Groundwork

Market rankings · New Hampshire

Child care centers and preschools in New Hampshire

Every metro area, small-town market and county in New Hampshire, ranked by the Groundwork market score for child care centers and preschools, with competitor counts and household spending for each.

Listings
345
24 chain locations (7%)
Official establishments
447
−6.7% since 2019
Household spending a year
$395.4M
On child care and other personal services
Listings per 10k households
6.2
7% above the U.S.
Spending per listing
$1.1M
14% above the U.S.
Rank among states
#20 of 51
Market score 59 · Upper middle

A site report maps the child care centers and preschools on map listings around any address in New Hampshire by name and distance, and the spending within reach.

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Survey estimates 2020–2024 · population estimates 2025 · official business counts 2023 · map listings September 2026 · Data credits · How we measure

What this means

There are 345 child care centers and preschools on map listings in New Hampshire as of September 2026. Chain locations make up 7% of them, against 12% across the U.S. Per 10,000 households, that is 6.2, 7% above the U.S. rate of 5.8.

Household spending on child care and other personal services in New Hampshire comes to about $395.4M a year: $711 per household, 23% above the U.S. average. That is about $1.1M of household spending for each center on map listings, 14% above the U.S. figure of $1M.

In 2023, official counts showed 447 businesses with payroll in New Hampshire classed as child care services, down 6.7% from 2019. That is one for every 1,243 households, against one for every 1,573 across the U.S. Across the U.S., the count rose 5.7% over the same years. Since fiscal 2022, 29 SBA-backed loans worth $11.4M have gone to businesses classed as child care services in New Hampshire.

Among the 50 states and DC, New Hampshire ranks #20 for child care centers and preschools, with a Groundwork market score of 59 (upper middle). Of the 2 scored metro areas in or partly in New Hampshire, the Manchester-Nashua metro area scores highest (63). Of the 4 scored small-town markets in or partly in New Hampshire, the Laconia area scores highest (69).

Every market in New Hampshire for child care centers and preschools

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Numbered by Groundwork market score among the markets based in New Hampshire, highest first; the U.S. rank compares each market with every other of its kind. A metro area that crosses a state line is listed in each state it reaches, and numbered only in the state its page is under. How the score works.

Metro areas

Metro areas reaching New Hampshire, ranked for child care centers and preschools by Groundwork market score
MarketScoreListingsPer 10k householdsSpending per listingPopulation growthU.S. rank
1Manchester-Nashua, NH63995.9$1.3M+2.5%#93 of 387
Boston-Cambridge-Newton, MA-NH571,5287.9$1.1M+2.3%#146 of 387

Small-town markets

Small-town markets reaching New Hampshire, ranked for child care centers and preschools by Groundwork market score
MarketScoreListingsPer 10k householdsSpending per listingPopulation growthU.S. rank
1Laconia, NH6993.4$1.9M+2.1%#77 of 454
2Keene, NH59196.2$922K+2.3%#157 of 454
3Lebanon-Claremont, NH-VT56616.6$908K+1.5%#181 of 454
4Concord, NH55518.4$796K+2.6%#190 of 454

Counties

Counties in New Hampshire, ranked for child care centers and preschools by Groundwork market score
MarketScoreListingsPer 10k householdsSpending per listingPopulation growthU.S. rank
1Hillsborough County, NH66995.9$1.3M+2.5%#356 of 1,611
2Rockingham County, NH65907.1$1.2M+3.0%#391 of 1,611
3Belknap County, NH6493.4$1.9M+2.1%#414 of 1,611
4Strafford County, NH63326.1$1.1M+3.0%#453 of 1,611
5Carroll County, NH60136.0$1M+5.0%#538 of 1,611
6Grafton County, NH59225.9$1.1M+2.2%#567 of 1,611
7Sullivan County, NH5595.4$1M+2.1%#679 of 1,611
8Cheshire County, NH51196.2$922K+2.3%#795 of 1,611
9Merrimack County, NH47518.4$796K+2.6%#900 of 1,611
Coos County, NHNot scored10.7$5.8M+0.4%

Markets with fewer than 5 child care centers and preschools on map listings, and counties under 10,000 people, aren’t scored; they’re listed last in each table.

Questions

How many child care centers and preschools are in New Hampshire?

As of September 2026, map listings count 345 child care centers and preschools in New Hampshire. 24 of them (7%) are chain locations. The listings count day care centers and preschools. Official counts show 447 businesses with payroll classed as child care services in 2023, down 6.7% from 2019. Official counts also show 985 one-person businesses without payroll.

How much do households in New Hampshire spend on child care and other personal services?

About $395.4M a year, or $711 per household. That is 23% above the U.S. average (an index of 123, where 100 is the U.S. average). Spread across the 345 child care centers and preschools on map listings, it comes to $1.1M per center. It is estimated from the incomes of the 555,822 households in New Hampshire and national spending patterns by income.

How does New Hampshire compare with the U.S. for child care centers and preschools?

New Hampshire has 6.2 child care centers and preschools per 10,000 households, 7% above the U.S. rate of 5.8. Spending per center is $1.1M, 14% above the U.S. figure of $1M. At the U.S. ratio of child care centers and preschools to household spending, New Hampshire would have about 395, against 345 on map listings. There is one business with payroll in the industry for every 1,243 households, against one for every 1,573 across the U.S. The official count fell 6.7% from 2019 to 2023, against +5.7% for the U.S.

Which market in New Hampshire has the highest market score for child care centers and preschools?

Among 2 scored metro areas in or partly in New Hampshire, the Manchester-Nashua metro area scores highest, at 63 (upper middle). Among 4 scored small-town markets in or partly in New Hampshire, the Laconia area scores highest, at 69 (upper middle). Among 9 scored counties in New Hampshire, Hillsborough County scores highest, at 66 (upper middle). Scores compare each market with others of its kind across the U.S.

What is the Groundwork market score?

The Groundwork market score runs from 0 to 100 and compares a market with others of its kind for one business type: states with states, metro areas with metro areas, small-town markets and counties with their own. It weighs household spending per competitor (35%), households per business with payroll (25%), population growth (20%) and spending power (20%), each ranked against those peers. A higher score means that, taken together, the market has more household spending and more households for each business already there, faster population growth and more spending per household than similar markets. It describes a market, not any one site or deal. New Hampshire scores 59 for child care centers and preschools (upper middle), #20 of the 50 states and DC.

How can I see the market around a specific site?

Run a Groundwork site report on an address in New Hampshire. It maps the child care centers and preschools on map listings near the site and sizes the households and spending within the distance you choose. New accounts get 10 actions over 3 days, no card.

Child care and preschools in other states

All 51 states

Top markets for child care centers and preschools across the U.S. · All business types in New Hampshire

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This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.

Figures are estimates for research only. Not investment or real estate advice.