County outline
Where Belknap County is located
Area breakdown
Land accounts for 85.5% of Belknap County’s measured area and water for 14.5%. Its combined area converts to 1,217.3 square kilometers or approximately 300,806 acres.
Green: land · blue: water
| Measurement | Square miles | Square kilometers | Acres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Land | 401.912 | 1,040.947 | 257,223.7 |
| Water | 68.098 | 176.373 | 43,582.7 |
| Total | 470.01 | 1,217.32 | 300,806.4 |
How Belknap County compares
By original Census land area, Belknap County ranks #9 of 10 in New Hampshire and #2514 of 3,222 nationally. National rankings include the 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.
Its land area is 0.508 times the New Hampshire county-equivalent median of 791.6 square miles. It accounts for 4.5% of the combined county land area in the state.
See the complete New Hampshire ranking · What counts as a county equivalent?
Population and density of Belknap County
The Census Bureau estimates that 65,147 people lived in Belknap County on July 1, 2025. That ranks #852 of 3,222 county equivalents nationally and #7 of 10 in New Hampshire. Since the April 1, 2020 estimates base of 63,710, the population has grown by 1,437 (+2.3%), compared with +2.7% for New Hampshire as a whole.
With 401.9 square miles of land, that is 162 people per square mile (63 per km²), placing Belknap County #737 nationally for density and #5 in New Hampshire. The median county equivalent has 47 people per square mile; the New Hampshire median is 136. Put another way, there are about 3.9 acres of land per resident.
| July 1 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Estimate | 63,779 | 64,612 | 64,643 | 65,039 | 65,169 | 65,147 |
| Change | — | +833 | +31 | +396 | +130 | −22 |
U.S. Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates. Estimates are revised each year and are not decennial census counts. Density divides the whole population by the whole county’s land area, so it describes an average, not how settlement is distributed within the county. Population sources and methods.
Cities and towns in Belknap County
Belknap County is divided into 11 cities and towns. In New Hampshire, county subdivisions are local governments, and together they cover all of the county’s land and residents.
The most populous is Laconia city, with 17,246 residents (26.5% of the county). The largest by land is Alton town, at 63.7 mi², or 15.8% of the county’s land. Among those with at least 1,000 residents in 2020, Tilton town grew fastest since then (+3.3%).
| County subdivision | Population 2025 | Since 2020 | Land mi² | Share of county land |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Laconia cityCounty seat | 17,246 | +2.2% | 19.8 | 4.9% |
| Gilford town | 7,898 | +2.5% | 38.8 | 9.7% |
| Belmont town | 7,408 | +1.4% | 30 | 7.5% |
| Meredith town | 6,854 | +2.8% | 40.1 | 10% |
| Alton town | 6,036 | +2.5% | 63.7 | 15.8% |
| Barnstead town | 5,038 | +2.5% | 43.1 | 10.7% |
| Tilton town | 4,092 | +3.3% | 11.1 | 2.8% |
| Gilmanton town | 4,060 | +2.8% | 57.9 | 14.4% |
| Sanbornton town | 3,038 | +0.3% | 47.4 | 11.8% |
| New Hampton town | 2,428 | +2.1% | 36.8 | 9.1% |
| Center Harbor town | 1,049 | +0.8% | 13.3 | 3.3% |
Population: U.S. Census Bureau Vintage 2025 subcounty estimates, counting only the part of each subdivision inside Belknap County. Land: 2026 Census Gazetteer. How communities are listed.
Metropolitan area
Belknap County is a central county of the Laconia, NH Micropolitan Statistical Area. Belknap County is the area’s only county equivalent, so the micro area has the same 401.9 square miles of land. By combined land it ranks #488 of 542 micropolitan areas, and #140 by population. It belongs to the Boston-Worcester-Providence, MA-RI-NH Combined Statistical Area.
ZIP codes
15 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Belknap County; 13 of them have most of their land inside the county, and the others mainly cover neighboring areas.
032180322003225032260323703246032490325303254032560326903276038090381003837
ZIP Code Tabulation Areas are the Census Bureau’s approximations of USPS ZIP Code service areas, from the 2020 Census relationship files. Lighter codes have less than half of their land in this county. Post-office-box and single-address ZIP Codes have no tabulation area.
Counties bordering Belknap County
Belknap County shares a land border with 4 county equivalents. It has more land than 1 of them. The largest neighbor is Grafton County (1,708.6 mi²) and the smallest is Strafford County (367.5 mi²). Together with its neighbors, Belknap County forms a block of 4,342.7 mi² of land, of which it holds 9.3%.
| Bordering county equivalent | Land mi² | Size vs. Belknap | Compare |
|---|---|---|---|
| Grafton County | 1,708.6 | 4.3× larger | Compare |
| Merrimack County | 932.9 | 2.3× larger | Compare |
| Carroll County | 931.9 | 2.3× larger | Compare |
| Strafford County | 367.5 | 1.1× smaller | Compare |
How big is Belknap County compared with U.S. states?
Belknap County has less land than any of the 50 states. Rhode Island, the smallest state by land area, has 1,033.9 mi², about 2.6 times as much. New Hampshire’s county land could hold about 22 areas the size of Belknap County.
Another way to picture it: the same land area would fill a square about 20 miles (32.3 km) on each side. Real county shapes are rarely square, so this is a scale reference rather than a width or driving distance.
State figures are the sums of each state’s county-equivalent land measurements in the same Census release, so states and counties are compared on the same basis. Published state totals can differ slightly because of rounding. Compare all states · Counties bigger than entire states.
What stands out about Belknap County?
Belknap County has more land than 708 of the other 3,221 county equivalents in the dataset.
A median is the middle county-equivalent measurement, not the average of the largest and smallest. All three bars use the same linear scale. Very small areas may appear as a thin sliver; the labels retain their values.
Does including water change its rank?
Using land plus water places Belknap County at #2,283 nationally by total area, 231 places closer to the top than its land rank. The water assigned to this geography moves it ahead of some county equivalents with more land.
Its water share is 14.5%, compared with a national county-equivalent median of 1.2% — 13.3 percentage points higher. This describes the statistical geography’s land/water mix, not flood exposure or developable land.
Closest positions in the national land ranking
These entries sit immediately beside Belknap County in the national ranking. They can be in different states and are not necessarily geographic neighbors.
| Land rank | County equivalent | Land mi² | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| #2513 | Spotsylvania County, Virginia | 401.9 | Compare |
| #2514 | Belknap County, New Hampshire | 401.9 | This county |
| #2515 | Crawford County, Ohio | 401.8 | Compare |
Calculated from the same Census release as the area table. Total-area order uses original ALAND + AWATER; water shares and chart labels use published square miles. Calculation details.
Representative coordinates
The Census internal point is 43.519109, -71.425366. It represents a location inside the geography; it is not necessarily the centroid or the address of a courthouse.
Source and precision
U.S. Census Bureau, 2026 Gazetteer Files, Counties. Original ALAND: 1,040,947,206 m²; AWATER: 176,373,666 m². Rankings use ALAND; exact ties use ascending GEOID. Tables preserve Census-published square miles to three decimals, with conversions based on those values.
Common questions
How big is Belknap County?
Belknap County, New Hampshire has 401.9 square miles (1,040.9 km²) of land and 68.1 square miles of water, for a total area of 470 square miles. It ranks #2514 of 3,222 U.S. county equivalents by land area.
Is Belknap County the largest county in New Hampshire?
No. Belknap County ranks #9 of 10 in New Hampshire by land area. The largest is Coos County, with 1,794.6 square miles of land.
What counties border Belknap County?
Belknap County shares a land border with Merrimack County, Carroll County, Grafton County, and Strafford County.
What is the population of Belknap County?
The Census Bureau estimates Belknap County had 65,147 residents on July 1, 2025, ranking #852 of 3,222 county equivalents. That is 162 people per square mile of land.
What is the county seat of Belknap County?
The county seat of Belknap County is Laconia.
What cities and towns are in Belknap County?
Belknap County has 11 county subdivisions (cities, towns and townships). The most populous five are Laconia city, Gilford town, Belmont town, Meredith town, and Alton town.
Is Belknap County part of a metropolitan area?
Yes. It is a central county of the Laconia, NH Micropolitan Statistical Area.
How many ZIP codes are in Belknap County?
15 ZIP Code Tabulation Areas have land in Belknap County, and 13 of them have most of their land inside the county. Census ZIP Code Tabulation Areas approximate USPS ZIP Code areas.
How does Belknap County compare with U.S. states?
It has less land than every state. Rhode Island, the smallest, has 2.6 times as much land.
How many acres of land are in Belknap County?
The land measurement converts to approximately 257,224 acres. Including water, total area is approximately 300,806 acres. One square mile equals 640 acres.
Why might another source show a different area?
Check whether it reports land or total area, its Census vintage, and its rounding. Our guide explains how to reconcile county area figures.
Can this establish a property boundary?
No. Statistical measurements and generalized maps do not establish property lines. Consult the relevant local surveying or land-records authority.