Jobs, pay and daily life in Keene, from official statistics with source and year on every table.
Click any dot to open that city: jobs, pay, rent, commute, county economy and climate. Dot size follows population; colours follow the state flag.
By AtiveSite · Published 07/11/2026 · Updated 07/11/2026 · Every figure is linked to its source below.
Keene is a city in New Hampshire with 22,939 residents. The median household earns $78,445 a year and the median rent is $1,342 a month, which is 20.5% of the median household income. We could not match it to a metropolitan area in the BLS wage tables, so metro pay data is not shown.
How Keene compares. Among the 40 largest places in New Hampshire, Keene is #6 by population, #5 for long commutes (#1 = fewest), #30 for homeownership (#1 = highest), #12 for college degrees (#1 = most). Its county, Cheshire County, is #6 of 10 counties for average pay ($59,392).
Keene has 22,939 residents (ACS 2020–2024), about 1.6% of the population of New Hampshire. It covers 37 square miles of land, which works out to roughly 618 people per square mile. The median age is 37.6, 13% younger than the state median (37.6 against 43.3).
The median gross rent is $1,342 a month (rent plus utilities), 10% below the state median ($1,342 against $1,491). Over a year that is 20.5% of the median household income. US housing guidance treats housing as affordable when it takes 30% of income or less, so the typical household is under that line. The median home value is $252,500, which is 3.2 times the median household income ($78,445); a ratio under 4 usually means ownership is within reach for many households. 55.1% of households own their home, 24% below the state average (55.1% against 72.8%). A low ownership share points to a rental-heavy market with more apartments and shorter stays.
In 2026M09 the unemployment rate of Cheshire County was 1.9%. 61.1% of residents aged 16 and over are in the labour force. The city lies in Cheshire County; its jobs, pay by industry and GDP are on the county page.
Among workers, 66.1% drive alone, 0.1% use public transit, 7.1% walk, 15.6% work from home. 6.9% of workers commute 45 minutes or more, 60% below the state average (6.9% against 17.2%).
44.1% of adults aged 25 and over hold a bachelor's degree or higher, 9% above the state share (44.1% against 40.6%). 3.9% of residents were born outside the United States, 36% below the state share (3.9% against 6.1%). The poverty rate is 10.1%, 39% above the state rate (10.1% against 7.2%).
The warmest month is Jul, averaging 69°F (20.4°C), and the coolest is Jan at 19°F (-7.1°C). About 1,164 mm (46 inches) of precipitation falls in a year; Oct is the wettest month (125 mm) and Jan the driest (71 mm). These values come from NASA satellite-based climatology on a grid of about 50 km, so they describe the wider area, not a weather station in the city.
Closest cities in this guide: Brattleboro (14 miles, rent 17% lower); Bellows Falls (15 miles, rent 23% lower); West Brattleboro (16 miles, rent 37% lower); Jaffrey (17 miles, rent 35% lower). Rent differences are against Keene; use the Compare tab to put any two cities side by side.
Federal jobs in New Hampshire (127) →State guide: New HampshireCountry guideCheshire CountyNew Hampshire rankings
These links go to official sources and open in a new window. The first one is the government's or company's own site as listed in Wikidata (property "official website"); check it before relying on it.
There are 127 federal postings open in New Hampshire (USAJOBS, state level; we do not have a city filter for them). Private-sector jobs are not in this feed.
No metropolitan wage table is matched to this city. Employment shares of residents by industry (ACS):
| Industry ⇅ | Share of employed residents ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Education and health care | 29.2% |
| Retail trade | 13.8% |
| Manufacturing | 13.3% |
| Arts, entertainment, accommodation, food | 8.4% |
| Professional, scientific, management, administrative | 7.5% |
| Finance, insurance, real estate | 6.3% |
| Construction | 5.1% |
| Wholesale trade | 4.0% |
| Other services | 3.6% |
| Public administration | 3.3% |
| Transportation, warehousing, utilities | 3.0% |
| Information | 1.7% |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining | 0.8% |
Cities have no official GDP or payroll count of their own. These figures are for the county where Keene lies and cover the whole county, not only the city.
| County ⇅ | Population ⇅ | GDP (2024) ⇅ | GDP per resident ⇅ | Jobs (QCEW 2024) ⇅ | Employer sites ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Job change vs 2023 ⇅ | Unemployment rate ⇅ | Labour force ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cheshire County | 77,297 | $5,175 million | $66,952 | 31,134 | 2,280 | $59,392 | -1.0% | 1.9% | 40,060 |
| Industry ⇅ | Jobs ⇅ | Share of private jobs ⇅ | Average annual pay ⇅ | Concentration vs US (location quotient) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Retail trade | 5,076 | 20.2% | $41,105 | 1.63 |
| Manufacturing | 4,939 | 19.6% | $71,814 | 1.93 |
| Health care and social assistance | 4,064 | 16.2% | $65,956 | 0.91 |
| Accommodation and food services | 2,520 | 10.0% | $27,456 | 0.89 |
| Construction | 1,986 | 7.9% | $77,046 | 1.22 |
| Other services (except public administration) | 1,332 | 5.3% | $41,928 | 1.42 |
| Management of companies | 913 | 3.6% | $118,406 | 1.74 |
| Administrative and waste services | 873 | 3.5% | $51,942 | 0.48 |
| Educational services | 810 | 3.2% | $47,386 | 1.26 |
| Finance and insurance | 783 | 3.1% | $94,964 | 0.62 |
| Professional and technical services | 720 | 2.9% | $92,769 | 0.33 |
| Arts, entertainment, recreation | 405 | 1.6% | $44,445 | 0.77 |
| Information | 289 | 1.1% | $73,558 | 0.50 |
| Real estate and rental | 226 | 0.9% | $51,189 | 0.47 |
| Agriculture, forestry, fishing | 200 | 0.8% | $34,608 | 0.79 |
| Mining, oil and gas | 8 | 0.0% | $60,516 | 0.07 |
QCEW counts jobs covered by unemployment insurance; sectors with too few employers are withheld by BLS. Latest-month unemployment is preliminary.
| How residents get to work ⇅ | Share ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Drive alone | 66.1% |
| Public transit | 0.1% |
| Walk | 7.1% |
| Work from home | 15.6% |
| Commute of 45 minutes or more | 6.9% |
Shares are of workers aged 16 and over; they describe residents, wherever they work.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median household income | $78,445 |
| Income per person | $40,992 |
| Median gross rent per month | $1,342 |
| Yearly rent as share of median household income | 20.5% |
| Median home value | $252,500 |
| Homeowners | 55.1% |
| Poverty rate | 10.1% |
| Price level of the metro area (US = 100) | n/a |
| Metro median pay, all occupations | n/a |
Estimate for a wage earner: 2026 federal brackets and standard deduction (IRS), Social Security 6.2% up to $184,500, Medicare 1.45% (+0.9% above $200,000 single / $250,000 married), and a state rate you set. It ignores credits, pre-tax deductions, local taxes and benefits. Sources: IRS: tax year 2026 inflation adjustments · SSA wage base per Federal Register notice 2025-19763.
State tax: No state tax on wages.
| Indicator ⇅ | Value ⇅ |
|---|---|
| Median age | 37.6 |
| High school or higher (25+) | 94.3% |
| Bachelor's degree or higher (25+) | 44.1% |
| Born abroad | 3.9% |
| Labour force participation (16+) | 61.1% |
Work permits are federal: see permits and first steps.
| Month ⇅ | Mean temperature (°C) ⇅ | Mean temperature (°F) ⇅ | Precipitation (mm) ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | -7.1 | 19 | 71 |
| Feb | -6.1 | 21 | 75 |
| Mar | -1.3 | 30 | 85 |
| Apr | 5.8 | 42 | 91 |
| May | 12.6 | 55 | 95 |
| Jun | 17.5 | 64 | 119 |
| Jul | 20.4 | 69 | 107 |
| Aug | 19.6 | 67 | 104 |
| Sep | 15.8 | 60 | 100 |
| Oct | 8.9 | 48 | 125 |
| Nov | 2.4 | 36 | 87 |
| Dec | -3.5 | 26 | 105 |
Satellite-reanalysis climatology on a grid of roughly 50 km, so it smooths local effects (hills, coast, city heat). It is not a weather-station record.
| City ⇅ | State ⇅ | Distance (straight line) ⇅ | Population ⇅ | Median household income ⇅ | Median rent ⇅ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brattleboro | VT | 14 mi | 7,657 | $52,734 | $1,113 |
| Bellows Falls | VT | 15 mi | 2,891 | $56,086 | $1,038 |
| West Brattleboro | VT | 16 mi | 2,749 | $44,827 | $848 |
| Jaffrey | NH | 17 mi | 3,277 | $99,667 | $869 |
| Springfield | VT | 25 mi | 4,237 | $46,760 | $818 |
| Greenfield | MA | 28 mi | 17,664 | $55,614 | $1,107 |
| Newport | NH | 29 mi | 4,758 | $78,174 | $1,378 |
| Henniker | NH | 29 mi | 2,993 | $76,326 | $1,056 |
| Claremont | NH | 30 mi | 13,078 | $59,096 | $1,146 |
| Gardner | MA | 30 mi | 21,148 | $67,518 | $1,109 |
Straight-line distance in miles, not driving distance.
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22,939 (Census Bureau ACS 2020–2024 5-year estimate).
$1,342 a month (ACS 2020–2024), which is 20.5% of the median household income.
$78,445 (ACS 2020–2024, in 2024 dollars).
1.9% (BLS county, Cheshire County (latest month 2026M09)).
New Hampshire. See the state guide for minimum wage, taxes and pay.