Southwest New Hampshire—and northern New England more broadly—has not historically experienced high levels of international in‑migration relative to other parts of the country. As a result, population change in the region is often discussed primarily in terms of domestic migration and natural population trends.
Over the last decade, however, international migration has played a measurable role in offsetting population decline in parts of Southwest New Hampshire. In several communities, it has been the only source of net population growth during this period.
One way to better understand overall population change is to examine its three primary components: natural change, domestic migration, and international migration. Natural change reflects the number of births minus the number of deaths within a given area. Domestic migration measures movement to and from other parts of the United States, while international migration captures movement between the region and locations outside the country.
As shown in the graph below, both Cheshire and Sullivan Counties experienced net population gains from international migration during the 2010–2019 period, while simultaneously experiencing population losses due to natural change and domestic out‑migration. In Cheshire County, for example, deaths exceeded births by 368 people, and domestic out‑migration resulted in a net loss of 1,196 residents. These losses were partially offset by a net gain of 565 residents through international migration.
When interpreting this data, it’s important to consider who qualifies as an international migrant. U.S. Census Bureau data on “components of population change” includes not only foreign-born individuals in this category, but also native-born U.S. citizens who moved to/from locations outside the country.
Even with that caveat in mind, the relative strength of international migration to Southwest NH begs the question: is it a source of new residents and workers that we should be actively cultivating to address the issue of aging demographics? How might we as a region more proactively welcome households and individuals from other parts of the globe?