Meredith, NH short-term rental market report (2026)
Belknap County, New Hampshire. Rules, revenue, home values, demand, climate, reach and risk, each figure with its source.
- RulesStrict (4/5)
- 4-BR typical value$710K
- FEMA riskRelatively Low
- Demand drivers within 50 mi5
- People within 300 mi42.3 million
- ClimateSki-plus-summer
Everything STR HUB holds on Meredith, NH in one place, in the order an investor needs it: whether you can operate, what the numbers are, why and when people come, who can reach it, and what could go wrong.
Every figure comes from a named dataset listed under Sources and method, dated September 21, 2026. Where we do not hold a figure, that part of the report is left out rather than estimated. The Opportunity Score here is partial: it was calculated without revenue data, with the cash-flow component assumed to be below average, so it can understate the market.
Can you operate in Meredith?
| Rule | What we hold on file |
|---|---|
| Jurisdiction | Town of Meredith (Zoning Board of Adjustment, Planning & Development, Fire Department) |
| Permit or licence | Special Exception from the Zoning Board of Adjustment, plus a town STR license and a Fire Department inspection; pre-1978 buildings also need a Lead Safe Certificate. |
| Cap on rentals | 120 rental days per year per property (zoning ordinance caps bookings); permitted by special exception in all zoning districts except the Business & Industry District |
| Lodging and sales taxes | NH state Meals & Rooms Tax, 8.5% of gross rental receipts |
Rules for Meredith last verified September 20, 2026. Rules change, and a city rating does not cover HOA or deed restrictions. Confirm current requirements with the jurisdiction before you buy or list.
The numbers
We have not verified revenue figures for this market yet.
Home values in Belknap County
Zillow Home Value Index: county-wide typical values for Belknap County, not list prices. A specific property can sit well above or below them.
What it costs to own
Screening figures, not a bill or a quote. The tax rate is a county-wide median for owner-occupied homes (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2018-2022); second homes and rentals are often taxed more heavily, and a purchase usually resets the assessed value. Expected annual loss is from the FEMA National Risk Index.
Housing market momentum
County-level, for-sale housing market: it says nothing directly about STR bookings. A relative ranking among tracked markets, not a forecast. Sources: Realtor.com Economic Research, U.S. Census Bureau, Zillow Home Value Index.
Why people come
5 demand drivers sit within 50 miles of Meredith. Ordered by published attendance. Attendance appears only where a source publishes it.
Attractions
- Lake Winnipesaukee
- When
- Late June to Labor Day; Laconia Motorcycle Week in June and foliage in October add peaks.
- STR angle
- New Hampshire's biggest lake and the classic Boston-area summer-camp market, with ski areas nearby for a second season. Waterfront and water-access cottages rent by the week; several lake towns have tried to restrict STRs through zoning.
Parks and public lands
- White Mountain National Forest
- When
- Year-round; fall foliage (late Sept-mid Oct) is the single biggest draw, summer hiking is secondary.
- STR angle
- Heavy leaf-peeping and hiking traffic supports one of New England's largest cabin/condo STR markets around North Conway and Lincoln.
Outdoor activities
- Bretton Woods
- When
- Winter ski season, roughly December through March, heavily weekend- and holiday-driven.
- STR angle
- Family-friendly mountain in the heart of the White Mountains. Resort townhomes and cabins in Twin Mountain and Bartlett rent for ski weekends and again for foliage and summer hiking.
- North Conway & the Mount Washington Valley
- When
- Summer hiking, fall foliage and winter skiing all bring visitors.
- STR angle
- Hikers, climbers, skiers and leaf-peepers give this valley true four-season demand, and nearly a third of the housing stock is already seasonal. Family-size homes close to trailheads and the village do well.
Landmarks
- Canterbury Shaker Village
- When
- Seasonal, late spring to fall.
- STR angle
- A quiet heritage stop between Concord and the Lakes Region; on its own it produces day trips rather than bookings. It is a supporting draw for rentals that mainly serve Lakes Region summers and the Loudon race weekends.
When they come
Ski-plus-summer climate: at least three months bring six inches or more of snowfall, and May to September is comfortable. 5 of 12 months have an average high between 60°F and 88°F, and 4 months average six inches or more of snow. Warmest month: July (average high 80°F). Coldest: January (average low 15°F).
- Jan30°15°ColdSnow
- Feb32°15°ColdSnow
- Mar41°23°ColdSnow
- Apr52°34°Cool
- May65°44°Comfortable
- Jun75°55°Comfortable
- Jul80°63°Comfortable
- Aug78°62°Comfortable
- Sep70°54°Comfortable
- Oct59°45°Cool
- Nov45°32°Cool
- Dec37°25°ColdSnow
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Average high (°F) | 30 | 32 | 41 | 52 | 65 | 75 | 80 | 78 | 70 | 59 | 45 | 37 |
| Average low (°F) | 15 | 15 | 23 | 34 | 44 | 55 | 63 | 62 | 54 | 45 | 32 | 25 |
| Precipitation (in) | 3.6 | 2.9 | 2.8 | 4.6 | 3.0 | 4.1 | 5.3 | 3.7 | 3.8 | 4.8 | 3.3 | 4.9 |
| Snowfall (in) | 15.6 | 13.6 | 9.0 | 2.9 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 3.0 | 12.4 |
| Sunshine (hours a day) | 5.4 | 6.4 | 8.3 | 7.9 | 10.6 | 10.8 | 11.1 | 10.9 | 9.2 | 6.6 | 6.6 | 5.0 |
This is climate and events, not booking data. Monthly normals are 2019-2023 averages from the Open-Meteo Historical Weather API (ERA5 reanalysis) at the market pin. We do not hold monthly occupancy or rate data for this market.
Who can reach it
Largest counties within 150 miles
| County | Population |
|---|---|
| Middlesex County, MA | 1,623,109 |
| Capitol Planning Region, CT | 977,165 |
| Worcester County, MA | 858,898 |
County populations (U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 2018-2022) summed for every county whose centre lies within each straight-line radius. Straight lines are shorter than roads, so read these as generous upper bounds, not drive-time counts.
What could go wrong
| Hazard | FEMA rating | Score (0-100) |
|---|---|---|
| Hurricane | Relatively Low | 78.4 |
| Winter weather | Relatively Moderate | 75.3 |
| River flooding | Relatively Low | 70.3 |
| Earthquake | Relatively Low | 59.8 |
| Tornado | Relatively Low | 31.4 |
| Wildfire | Very Low | 25.3 |
| Hail | Very Low | 15.6 |
This is a county-level index, not an insurance quote or a flood-zone determination. A coastal or wildfire-fringe rental can carry far more exposure than its county average suggests. FEMA does not model coastal flooding for this county, which is not the same as zero risk. Get property-level flood, wind and wildfire quotes before you buy.
Market context
Housing and jobs in Belknap County
U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2018-2022. Vacation-home share is housing units held for seasonal, recreational or occasional use. All three describe the whole county, not one town or neighbourhood.
What is within 15 km of the Meredith pin
Counts of features mapped in OpenStreetMap within 15 km of the market pin. A fixed radius favours dense metros, and map coverage varies by area.
Similar markets
The 4 tracked markets whose numbers sit closest to Meredith's. Each links to its own report.
Closest by normalised distance across the figures both markets hold (typical 4BR value, revenue, occupancy, regulation rating, vacation-home share, tourism job share, 4+ bedroom share, amenity score, population within 300 miles, comfortable months and FEMA risk score). At most 2 of the 4 come from New Hampshire, so the list is not just the neighbours. Similar numbers do not mean similar rules: check each market's regulation section.
See Meredith on the map
Open Meredith on the National STR Map to see it against its neighbours, switch overlays and run the deal calculator on your own assumptions.
Meredith STR questions, answered from the data
Is Airbnb legal in Meredith?
STR HUB rates Meredith's short-term rental rules 4/5 (Strict) on a scale from 1 (relaxed) to 5 (very strict). That rating was derived from the regulation text we hold and has not yet been reviewed by a person. Permit rule on file: Special Exception from the Zoning Board of Adjustment, plus a town STR license and a Fire Department inspection; pre-1978 buildings also need a Lead Safe Certificate. Cap on file: 120 rental days per year per property (zoning ordinance caps bookings); permitted by special exception in all zoning districts except the Business & Industry District. Rules change, so confirm current requirements with the local jurisdiction before you buy or list.
How much does a 4-bedroom home cost in Meredith?
The typical 4-bedroom home in Belknap County is valued at $709,566 (Zillow Home Value Index), and the typical home of any size at $513,108, with all-home values up 3.0% over the past year. These are county-wide typical values, not list prices.
What brings visitors to Meredith?
5 demand drivers sit within 50 miles of Meredith, including Bretton Woods, Canterbury Shaker Village and Lake Winnipesaukee. Attendance is shown only where a source publishes it, and each driver's source is linked in the report.
What natural hazards affect Meredith?
FEMA's National Risk Index rates Belknap County "Relatively Low" overall, with a score of 57.4 out of 100 (a national percentile). The highest-scoring hazards we track there are hurricane and winter weather. It is a county-wide index, not an insurance quote or a flood-zone determination.
When is the weather best in Meredith?
5 of 12 months have an average high between 60°F and 88°F (May, June, July, August and September). Ski-plus-summer climate: at least three months bring six inches or more of snowfall, and May to September is comfortable. These are 2019-2023 climate normals, not booking data.
Sources and method
- Regulation summary and strictness rating: STR Agent HUB regulation research (official source: meredithnh.org).
- Home values: Zillow Home Value Index (ZHVI), county level. Data provided by Zillow Group.
- Housing, employment and population figures: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey (ACS) 5-year estimates, 2018-2022.
- Natural hazard risk: FEMA National Risk Index, county level.
- Amenity counts: © OpenStreetMap contributors.
- Climate normals: Open-Meteo Historical Weather API (CC BY 4.0), 2019-2023 averages.
- Demand drivers: each entry links its own published source in the list above.
Figures come from the STR HUB national dataset dated September 21, 2026 and this page is regenerated whenever that dataset is rebuilt. County-level figures describe Belknap County as a whole, not one street or neighbourhood. The Opportunity Score (0-100) is a screening heuristic that weighs revenue (35%), regulatory climate (25%), tourism employment (15%), nearby amenities (15%) and large-home supply (10%) relative to the other tracked markets.
Confirm before you act. Short-term rental rules change. Confirm current requirements with the jurisdiction, and work with a licensed local agent who knows which properties can legally operate. This report is screening data, not investment, legal or tax advice.
Buying a short-term rental in Meredith?
Get matched with a Meredith agent who works short-term rentals every day and knows which properties can legally operate.
Get matched with a Meredith STR agent →