Published September 23, 2026
9 Towns Near Nashua NH: Commutes, Prices & Taxes (2026)
Quick answer: The nine towns near Nashua NH are Hudson, Merrimack, Litchfield, Hollis, Amherst, Milford, Brookline, Pelham and Londonderry — all within roughly 10 to 20 minutes of downtown. Median prices run from about $575,000 in Milford to $885,000 in Hollis (NHAR, year to date through August 2026), and 2025 tax rates spread from $14.20 to $25.93 per $1,000.
When buyers search for towns near Nashua NH, they are usually pricing out of the city and looking one town over, or moving up from Massachusetts and trying to understand what surrounds the first big New Hampshire city on Route 3.
This is the full geographic ring — every town that borders Nashua or sits within a short commute, including the busy ones, not just the rural ones. If you specifically want quiet and acreage, our guide to country living near Nashua NH ranks the seven quietest. This post is the wider map.
Which towns actually border Nashua?
Nashua touches six municipalities directly. Going clockwise from the east: Hudson sits across the Merrimack River, Litchfield is north along the river's east bank, Merrimack is north along Route 3, Amherst and Hollis are west, and the Massachusetts towns of Tyngsborough and Dunstable form the southern line.
One town further out you pick up Milford and Brookline to the west, Pelham to the southeast, and Londonderry to the northeast. Those four are still inside a 20-minute drive, which is why they show up in the same buyer searches.
The 9 towns near Nashua NH at a glance
Every figure below is the New Hampshire REALTORS® Local Market Update for single-family homes, year to date through August 2026. Year-to-date medians are used rather than single-month figures because several of these towns closed fewer than 20 sales in August, and one luxury closing moves a small-town monthly median by six figures.
| Town | Typical drive to downtown Nashua | Median sale, YTD thru Aug 2026 | YoY | Homes for sale (Aug) | Months' supply | 2025 tax rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nashua (for reference) | — | $590,000 | +7.3% | 43 | 1.0 | $16.83 |
| Hudson | ~10 min east | $600,000 | −4.0% | 16 | 1.1 | $17.11 |
| Merrimack | ~12 min north | $622,450 | +3.7% | 21 | 1.1 | $22.11 |
| Hollis | ~12 min west | $885,000 | −3.3% | 17 | 2.6 | $18.90 |
| Litchfield | ~15 min north | ~$747,565 | +25.1% | 3 | 0.4 | $14.20 |
| Amherst | ~15 min northwest | $723,000 | +5.0% | 36 | 3.2 | $23.98 |
| Milford | ~18 min west | $575,000 | +1.8% | 11 | 1.1 | $25.93 |
| Brookline | ~18 min southwest | $715,000 | +8.8% | 12 | 1.7 | $24.64 |
| Pelham | ~20 min southeast | $746,000 | −2.5% | 19 | 1.6 | $19.09 |
| Londonderry | ~20 min northeast | $725,000 | +2.8% | 25 | 1.5 | $14.47 |
Drive times are typical off-peak trips to downtown Nashua; the Route 3 and Everett Turnpike corridors add real minutes at 7:30 a.m. Statewide, the single-family median was $569,900 in August 2026, up 3.6% year over year, with inventory up 18.7% (NHAR Monthly Indicators).
East of the river: Hudson and Pelham
Hudson is the town most people mean first when they say "near Nashua." It is directly across the Merrimack, and at $600,000 year to date it is the closest thing the ring has to a like-for-like substitute for the city itself — its $17.11 rate is within a rounding error of Nashua's $16.83. The catch is the bridges: Taylor Falls and Veterans Memorial carry everything, and the afternoon backup is a real commuting cost.
Pelham sits southeast against the Massachusetts line, which is why it prices as it does — $746,000 year to date, with Route 38 running down to Dracut and Lowell. Pelham buyers are often people who work in Massachusetts and want the New Hampshire tax structure, a pattern covered in our guide to the best NH towns near the Massachusetts border.
North along the river: Merrimack and Litchfield
Merrimack is the practical middle of the ring: $622,450 year to date, 21 homes on the market in August, and the best highway position of any town here — Exits 10 through 13 off the Everett Turnpike put you in Nashua in about twelve minutes and in Manchester in twenty. The trade-off is the tax rate, $22.11, one of the higher ones in the group.
Litchfield is the outlier, and buyers should know why before they fall in love with the number. Its year-to-date median jumped to roughly $747,565, up 25.1% — but the town had just three single-family homes for sale in August, a 0.4-month supply, and homes there sold at 103.3% of original list price year to date. That is not a market you shop casually. Litchfield also carries the second-lowest tax rate in the ring at $14.20.
West of the city: Hollis, Amherst, Milford and Brookline
Hollis is the premium address, at $885,000 year to date, with a 2.6-month supply — genuinely the most negotiating room in the ring alongside Amherst. Amherst follows at $723,000 with 36 homes for sale and a 3.2-month supply, the loosest market of the nine, though its $23.98 rate is near the top.
Milford is the value entry at $575,000, the only town in the ring below the statewide median — but its $25.93 rate is the highest here, which claws back a chunk of the savings. Brookline sits between them at $715,000 with a small, thin market: 12 homes for sale and 40 closings through August.
Northeast: Londonderry
Londonderry stretches the definition of "near Nashua" — about 20 minutes on Route 102 — but it belongs here for one reason: at $14.47 per $1,000 it has one of the lowest tax rates in southern New Hampshire, at a $725,000 median with 25 homes for sale. For buyers optimizing the monthly payment rather than the drive, it is frequently the answer.
What about the Massachusetts side?
Tyngsborough, Dunstable and Pepperell sit within the same drive time, and Nashua-area buyers routinely cross the line to look. The honest trade: Massachusetts adds a state income tax and a sales tax that New Hampshire does not levy, while New Hampshire leans harder on property tax to make up the difference. Which side wins depends on your income and your house, not a rule of thumb — the math is in New Hampshire vs. Massachusetts cost of living.
How much do property taxes differ between towns near Nashua?
A lot — more than most buyers expect. The 2025 rates in this ring run from $14.20 in Litchfield to $25.93 in Milford, a spread of $11.73 per $1,000 of assessed value. On a home assessed at $600,000 that is roughly $7,000 a year, or about $580 a month, between two towns fifteen minutes apart.
The important caveat: a tax rate is meaningless without the equalization ratio behind it. Towns assess at different percentages of market value, so a high rate on a low assessment can produce a smaller bill than a low rate on a full-value assessment. Always compare the actual annual bill on the actual house, not the rate. Our New Hampshire property taxes by town guide has the statewide table, and Nashua NH property taxes covers the city itself.
Which town near Nashua has the most homes for sale right now?
Amherst, by a wide margin — 36 single-family homes and a 3.2-month supply in August, against Litchfield's three homes and 0.4 months. Hollis (2.6 months) and Brookline (1.7) are the next loosest; Hudson, Merrimack and Milford all sit near 1.1 months.
This matters more than it sounds. New Hampshire inventory rose 18.7% year over year in August, but that added supply did not land evenly across this ring — it collected in Amherst and Hollis and never reached Litchfield or Milford. Across our own closings this year we keep seeing the same thing play out: a buyer's second-choice town with four good listings usually beats a first-choice town with none, because the second-choice town is where you can actually negotiate. If you are flexible on which side of Nashua you land, this is the fall to use that flexibility.
Related reading
- Want the rural end of this list in detail? Start with Country Living Near Nashua NH: 7 Quiet Towns Within 20 Minutes.
- Deciding between the two big cities instead? See Nashua vs. Manchester NH.
- Commuting to Boston from here? Our best NH towns for Boston commuters guide ranks the whole corridor.
Frequently asked questions
What towns are closest to Nashua NH?
Hudson is closest, about ten minutes east across the Merrimack River. Merrimack and Hollis follow at roughly twelve minutes, then Amherst and Litchfield at about fifteen. Milford, Brookline, Pelham and Londonderry all sit inside a twenty-minute drive of downtown Nashua.
What is the cheapest town near Nashua NH?
Milford, at a $575,000 median sale price year to date through August 2026 (NHAR) — the only town in the ring below the New Hampshire statewide median of $569,900 by a meaningful margin on a per-home basis. Note that Milford also carries the ring's highest 2025 tax rate at $25.93 per $1,000.
Is Hudson NH a good alternative to Nashua?
For most buyers, yes. Hudson's year-to-date median of $600,000 is close to Nashua's $590,000, its 2025 tax rate of $17.11 is nearly identical to Nashua's $16.83, and it is a ten-minute drive. The main trade-off is river-crossing traffic at commuting hours.
Which towns near Nashua have the lowest property taxes?
Litchfield at $14.20 and Londonderry at $14.47 per $1,000 have the lowest 2025 rates in the ring, well under Nashua's $16.83. Compare actual tax bills rather than rates, because equalization ratios differ by town.
How far is Nashua NH from Boston?
Roughly 45 miles, typically 50 to 75 minutes by car depending on traffic, or a short drive to the Lowell station for the MBTA Lowell Line. That proximity is the main reason towns around Nashua price above the statewide median.
Are homes near Nashua selling quickly in 2026?
It depends on the town. Litchfield sold at 103.3% of original list price year to date on a 0.4-month supply, while Amherst sat at 100.0% with 3.2 months of inventory. With 30-year rates at 6.95% as of September 17, 2026 (Freddie Mac), well-priced homes still move fast and overpriced ones sit.
Not sure which side of Nashua fits you?
The numbers narrow nine towns to three. After that it comes down to the specific street, the school bus route and what is actually for sale that week — and that is the call The Phinney Team at Keller Williams takes all day in this ring.
Book a town-matching call and we will send you a side-by-side on the three towns that actually fit your budget, commute and tax tolerance. You can also browse current Nashua NH real estate listings or start with our buyer guide.
Market figures: New Hampshire REALTORS® Local Market Updates and Monthly Indicators, August 2026. Mortgage rate: Freddie Mac Primary Mortgage Market Survey, September 17, 2026. Tax rates are 2025 municipal rates; New Hampshire sets 2026 rates in October and November.
