Land for Sale in Coos County, NH
Coos County is New Hampshire's northern North Country, 1,830 square miles of forest and mountains with 31,268 residents (2020 census), about 17 people per square mile. Land is far cheaper than in southern New Hampshire, and most large parcels are enrolled in the state's current use program, which carries a tax penalty if you change the land. This guide covers the market and that program.
Coos County at a glance
- County seat: Lancaster. Berlin is the only city; towns include Colebrook, Gorham and Pittsburg.
- 2020 population 31,268; about 1,830 square miles and roughly 17 people per square mile.
- Highways: US 2, US 3, and NH 16 and 26.
- Part of the White Mountain National Forest lies in the county.
- Forestry and tourism are the major industries; paper-making, once dominant, has declined sharply.
The Coos County land market
Buyers come for woods, hunting, snowmobiling and four-season recreation at a fraction of southern New Hampshire prices. Typical listings are 10- to 100-plus-acre forested parcels, camp and cabin lots, and rural homesites around Lancaster, Colebrook and Pittsburg, near the Connecticut Lakes region, and in the mountain towns near Gorham and Berlin. Winter access, distance to services and power are the main variables.
Current use and the land use change tax
Under RSA 79-A, land that is at least 10 acres, or earns $2,500 a year in agricultural products, can be assessed at its current use value as farmland, forest land or unproductive land, which can cut property tax a lot. The catch is the land use change tax: when land moves out of current use to a non-qualifying use, the owner owes a tax of 10% of the land's full and true value, not its current use value. Changes that can trigger it include building a driveway, structures, septic or utilities on enrolled land, falling below the 10-acre minimum, or selling topsoil or gravel. Land can be sold or subdivided without penalty if each parcel remains at least 10 acres, and the encumbrance stays with the land. Applications are due by April 15.
Before you buy a Coos County parcel, ask the seller or town assessor whether it is in current use. If you plan to build, budget the change tax on the portion you take out of the program.
Zoning, roads and winter
Zoning varies by town, and state shoreland, wetland and septic rules apply regardless, so ask the town and the state environmental department what a parcel allows. Roads can be Class VI roads, which towns do not maintain, or private roads, so confirm legal access and winter maintenance. Winters are long and snowy, and wells and power extension can be expensive on remote lots.
Before you buy land in Coos County
- Current use status and the land use change tax on the area you will develop.
- Recorded legal access: town road, Class VI road or private road, and winter plowing.
- Town zoning, state wetland and shoreland rules, and septic approval.
- Well, power and cell coverage, which can be limited.
- Boundary lines on large forest tracts; get a survey.
How to verify legal access to landLand due diligence checklist
Frequently asked questions
What is New Hampshire's current use program?
It assesses qualifying land of at least 10 acres at its current use value instead of full market value, with a land use change tax of 10% of full value if the land is taken out of current use for a non-qualifying use.
Can I build on current use land in Coos County?
Yes, but the area you convert is taxed under the land use change tax, including land under a driveway, structures, septic or utilities. Ask the town assessor how it would apply to your plan.
How many people live in Coos County?
About 31,268 in 2020, roughly 17 per square mile.