Ham radio operators in New Hampshire: new licenses by county
5,799 licensed amateur radio operators; 149 new in the past 12 months. Updated weekly from FCC data.
At a glance · Data as of
- New hams · last 30 days
- 9
- New hams · last 12 months
- 149
- ▼ 18% vs prior 12 mo
- Active licensed hams
- 5,799
- Upgrades · 12 mo
- 95
- Vanity callsigns · 12 mo
- 59
- Address updates · 12 mo
- 66
- Often a move into the area
- Expiring · next 6 mo
- 342
About ham radio in New Hampshire
New Hampshire added 149 new amateur radio operators in the past 12 months, down 18% from the year before. New Hampshire ranks #40 of 52 states and territories for new licenses. Hillsborough County leads the state with 39 new hams. Among larger counties, Rockingham County is growing fastest. Technicians make up 41% of the state’s licensees, below the U.S. average of 48%, a sign of an experienced community with many HF operators.
New hams by month
Show data table
| Month | New hams |
|---|---|
| Oct 2025 | 0 |
| Nov 2025 | 20 |
| Dec 2025 | 20 |
| Jan 2026 | 9 |
| Feb 2026 | 19 |
| Mar 2026 | 13 |
| Apr 2026 | 10 |
| May 2026 | 15 |
| Jun 2026 | 11 |
| Jul 2026 | 10 |
| Aug 2026 | 13 |
| Sep 2026 | 9 |
| Total | 149 |
License classes
| Class | Hams | Share | U.S. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Technician | 2,382 | 41% | 48% |
| General | 1,537 | 27% | 25% |
| Amateur Extra | 1,521 | 26% | 21% |
| Advanced | 224 | 4% | 3% |
| Novice / Other | 135 | 2% | 2% |
Bar = New Hampshire share · Tick = U.S. share
In the past 12 months, 40 operators upgraded to General and 50 to Amateur Extra.
How New Hampshire compares
#40 of 52 states and territories for new hams in the past 12 months
| Per 1,000 active hams | New Hampshire | U.S. |
|---|---|---|
| New hams, past 12 months | 25.7 | 32.3 |
| Upgrades, past 12 months | 16.4 | 14.7 |
| Expiring, next 6 months | 59.0 | 57.3 |
149 new hams in New Hampshire this past year. Get next month’s list free.
Sign Up Free →Top 10 New Hampshire counties for new hams
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| # | County | New hams 12 mo | Change vs prior year | Active hams | New per 1,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hillsborough County | 39 | ▼ 26% | 1,794 | 21.7 |
| 2 | Rockingham County | 32 | ▲ 19% | 1,273 | 25.1 |
| 3 | Merrimack County | 13 | ▼ 41% | 588 | 22.1 |
| 4 | Grafton County | 12 | ▼ 37% | 387 | 31.0 |
| 5 | Strafford County | 12 | ▼ 29% | 425 | 28.2 |
| 6 | Cheshire County | 5 | — | 329 | 15.2 |
| 7 | Belknap County | 4 | ▼ 67% | 325 | 12.3 |
| 8 | Carroll County | 4 | — | 280 | 14.3 |
| 9 | Coos County | 2 | — | 115 | 17.4 |
| 10 | Sullivan County | 2 | ▼ 80% | 217 | 9.2 |
— in Change means fewer than 10 new hams the year before.
All New Hampshire counties
10 counties with their own page. Numbers are new hams in the past 12 months.
- Belknap County4 new hams in 12 months
- Carroll County4 new hams in 12 months
- Cheshire County5 new hams in 12 months
- Coos County2 new hams in 12 months
- Grafton County12 new hams in 12 months
- Hillsborough County39 new hams in 12 months
- Merrimack County13 new hams in 12 months
- Rockingham County32 new hams in 12 months
- Strafford County12 new hams in 12 months
- Sullivan County2 new hams in 12 months
Neighboring states
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Figures may be reused with credit to Ham Recruiter (CC BY 4.0).
Questions about hams in New Hampshire
How many ham radio operators are in New Hampshire?
5,799 active amateur radio licensees are on file for New Hampshire as of Oct 1, 2026.
How many new hams were licensed in New Hampshire last year?
149 people in New Hampshire received their first FCC amateur radio license in the 12 months ending Oct 1, 2026.
Which New Hampshire counties have the most new hams?
In the past 12 months: Hillsborough County (39), Rockingham County (32) and Merrimack County (13).
Where does this data come from?
From the FCC Universal Licensing System (ULS) public amateur license database, which we download every Monday. Addresses are matched to counties with the U.S. Census Bureau geocoder. This page shows totals only.
Can I see the names or call signs on this page?
No. Public pages show totals only. Verified Ham Recruiter users can search and export lists for outreach; see how licensee information is handled.
About this data
Data as of . Source: FCC Universal Licensing System (ULS) weekly amateur license database; county from U.S. Census Bureau geocoding. Aggregates only, no individual licensee data is shown. Aggregate figures © Ham Recruiter, CC BY 4.0.
How we count
- New ham: an active licensee whose first license was granted in the period.
- Address updates: a change of FCC mailing address, often a move into the area.
- Counts use each licensee’s current FCC address. Someone licensed here who later moved is counted where they live now.
- Each license keeps only its most recent event of each type, so two upgrades in one year count once.
- PO-box-only addresses often can’t be matched to a county, so rural counties are slightly undercounted.
99% of New Hampshire licensees could be matched to a county.