03253 ZIP Code — Meredith, NH

Belknap County, New Hampshire

ZIP code 03253 is located in Meredith, New Hampshire, within Belknap County. It covers approximately 37.47 square miles and serves a population of 6,701 residents. This is a standard ZIP code in the Eastern (ET) timezone, served by area code 603.

About ZIP code 03253

The housing stock consists of predominantly single-family detached homes. Most homes were built in the 1970s, giving the area an established character. Median home value is $403,300. Owner-occupancy is high at 77%, well above the national average.

The gap between median ($65,490) and mean household income suggests income inequality — a small number of higher earners pull the average up. 49% of households receive Social Security income, suggesting a notable retiree or disability population.

The dominant occupation class is management, business, and professional, with education and healthcare as the leading industry. The average commute of 27 minutes is near the national average. Remote work is prevalent — 21% of workers work from home.

Educational attainment is near the national average, with 44% of residents holding a bachelor's degree or higher.

Overall, ZIP code 03253 reflects a community defined by high homeownership, a high rate of remote workers, and a significant Social Security-dependent population.

6,701

population

37.47

sq mi land

Standard

ZIP type

Eastern (ET)

timezone

03253 ZIP code map

Cities in ZIP code 03253

Below are the cities the US Postal Service accepts for ZIP code 03253. Using any city not on this list may result in mail delivery delays.

City	Status
Meredith	Preferred

Nearby ZIP codes

03298 Tilton (1.1 mi) 03299 Tilton (1.1 mi) 03246 Laconia (3.6 mi) 03226 Center Harbor (6.3 mi) 03256 New Hampton (7.1 mi) 03254 Moultonborough (7.5 mi) 03269 Sanbornton (8.4 mi) 03853 Mirror Lake (9.4 mi) 03217 Ashland (10 mi) 03245 Holderness (10.6 mi) 03220 Belmont (10.7 mi) 03264 Plymouth (12.6 mi)

Demographics updated 05/2026

Population
Total population	6,701
Population density	179 / sq mi
State FIPS	33
County FIPS	001

Geography
Land area	37.47 sq mi
Water area	14.86 sq mi
Latitude	43.6177
Longitude	-71.4782
Timezone	Eastern (ET)
Area code	603

Total population by age

Gender

Race & ethnicity

Economics updated 05/2026

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	46.0%	36.9%	31.0%
$50k – $100k	23.2%	31.7%	31.2%
$100k – $200k	24.6%	25.5%	28.1%
Over $200k	6.2%	5.9%	9.7%

Demographics & statistics

6,701

Population

179

People per sq mi

55.3

Median age

$65,490

Median household income

$48,816

Per capita income

$403,300

Median home value

$1,176

Median monthly rent

77.2%

Home ownership

11.0%

Poverty rate

4.1%

Unemployment

4,510

Housing units

44.0%

Bachelor's or higher

Age distribution

Male Female

Under 5

104

5–9

101

122

10–14

118

233

15–19

227

219

20–24

213

308

25–34

299

161

35–44

157

485

45–54

470

256

55–59

248

393

60–64

381

641

65–74

623

203

75–84

198

220

85+

213

← Male

Female →

Age summary

Group	Count	%
Under 18	837	12.5%
18 and over	5,864	87.5%
65 and over	2,098	31.3%
Median age	55.3 years

Race & ethnicity

White 94.2%

Two or more races 1.8%

Asian 1.6%

Hispanic or Latino 1.3%

Black or African American 0.4%

American Indian / Alaska Native 0.3%

Other race 0.3%

Group	Count	%
White	6,396	94.2%
Two or more races	124	1.8%
Asian	111	1.6%
Hispanic or Latino	90	1.3%
Black or African American	28	0.4%
American Indian / Alaska Native	22	0.3%
Other race	20	0.3%

Household income

Income range	This ZIP	County avg	State avg
Under $50k	46.0%	36.9%	31.0%
$50k – $100k	23.2%	31.7%	31.2%
$100k – $200k	24.6%	25.5%	28.1%
Over $200k	6.2%	5.9%	9.7%

Under $10k 4.0%

$10k–$15k 5.4%

$15k–$25k 7.6%

$25k–$35k 10.8%

$35k–$50k 14.0%

$50k–$75k 12.6%

$75k–$100k 9.2%

$100k–$150k 14.3%

$150k–$200k 10.8%

$200k+ 11.1%

Range	% of households
Under $10k	4.0%
$10k–$15k	5.4%
$15k–$25k	7.6%
$25k–$35k	10.8%
$35k–$50k	14.0%
$50k–$75k	12.6%
$75k–$100k	9.2%
$100k–$150k	14.3%
$150k–$200k	10.8%
$200k+	11.1%
Median income	$65,490

Housing

Home values

Under $50k 5.7%

$50k–$100k 3.3%

$100k–$150k 2.1%

$150k–$200k 4.0%

$200k–$300k 19.1%

$300k–$500k 31.0%

$500k–$1M 20.8%

$1M+ 14.0%

Housing overview

Metric	Value
Median home value	$403,300
Median rent / month	$1,176
Owner occupied	77.2%
Renter occupied	22.8%
Vacant	38.1%
Single-family detached	78.6%
Large apartment buildings	4.0%
Mobile homes	5.2%
Median rooms	5.4
Avg household size (owned)	2.19

Year built

Era	%
2020 or later	0.0%
2010–2019	6.1%
2000–2009	14.9%
1990–1999	10.8%
1980–1989	14.6%
1970–1979	21.0%
1960–1969	7.3%
1950–1959	5.4%
1940–1949	4.4%
1939 or earlier	15.6%

Bedrooms

Size	% of units
No bedroom (studio)	3.9%
1 bedroom	7.4%
2 bedrooms	29.6%
3 bedrooms	40.2%
4 bedrooms	15.5%
5+ bedrooms	3.5%

Vehicles per household

Vehicles	% of households
No vehicle	3.3%
1 vehicle	41.4%
2 vehicles	30.5%
3 or more	24.8%

Heating fuel

Fuel type	%
Utility gas	3.5%
Electricity	12.0%
Propane / LP gas	27.0%
Fuel oil	48.8%
Wood	6.8%
No fuel used	0.6%

Households & families

Household type	Count	%
Married-couple family	1,449	44.6%
Cohabiting couple	251	7.7%
Male householder, no spouse	897	27.6%
Female householder, no spouse	652	20.1%
Households with children under 18	561	17.3%
Households with seniors (65+)	1,559	48.0%
Average household size	2.05

Marital status

Status	Male	Female
Never married	29.3%	29.2%
Married	47.9%	47.0%
Separated	0.7%	1.7%
Widowed	6.9%	12.9%
Divorced	15.2%	9.2%

Education

Less than 9th grade 0.4%

Some HS, no diploma 3.6%

HS graduate 26.4%

Some college, no degree 19.5%

Associate's degree 6.1%

Bachelor's degree 23.4%

Graduate / professional 20.6%

Metric	%
HS diploma or higher	96.0%
Bachelor's or higher	44.0%

School enrollment (ages 3–17)

Type	Count	%
Nursery / preschool	26	2.6%
Kindergarten	77	7.7%
Elementary school	246	24.5%
High school	517	51.5%
College / grad school	137	13.7%

Employment

Industry of employment

Education & healthcare 23.7%

Professional & management 15.4%

Arts, food & hospitality 15.4%

Construction 9.7%

Manufacturing 9.1%

Retail trade 8.8%

Other services 5.7%

Finance & real estate 4.2%

Information 3.0%

Public administration 2.3%

Wholesale trade 1.5%

Transportation & utilities 1.2%

Occupation

Category	%
Management, business & arts	39.2%
Service	17.3%
Sales & office	22.0%
Natural resources & construction	12.2%
Production & transportation	9.2%

Employment type

Type	%
Private sector	71.7%
Government	15.0%
Self-employed	12.5%
Unpaid family workers	0.7%

Commute

Method	%
Drive alone	69.9%
Carpool	6.3%
Public transit	0.4%
Walk	1.5%
Work from home	20.7%
Other means	1.2%
Avg commute (minutes)	26.7

Poverty

All people 11.0%

Under 18 years 22.6%

18 and over 9.3%

Married-couple families 2.7%

Female-led households 43.6%

Income support

Source	% of households
Social Security	49.2%
Retirement income	34.6%
Supplemental Security	8.6%
Cash public assistance	1.9%
Food stamps / SNAP	4.8%

Health indicators

Condition	%
Obesity	33.9%
High blood pressure	35.2%
High cholesterol	35.4%
Diabetes	10.2%
Heart disease	7.2%
Stroke	3.1%
Asthma	10.5%
Arthritis	29.2%
Kidney disease	3.0%
Pulmonary disease	7.3%
Cancer	8.4%

Behavior / access	%
Smoking	14.6%
Binge drinking	16.2%
No physical activity	21.2%
Less than 7 hrs sleep	29.6%
Depression	19.8%
Fair or poor health	12.5%
Poor mental health	13.0%
Poor physical health	10.4%
No health insurance	9.5%
Visited doctor (checkup)	74.2%
Visited dentist	68.3%
Cholesterol screening	92.7%
Teeth loss	11.0%

Veterans & disability

Veterans	Count	%
Civilian veterans	490	8.4%

Disability	%
Any disability	19.5%
Under 18	3.9%
18–64 years	13.5%
65 and over	36.9%

Health insurance coverage

Type	%
Private insurance	68.3%
Public insurance	45.9%
No insurance	7.3%
Uninsured under 19	1.8%

Language & origin

Language spoken at home (age 5+)

Language	Count	%
English only	6,593	98.4%
Spanish	6	0.1%
Other Indo-European	5	0.1%
Asian & Pacific Islander	0	0.0%
Other languages	1	0.0%

Place of birth & citizenship

Origin	Count	%
Native born (US)	6,368	95.0%
Born in same state	6,261	93.4%
Born in different state	2,735	40.8%
Foreign born	107	1.6%
Naturalized citizen	333	5.0%
Not a US citizen	225	67.6%

Ancestry

Ancestry	Count	%
French	1,601	23.9%
Italian	1,372	20.5%
German	594	8.9%
Arab	365	5.4%

Ancestry	Count	%
Polish	153	2.3%
Norwegian	59	0.9%
English	38	0.6%
Dutch	20	0.3%

Technology access

Metric	% of households
Computer access	48.5%
Internet access	91.1%

Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2025 estimates.

Frequently asked questions about ZIP code 03253

What city is ZIP code 03253 in?

ZIP code 03253 is primarily assigned to Meredith, New Hampshire.

What county is ZIP code 03253 in?

ZIP code 03253 falls within Belknap County, New Hampshire.

Does ZIP code 03253 have an older population?

31% of residents in ZIP code 03253 are 65 or older, above the national average of ~17%.

Does ZIP code 03253 have a large retiree population?

49% of households in ZIP code 03253 receive Social Security income, suggesting a significant retiree or disability population.

What is the typical home value in ZIP code 03253?

The median home value in ZIP code 03253 is $403,300.

What is the population of ZIP code 03253?

ZIP code 03253 has an estimated population of 6,701 residents, with a density of 179 people per square mile.

What timezone is ZIP code 03253 in?

ZIP code 03253 observes the EST timezone.