New Hampshire Zombie Survival Index: 83/100

Personal assessment

Your state has a score. Do you?

Take the readiness assessment and get your own Zombie Survival Index score!

The three tests

New Hampshire scored three times

A state that handles shamblers can get erased by sprinters. Here is how New Hampshire performs under each outbreak model.

Walking DeadThe Walking Dead

91

Slow zombies reward distance, food, freshwater and terrain. New Hampshire has about 1,415,342 people and 420,000 acres in farm operations, with 28,000 cattle and calves alongside hay, dairy, maple syrup, orchards and specialty crops. The terrain and water are excellent; the farm base is small enough that it has to be planned around.

World War ZWorld War Z

87

Fast zombies turn geography into a race, and this is New Hampshire's best scenario. There is very little population to jam the roads, the White Mountains break up movement badly for anything trying to cross them, and the North Country swallows survivors quickly once they commit to going north.

Last of UsThe Last of Us

72

Yes, we know they're not technically zombies. This asks whether a settlement can function after the modern supply network fails, and it is where New Hampshire pays. 420,000 farm acres and 28,000 cattle support communities, not a population. Winter logistics compound the problem.

What helps

White Mountains, forested hills, lakes, rivers and low-density northern communities
Abundant lakes, rivers, groundwater, snowpack and precipitation
420,000 acres in farm operations
28,000 cattle and calves
Hay, dairy, maple syrup, silage corn, orchards and specialty crops, but on a comparatively small agricultural base
A regional-grid state with nuclear, natural gas, hydro, biomass and distributed solar resources
The New Hampshire National Guard and regional federal and Coast Guard assets

What hurts

Limited agricultural scale and dependence on regional supply
Heavy winter weather, ice storms, flooding, severe cold, windstorms and occasional coastal storms
Remote safety can mean thinner medicine and longer repair distances
Main corridors can become population funnels after a late evacuation

Move north from the southern commuter belt, then settle near freshwater, wood heat and local farms in a community that already knows how to operate through winter.

Personal assessment

Your state has a score. Do you?

Take the readiness assessment and get your own Zombie Survival Index score!

Get my free ZSI score

The reason for the score

New Hampshire's zombie superpowers

White Mountains, forested hills, lakes, rivers and low-density northern communities determine movement, observation, evacuation and settlement options. The best refuge is not simply remote — it needs terrain plus water plus food plus energy plus access.

1 · Low population

Only about 1.42 million people statewide, and most of them are concentrated in the south.

2 · Mountains and forests

The White Mountains and North Country create real separation and genuinely defensive terrain.

3 · Water

Lakes, rivers and groundwater are plentiful essentially everywhere in the state.

4 · Winter

Cold provides major seasonal suppression, and New Hampshire gets enough of it to count on.

The catch

Food scale, Boston and the cost of winter

Food scale

USDA lists just 420,000 farm acres and 28,000 cattle. The state can support communities, not its entire modern population without major adaptation.

Boston spillover

Southern New Hampshire is tied tightly to the Boston region, and that connection runs both directions.

Winter logistics

Wood heat, fuel, snow clearing and stored food are not optional here.

The framework

25 survival factors, scored 1–10

Every state is measured on the same 25 factors. Weighting shifts by scenario — terrain matters more against sprinters, agriculture matters more in a long collapse.

01 Population density Low statewide density 9/10

02 Major city exposure Southern New Hampshire feels Boston spillover 8/10

03 Road escape capacity Road network is adequate but thinner north 7/10

04 Freshwater availability Excellent lakes, rivers and groundwater 10/10

05 Agricultural capacity Only 420,000 farm acres 5/10

06 Food self-sufficiency Useful but limited food scale 6/10

07 Wilderness & remote land Large forest and remote northern land 9/10

08 Natural defensive terrain White Mountains are elite terrain 10/10

09 Climate survivability Cold climate is demanding 6/10

10 Winter zombie suppression Elite winter suppression 10/10

11 Natural disaster risk Winter storms, floods and ice 6/10

12 Energy production Moderate regional energy resources 6/10

13 Off-grid energy potential Hydro, biomass and solar are useful 8/10

14 Medical resources Good southern medicine, thinner north 7/10

15 Military & Guard presence Guard presence but limited major installations 6/10

16 Emergency management Strong winter and emergency response capability 8/10

17 Supply & logistics Regional supply dependence is a weakness 6/10

18 Infrastructure vulnerability Winter and regional-grid dependence matter 6/10

19 Survival resource availability Water, timber, wildlife and local food are useful 8/10

20 Evacuation & refuge potential Strong refuge potential 9/10

21 Natural barriers & water access Mountains, lakes and rivers create barriers 10/10

22 Distance from population centers North Country is far from major metros 9/10

23 Chokepoint & bridge dependency Mountain roads can become chokepoints 8/10

24 Hunting, fishing & foraging Excellent hunting, fishing and foraging 10/10

25 Long-term settlement potential Good with winter and food planning 7/10

Tactics

What works, by scenario

Strategy	Walking Dead	World War Z	Last of Us
Rural farm or ranch with independent water	Excellent	Very good if reached early	Excellent
Small agricultural town	Very good	Good	Excellent
Remote site with no food system	Good early	Very good for isolation	Poor long-term
Major highway evacuation	Good early, bad late	Terrible late	Poor after collapse
Major metro shelter	Poor	Terrible	Poor
Distributed renewable power	Very good	Good	Excellent
Hunting and fishing supplement	Very good	Good	Very good
One-road refuge	Risky	Risky	Risky

Geography

Where to be

Best overall

North Country

Low population, forest, water and winter are all excellent up here.

Almost nobody to turn
Wood heat on site
Lakes and rivers in every direction
Real distance from the southern belt

Runner-up

Monadnock / western hill towns

Terrain and farms are good, but you are closer to the southern population.

Third

Lakes Region away from tourist centres

Water and forest resources are strong with moderate access.

Where not to be

Avoid early

Manchester-Nashua / I-93 corridor

Regional commuter movement and Boston spillover are the issue.

Avoid

Deep mountain site with no winter access

The snow does not care how defensible the ridge is.

Avoid

Tourist lake town during peak evacuation

Everyone already knows where the lake is.

Verdict

83 out of 100 · Grade B · Rank #19

New Hampshire is excellent zombie-survival territory for small, prepared communities. It has mountains, forests, lakes, rivers, cold winters, a low population, and rugged terrain that naturally restricts movement. The catch is limited farmland, a short growing season, dependence on imported fuel and food, winter isolation, and population spillover from greater Boston. Northern areas offer strong refuge potential, but only for survivors equipped to remain self-sufficient through severe weather.

Walking Dead 91. World War Z 87. Last of Us 72.

Move north from the southern commuter belt, then settle near freshwater, wood heat and local farms in a community that already knows how to operate through winter.

See the national survey board

Method & sources

Where the numbers come from

The Zombie Survival Index is a fictional entertainment ranking that uses real public data as its inputs. Every state is scored on the same 25 factors under three outbreak models, and the overall number blends those results. All fifty states have been assessed and normalised against the same national scoring set.

U.S. Census Bureau, 2025 Population Estimates and QuickFacts
USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service, 2025 State Agriculture Overview
U.S. Energy Information Administration, State Electricity Profile
State water-resource and environmental agencies
State emergency-management agencies
U.S. Department of Defense and National Guard installation sources
State wildlife, hunting and fishing agencies
NOAA and state climatology and hazard sources