Grafton County Housing Prices Continue to Rise in 2026

Housing prices in Grafton County rose in early 2026, according to a March report by the New Hampshire Association of Realtors. The median price for a single-family home in New Hampshire reached $530,000 in March, marking a one percent increase since the start of the year. This is the smallest annual increase since 2023.

First-quarter data for this year shows that prices have increased 3.9% since March 2025. In Grafton County, the median sales price surged to $490,000 in March 2026, reflecting a 15.6% increase from March 2025, with year-to-date figures showing a 6.7% increase. Overall, New Hampshire Realtors’ data indicates that while month-to-month growth may be moderating, the broader trend remains upward.

In response to rising prices, the Hanover Town Council passed three zoning amendments last year to encourage denser housing. This year, three additional amendments are on the ballot, with two aimed at easing zoning restrictions and one aimed at strengthening them. Economics professor William Fischel stated that Hanover’s housing trends reflect long-standing structural constraints on housing supply rather than short-term market shifts.

Fischel noted that local zoning laws across New England have historically limited land availability for development. He mentioned that pressure from Concord has prompted localities to relax some of these laws to promote housing construction. “The backlog is large, and it is difficult to build out of conditions that have been decades in the making,” Fischel explained.

Data from the state level shows a persistent imbalance between supply and demand. While inventory increased modestly, with about 1,465 single-family homes on the market in March—representing a 13.2% increase from the previous year—overall supply remains historically low, according to the New Hampshire Realtors report. New Hampshire Realtors vice president Dave Cummings advised that short-term fluctuations at the county level should be interpreted with caution.

Cummings explained that Grafton County data “tends to be a little more volatile and wouldn’t necessarily point to a trend.” He also stated that inventory levels remain significantly below those of a balanced market, which occurs when the supply of homes for sale roughly equates to demand.