Living in Concord, New Hampshire: Why Families Stay

From beaches to 4,000-foot mountains to lakeside trails, Concord puts more of New Hampshire within reach than most people realize.

Sometimes a place surprises you. That's exactly what happened to Chris Powles, our Director of Sales here at Hvizda Realty Group. 

Chris originally grew up in the Cleveland area. His wife is from Portland, Maine. They'd lived in a few different places around the country before a job opportunity brought them to Concord. The plan, at first, was to treat it as a landing spot and eventually move over to Portland. Then a few years passed. And they were still here. And they had no desire to leave.

We asked Chris to share why. What he described wasn't just a neighborhood he liked or a commute that worked out. It was something bigger: Concord as a launchpad. A home base that gives your family access to everything New Hampshire has to offer, without the long drives, the resort town prices, or the crowds.

If you've been wondering whether Concord, New Hampshire, is the right place to put down roots, this one's worth reading.

The beach is an hour away. New Hampshire only has 18 miles of coastline, but those 18 miles are packed with some of the best beach days in New England. From Concord, you're about an hour from several options.

Chris's family loves Wallis Sands State Beach in Rye for its clean facilities, easy parking, and concession stand. It's a paid lot, but the convenience makes it worth it for a family. Hampton Beach State Park is another favorite, a little farther from the parking lot, but perfect now that the kids are older. 

Their go-to move: head down on a Sunday afternoon after the crowds thin out, spend a few hours on the sand, grab lunch or dinner, and be back home before dark.

"While you are living in the capital of New Hampshire, you are minutes away from completely rural, undeveloped terrain. It’s a beautiful weaving of the city and the natural world."

4,000-foot mountains within 45 minutes. Concord sits surrounded by green spaces intentionally left wild. There are hiking trails right inside the city limits, including Marjory Swope Park and Oak Hill, two of Chris's family favorites. From the top of Marjory Swope, you can look out and see the dome of the State Capitol building sitting amongst the trees, with no visible city around it. For a place that is technically the capital of New Hampshire, it's a remarkable thing to experience.

But if you want to go bigger, you're only about 45 minutes from 4,000-foot peaks in the White Mountains. The views at the summit make the climb worth every step, and the drive back through the New Hampshire countryside doesn't hurt either.

Lakes in every direction. Within 25 to 60 minutes of Concord, you have access to what feels like a million lakes. New Hampshire has over 1,000 named lakes and ponds, and many of the best are a short drive from the city. Chris's family loves Ellacoya State Park on Lake Winnipesaukee, one of the largest lakes in New England. The park has a shaded beachfront, a playground area, bathrooms, and concessions, everything you need for a full day out with the kids. On the way home, they always stop for ice cream.

For those who prefer getting on the water, Concord is also surrounded by rivers ideal for kayaking and canoeing. Fresh air, light exercise, and a completely different way to experience the landscape.

A capital city that feels like the woods. What surprises most people about Concord is how seamlessly the city and the natural world coexist. It’s the capital of New Hampshire, home to the New Hampshire State House, the oldest state capitol building still in continuous legislative use in the United States, and yet it’s surrounded by undeveloped terrain, green corridors, and trail systems that start practically at your doorstep.

Concord also offers what few New England cities can: no state income tax and no sales tax, making it one of the most financially compelling places to live in the entire region. A household relocating from Massachusetts can save thousands of dollars a year, even before factoring in Concord's cost of living, which is below the national average.

And the real estate market reflects the city's appeal. In early 2026, the median home price in Concord was hovering around $410,000 to $424,000, with homes spending a median of just 19 days on the market. It's a competitive but accessible market, particularly for buyers coming from Boston or other high-cost New England cities.

Why do people who come here tend to stay? Chris came to Concord planning to move on. What he found instead was a place that gave his family everything they valued: outdoor adventure in every direction, a genuine community, a safe and walkable downtown, and a home base that made weekends feel like mini-vacations without the travel.

We've written about what makes Concord great before. You can read our earlier post, What Makes Concord, New Hampshire a Great Place to Live, for even more on the community, the neighborhoods, and what life here looks and feels like day to day.

If you're thinking about making Concord your home, or if you're curious what the market looks like right now, we'd love to talk. Reach out to our team at (603) 557-6661, ryan@hvizdateam.com, or visit us at www.hvizdateam.com.