Hi Heather- This is a good question- but it is always relative. I've spent a lot of time in Rochester, and downtown, and I would say it's pretty safe and a nice community. That's a blanket statement of course. From the people below who live there or spend a lot of time there, it seems like it is a decent place to live where it is not a scary place to walk down the street.
It is a good idea to speak with the local police department though.
Congrats on the newborn!
Thanks, and good luck,
Ken L.

Heather,

Our recommendation is to get in touch with the local police department of county sheriffs department for the area in question. they have access to the moct accurate and up to date information.

Best regards,
The "Eckler Team"

Good Evening Heather,

As with any town or city there are always good parts and bad parts. Rochester is a great place, convenient to major highways, close to the seacoast and the mountains and is full of long time residents who have called Rochester home a long time. Statistics can not do justice as going there, driving throuh the neighborhoods and looking at the houses, how well they are or are not kept up, with your own eyes you can judge teh area that you will want to be in as oposed to any area you do not. Prices have come down so much that all areas of Rochester are very affordable. If you need assistance in getting some listings, some addresses to drive, please feel free to email or call on me to help. I can assist you in your search and finding an area suitable for you. Good lusk with your search and i hope to hear from you.

Heather
Congratulations on the arrival of your new baby! My wife and I settled in Rochester almost 20 years ago...and we couldnt be happier. The friendships we have developed and the sense of community are things that you will never find when doing your research on the internet.! I travel a lot for my work and we have debated in the past if we wanted to move closer. However, each time the decsion has been a definate "no"...as we would never be able to find the friends and relationships that we have here in Rochester.

We also have two beautiful children and we never thought twice about raising them here in Rochester. Although older then your child, they are both products of our wonderful school system and are both attending college.

Reply back if you need more detailed information...I would be happy to help. Good Luck with your search!

Dave

Heather,
We live a couple of miles from Rochester. It's not a big city with a lot of crime or anything like that. There are some areas/neighborhoods you might want to stay away from. I'm not saying stay away because of anything overly scary, but some of these neighorhoods are not kept up well and are somewhat low income....with that can come a variety of problems.
Property is a bit cheaper in Rochester, but I would prefer paying a bit more to live in Somersworth or Dover. You mentioned you have a neworn (congrats), but time passes quickly and you will be sending that cutie to school. I would caution you to look at the school system in Rochester. I would not want my two sons to attend schools there. Also, very important....go to http://www.familywatchdog.us to look at the neighborhood sex offenders list for that area. There are a few areas/neighborhoods in Rochester that have a pretty high concentration of sex offenders for some reason.
I hope this helps. Good luck in your decision.

Heather

If you know the area or address in question you can call the local Police Department and ask about activity in the area. My Mom lives in down town Rochester and enjoys it very much. She is quite addicted to the Library. Rochester is the largest town in the area with over 29,000 people. Much bigger than Portsmouth and even Dover. As with all things in real estate - location is everything.

Only you can decide what is best for your family.

Hi Heather,

You ask if Rochester, NH is a safe place to raise a baby.

Every question like this is understandable, but impossible to answer. What is the most romantic city in the world? Paris, Rome, Hong Kong? Would you live there? Is it safe? You will have to decide on your own. Start by calling the police in Rochester and ask them. Check with the Chamber of Commerce. Call a club you may now be a member of (Rotary, Jr. League, Elks or the like and ask their local club in Rochester your question).

Obviously the city is safe enough for the thousands and thousands of people who live there now. The local papers--check Portsmouth Herald and Foster's Daily Democrat--carry stories that would help you and your mother make your decision.

I will say that prices in Rochester are quite affordable by NH standards and you will find nice homes there. If you Mom is paying your mortgage, then she should have some input as to where you will live. If not, then the decision will be yours and your husband's.

Dane Hahn