New Hampshire ranked 41st in population in the US with an estimated total of 1,275,056 in 2002, an increase of 11% since 2000. Between 1990 and 2000, New Hampshire's population grew from 1,109,252 to 1,235,786, an increase of 11.4%. The population is projected to reach 1,281,000 by 2005 and 1.4 million by 2025. The population density in 2000 was 137.8 persons per sq mi.
In 2000 the median age was 37.1. Persons under 18 years old accounted for 25% of the population while 12% were age 65 or older. Leading cities with their 2000 estimated populations are Manchester, 107,066; Nashua, 86,605; and Concord, the capital, 40,687. All three are located in the southeastern region, where more than two-thirds of all state residents live.