New England added more than 400,000 Medicare enrollees aged 65 and older between 2020 and 2025, and the population of older residents is concentrating unevenly across the region, with southern New Hampshire among the fastest-growing areas, according to a regional demographic review.
The analysis found that growth has been strongest in southern New Hampshire and along the Maine coast, while the far north of New England and Boston have seen relatively smaller increases in residents 65 and older. The trend is reflected both in Medicare enrollment data and in tax records showing migration from Massachusetts and Connecticut into New Hampshire and Maine.
Why retirees are moving north
The report points to a mix of lifestyle and financial factors. New Hampshire, identified as the fastest-growing state in the six-state New England region, eliminated taxes on wages and on interest and dividend income in January 2025, a change the analysis says makes the state more attractive to some older households. The study also noted that many retirees relocate for coastal or smaller-town amenities and for access to nearby health care.
- New England added 400,000 Medicare enrollees age 65+ from 2020–2025.
- Southern New Hampshire saw above-average growth in that age group.
- Some migration is from Massachusetts and Connecticut into New Hampshire and Maine.
The report illustrated the pattern with town-level examples from neighboring Maine — places such as York and Scarborough added large numbers of residents 65 and older, often drawing seniors who moved from Massachusetts and nearby New Hampshire communities. While those examples are in Maine, the underlying pattern of retirees moving to coastal or southern New England communities parallels shifts observed in southern New Hampshire.
Implications for Medicare and local services
Rising numbers of Medicare enrollees typically increase demand for primary care, specialty services and social supports such as transportation and home-based care. The analysis did not estimate future service needs for New Hampshire specifically but placed the regional enrollment gains in the context of where older adults are settling.
The study’s timeframe, 2020 through 2025, covers the period during which New Hampshire changed its tax treatment of wages and investment income, effective Jan. 2025. The report linked that policy shift with the state’s appeal to some older households, as reflected in tax-move patterns and enrollment data.
| Measure | Value/Timeframe |
|---|---|
| New England residents age 65 and older added | More than 400,000 (2020–2025) |
| New Hampshire tax change | Stopped taxing wages and interest/dividend income in Jan. 2025 |
State and local officials, health care providers and senior service organizations track these demographic changes when planning for workforce needs, clinic capacity and housing options for older adults. The demographic shift also informs local budgeting for services used disproportionately by older residents, including public transportation and long-term care supports.
Officials and agencies responsible for seniors’ services in New Hampshire have not issued a joint response to the regional analysis. The data underscore an ongoing pattern of retirees relocating to amenity-rich coastal and southern New England communities, a shift that state and local planners say requires close attention to Medicare-covered care and the programs that support older residents.
