Property Makler
Advanced analytics for residential real estate investing

Laconia, NH housing market

Housing market indicators

Indicator	2022	2023	2024	2025*	2022	2023	2024	YTD
Median Listing Price per Square Feet	$312	$323	$349	$363	23.8%	3.5%	8%	4%
Active Listing Count	151	185	166	319	49.5%	22.5%	-10.3%	92.2%
Median Days on Market	73	61	83	59	40.4%	-16.4%	36.1%	-28.9%
Share of listings with price increase	0.6%	0.6%	0.6%	0.5%
Share of listings with price decrease	8.9%	11.4%	12.9%	13.3%

* last available value

Home prices

Short term housing supply drivers

Long term housing demand drivers

Long term housing supply drivers

Note: 12M MA - 12 months moving average, Permits - New Private Housing Structures Authorized by Building Permits. Source: FRED

Housing market overview

Geographic scope of Laconia, NH Micropolitan / MSA‑like housing market

Laconia is the core city of the Laconia, NH micropolitan area, functionally serving as the housing and jobs hub for central Belknap County and parts of the Lakes Region.
Key associated housing-market towns: Laconia, Gilford, Belmont, Meredith, Tilton, Sanbornton, and smaller rural towns around Lake Winnipesaukee and Lake Winnisquam.
Core geographic sub‑areas: Lakefront (Winnipesaukee, Winnisquam, Opechee, Paugus Bay), in‑town Laconia, suburban Gilford/Belmont, resort/second‑home Meredith area, I‑93 corridor (Tilton, Sanbornton).

Area	City/town	Population	Density	Income	Quality of Schools	Crime level	Property tax (%)	Comments
Core city	Laconia	≈17,000	≈340 / sq km (≈880 / sq mi)	Medium (median HH ≈$68k, average ≈$95k)	Average public schools, some variation by neighborhood	Moderate for NH; higher than surrounding small towns but below many U.S. cities	Effective ≈1.7–2.1% of home value (city + county + state school portions)	County seat, most services, mix of older housing stock and small multifamily; limited but real infill and rehab activity
Suburban / lake‑adjacent	Gilford	≈7,500	Low–medium	Medium–high (above Laconia; strong second‑home and retiree presence)	Above‑average schools by NH standards	Low	Effective ≈1.6–2.0%	Lake Winnipesaukee access, airport, ski area; single‑family zoning dominant, strong price support from amenity buyers
Suburban / commuter	Belmont	≈7,500–8,000	Low–medium	Medium (close to NH median)	Average to slightly above‑average	Low	Effective ≈1.8–2.2%	On NH‑106 / I‑93 access; typical single‑family subdivisions and mobile homes; relatively more affordable than lakeside towns
Resort / second‑home	Meredith	≈6,500–7,000	Low	High (tourism‑ and second‑home‑driven)	Average schools; high fiscal capacity from tax base	Very low	Effective ≈1.4–1.9%	Prime Winnipesaukee frontage, strong short‑term rental and luxury second‑home segment; highly supply‑constrained waterfront
Highway / outlet corridor	Tilton	≈3,700	Low–medium	Low–medium	Average	Low–moderate	Effective ≈1.8–2.3%	Exit off I‑93 with retail/outlets; mix of older homes, small multifamily, manufactured housing; relatively lower prices, more investor interest
Rural periphery	Sanbornton & small rural towns	Sanbornton ≈3,000; others smaller	Very low	Medium (household incomes near or slightly above state median)	Small‑town schools, generally acceptable but limited course breadth	Very low	Effective ≈1.5–2.0%	Acreage lots, older farmhouses, limited new subdivision activity; attractive to buyers seeking space and lower prices

Citizens: income and education

Income levels
Laconia median household income ≈$68k; average household income ≈$95k; per‑capita income ≈$46k.
Region overall skews lower‑middle to middle income compared with coastal NH and Boston suburbs, but higher incomes concentrate along Winnipesaukee and in resort towns.
Noticeable income bifurcation: service and retail workers vs higher‑income professionals, retirees, and second‑home owners.

Education
Share of adults with bachelor’s degree or higher in Laconia area below NH state average, but trending upward.
Community college presence (Lakes Region Community College) supports associate degrees, technical certificates, nursing and trades.
Many residents commute or telecommute to higher‑skill jobs elsewhere (Southern NH, Boston metro), so educational attainment is somewhat understated in local employment mix.

Key economic sectors

Health care and social assistance – hospitals, clinics, elder care, and long‑term care facilities are major employers.
Tourism, recreation, and hospitality – lakes, ski areas, marinas, bike week, seasonal events; strong seasonal employment cycles.
Retail and services – regional shopping (Tilton outlets, Laconia commercial corridors) plus local services.
Light manufacturing and trades – small shops, construction trades, building materials, marine services.
Public sector – county government (Belknap County seat), municipal services, schools.
Remote work and professional services – small but growing share of higher‑income households working remotely tied to Boston and other metros.

Housing market – supply drivers

Zoning and land use
Substantial single‑family zoning in Gilford, Meredith, Belmont and rural towns, limiting multifamily and small‑lot infill.
Laconia somewhat more open to multifamily and mixed‑use infill, but neighborhood resistance and infrastructure constraints slow approvals.
Lakefront and shoreland protections significantly limit new density near Winnipesaukee and Winnisquam, keeping waterfront supply very tight.

Regulatory strictness and permitting
Typical New Hampshire local‑control framework: each town has its own planning board, often conservative on density and large projects.
Shoreland, wetlands, and slope regulations restrict developable land, especially for high‑amenity sites.
Septic, well, and road standards make rural subdivision relatively expensive on a per‑lot basis.

Construction costs and workforce
Construction labor is tight; many contractors are busy with high‑end lakefront and second‑home projects, pushing up prices.
Materials and labor costs broadly in line with Northern New England, but higher for custom and waterfront work.
Limited large‑scale builders; most projects are small to mid‑size, slowing the rate of new supply.

Land availability
Plenty of raw land in outer rural towns, but often far from services and employment, with infrastructure costs limiting feasible density.
In and around Laconia, much of the easily developed land is already built out; new supply depends on teardown/rebuild, subdivision of larger lots, and conversion of older buildings.

Housing market – demand drivers

Migration and demographics
Net in‑migration from Southern NH, Massachusetts, and other higher‑cost New England metros, especially since the pandemic period.
Strong draw for retirees and near‑retirees seeking lower costs and lake/mountain amenities.
Some out‑migration of younger adults seeking higher wages and more diverse job markets, partially offset by remote workers moving in.

Growing / declining economic drivers of housing demand
Growing: health care, elder care, and assisted living – supports steady demand for workforce and senior housing.
Growing: tourism and second‑home segment – especially lakefront, short‑term rentals, and resort‑adjacent properties.
Growing: remote‑work households bringing external income streams; they tend to bid up prices in amenity‑rich areas.
Stagnant to slow‑growing: local retail and low‑wage service employment; does not create strong incremental buying power but sustains rental demand.

Key challenges in the housing market

Affordability pressure on local workers as prices and rents track demand from higher‑income in‑migrants and second‑home buyers.
Limited multifamily and “missing middle” housing due to zoning, neighborhood opposition, and financing hurdles for small projects.
Seasonal use and short‑term rentals removing units from year‑round supply in Meredith, Gilford, and lakefront Laconia.
Ageing housing stock in Laconia and older mill neighborhoods, with capital needs that can be hard to finance for lower‑income owners.
Transportation constraints for outer rural towns: car dependence and rising commuting costs limit how far some buyers can move for cheaper housing.
Construction‑capacity bottlenecks – local builders already busy, making it hard to ramp up production quickly even if zoning allowed.

Investment potential by area

Area	Appreciation potential	Risk	Key drivers
Laconia (in‑town neighborhoods)	Medium–high	Medium	Limited infill land, improving downtown, steady rental demand, some crime and school‑quality concerns; upside from renovation and small multifamily.
Laconia lake‑adjacent (Winnisquam, Opechee, Paugus Bay)	High	Medium	Scarce waterfront and near‑water parcels, strong second‑home and STR demand, long‑term amenity value; regulatory limits protect scarcity but add entitlement risk.
Gilford	High	Low–medium	Desirable schools, lake and ski access, strong second‑home and retiree demand; predominantly single‑family, constrained new supply.
Meredith (lakefront and village)	Very high	Medium	Premier Winnipesaukee location, national‑caliber second‑home market, tourism strength; prices already high, sensitivity to discretionary‑income cycles.
Belmont	Medium	Medium	More affordable entry point, commuter access; appreciation tied to regional wage growth and potential zoning reforms enabling more density.
Tilton (I‑93 corridor)	Medium	Medium–high	Retail and highway access, investor interest in value‑add and small multifamily; exposure to retail sector shifts and tenant‑quality risk.
Rural periphery (Sanbornton and smaller towns)	Low–medium	Low	Land and homes relatively cheap, appeal to buyers seeking space; slower liquidity, appreciation reliant on broader migration into rural New Hampshire.
Short‑term rental–oriented lakefront (across towns)	High (long‑term)	High	Very strong amenity and STR demand but policy risk from potential STR restrictions; highly cyclical with tourism and interest‑rate environment.