 4%

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

Health care

298 doctors and other health care providers list an office in Rochester’s ZIP codes.

Nearest hospitals

  • Frisbie Memorial HospitalGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 3 of 5 · RochesterUnder a mile
  • Wentworth-Douglass HospitalGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 4 of 5 · Dover7.7 miles
  • Portsmouth Regional HospitalGeneral hospital · emergency room · CMS rating 3 of 5 · Portsmouth18.7 miles

Providers with an office here

Primary care doctors16
Specialist doctors47
Dentists27
Nurse practitioners and physician assistants46
Mental health providers95
Physical and occupational therapists51
Optometrists10
Chiropractors6
Pharmacies9

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 Rochester

Parks (10 nearby)

  • Squamanagonic Recreation Area · 48 acres2.7 mi
  • Dominicus Hanson Pines · 31 acres1.0 mi
  • Monsignor Gilles Simard Field · 15 acres1.0 mi
  • Riverside Park · 7 acres1.2 mi
  • Baxter Lake Boat Access Facility · 5 acres3.7 mi
  • Rochester Common · 5 acres0.1 mi

Grocery stores (5 nearby)

  • Hannaford1.4 mi
  • Hannaford1.5 mi
  • Market Basket2.9 mi
  • Market Basket2.9 mi

Pharmacies (3 nearby)

  • Walgreens0.1 mi
  • CVS Pharmacy1.4 mi
  • Walmart Pharmacy3.2 mi

Libraries (2 nearby)

  • Rochester Public Library0.3 mi
  • East Rochester Public Library2.8 mi

Museums (1 nearby)

  • Rochester Historical Society0.4 mi

Theaters and performance venues (1 nearby)

  • Gazebo / Bandstand0.1 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.

Colleges, teams and notable people

Established in 1749.

Notable people born here

  • James Foley (1973) · American journalist
  • Lyndon LaRouche (1922) · American political activist (1922–2019)
  • Charles Francis Hall (1821) · American arctic explorer (1821–1871)
  • Wilfred Hudson Osgood (1875) · American zoologist (1875-1947)
  • Avram Glazer (1960) · American businessman (born 1960)
  • John P. Hale (1806) · American politician (1806-1873)
  • Casey DeSmith (1991) · American hockey player

Source: Wikidata (wikidata.org), the free knowledge base; people are listed by place of birth.

Schools in Rochester

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

Public schools (10)
SchoolGradesStudentsTypeDistance
East Rochester SchoolE. RochesterPre-K–5300Public2.3 mi
Chamberlain Street SchoolRochesterK–5316Public0.7 mi
Gonic SchoolGonicK–5211Public1.7 mi
Maple Street Magnet SchoolRochesterK–5114Public0.7 mi
McClelland SchoolRochesterK–5310Public0.9 mi
School Street SchoolRochesterK–450Public0.5 mi
William Allen SchoolRochesterK–5280Public0.3 mi
Rochester Middle SchoolRochester6–8803Public1.1 mi
Bud Carlson AcademyRochester9–1296Public1.2 mi
Spaulding High SchoolRochester9–121,298Public1.0 mi
Private schools (2)
SchoolGradesStudentsAffiliationDistance
Monarch School of New EnglandRochester1–1263Nonsectarian1.4 mi
St Charles SchoolRochester1–721Nonsectarian0.1 mi

Source: U.S. Department of Education, NCES: Common Core of Data (2024-2025) for public schools; Private School Universe Survey (2023-2024) for private schools. Listed by address; we don’t rate schools.

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Where Rochester is

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Towns near Rochester

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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.