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Thanksgiving for New Hampshire

We have so many reasons to be thankful to live in New Hampshire.

I have had the opportunity to live in other parts of the country, and have road-tripped around much of it. And there’s no place quite like the Granite State.

Here, I have not just seen eagles, but actually heard the powerful beat of their wings over the lake. Nowhere else have I heard the haunting cry of the loons, the joyful chuckling of ducks as though they’re attending a floating comedy club, and the shifting of frozen lake ice resulting in Star Wars-like blaster sounds.

This photo of a loon was taken by Robert J. Kozlow, a local NH photographer who has self-published several beautiful books on regional photography.
For more information on NH loons and conservation efforts, check out the Loon Center, located on the north shore of Lake Winnipesaukee on the Frederick and Paula Anna Markus Wildlife Sanctuary in Moultonborough, NH

I maintain that Spring in New Hampshire is more colorful than Fall in many other parts of the country, and as for Fall here, come on, let’s face it… it’s so superior in color that it ruins the autumn experience for people from just about anywhere else, once they’ve experienced it in the “Live Free or Die” state.

The fall foliage is stunning in NH and draws many “leaf peepers” from out of state.

I am so grateful for the lakes and mountains and forests that I see on just about every drive around the region, and for all of the natural beauty that surrounds us in the Lakes Region. And I’m grateful for the skilled, hardworking, salt-of-the-earth people I have been blessed to number among friends, coworkers and colleagues.

But we have many more reasons to be thankful as residents and homeowners in our beautiful location, the Granite State. Here are a few:

Quality of Life

New Hampshire has been ranked America’s “Most Livable State” eight times since 2004, according to Morgan Quitno Press, a research and publishing company that ranks U.S. cities and states.

U.S. News and World Report recently named New Hampshire the number one state in the nation for opportunity, number five for best state overall, number four for education, and number four for quality of life.

New Hampshire was rated the number one state for “quality of life” for those considering moving to the United States, according to BritishExPats.com.

Employment and Earnings

New Hampshire had the highest median household income in the nation in 2016, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

In October 2017, New Hampshire’s unemployment rate was 2.4 percent, which is the fourth lowest in the United States, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Family and Education

This year New Hampshire was rated the best state to raise children, according to a report published by the Annie E. Casey Foundation.

Also in 2017, U.S. News and World Report ranked New Hampshire as the number one state in the nation for Pre-K through 12 education.

Retirement

In 2017 New Hampshire was Bankrate.com’s top pick for the best state to retire.

New Hampshire was also chosen as the number one state for retirement by moneyrates.com. This ranking was based on cost of living, unemployment rate, tax burden, average climate, violent and property crime rates and life expectancy.

The Lake Winnipesaukee area was rated the number one retirement place in the country under the category of “leisure living for recreational and cultural opportunities” by MacMillan Travel’s Fifth Edition of Retirement Places Rates.

These ratings give us some great reasons to be grateful we live here, but there are many more. New Hampshire has nearly 18 miles of ocean coastline, 40,000 miles of rivers and streams, and 1,300 lakes and ponds, including the “Tahoe of the East,” Lake Winnipesaukee.

The Granite State also boasts 182 mountains over 3,000 feet, and, with over 87 percent of the land covered by forests, including 760,000 acres of National Forest, New Hampshire is the second most forested state in the nation.

New Hampshire is a hard location to beat, and I am sincerely thankful to live full time in a state whose beauty is so breathtaking that it draws millions of worldwide tourists each year.

Finally, I am thankful the opportunity to help people buy and sell homes here New Hampshire’s Lakes Region. What a wonderful place to live. Happy Thanksgiving to all!

Brent Metzger is a Realtor® with Roche Realty Group in Meredith. He may be reached at (603) 229-8322 or brent@rocherealty.com. To learn more about the local real estate market