The New Hampshire section of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) released the 2026 Report Card for New Hampshire's Infrastructure , assigning the state's infrastructure a cumulative grade of 'C'.
That is a one-step improvement over the 2017 New Hampshire report card grade of 'C-', and in line with the national infrastructure grade in ASCE's 2025 Report Card for America's Infrastructure. A 'C' grade means New Hampshire's infrastructure is in mediocre condition and is generally meeting current needs, but requires attention and must be modernized to withstand increasingly frequent severe weather events. The report covers 12 categories of infrastructure: aviation, bridges, dams, drinking water, energy, hazardous waste, ports, rail, roads, solid waste, stormwater and wastewater.
Four infrastructure categories (aviation, ports, rail and roads) saw grade increases compared to the 2017 New Hampshire report card, while one category (solid waste) saw a grade decrease.
The report finds that New Hampshire has some of the oldest infrastructure systems in the nation, with structures at or exceeding their intended design lives. This leaves major investment needs for maintenance and modernization. Additionally, most of these older structures were designed prior to modern climate projections and resilient technologies, making the overall infrastructure network vulnerable to increased precipitation patterns and flooding events.
Record federal investment and state programs in the transportation and freight categories, led to improved performance. However, more investments are needed, particularly after the 2021 federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), which has provided more than $2 billion for infrastructure systems in New Hampshire alone, expired in September of this year. Additionally, each sector is facing mounting workforce challenges from an increasing number of retirements and an insufficient supply of new engineers joining the field.
“Safe and efficient infrastructure networks are responsible for connecting and protecting New Hampshire families and for growing our economy," said Logan Johnson, PE, co-chair of the 2026 Report Card for New Hampshire's Infrastructure. “This report finds that the investments we have made from significant boosts in temporary federal funding have started to make meaningful progress updating the systems we depend so heavily on. But with so many aging assets in our state, New Hampshire households and businesses cannot afford for us to lose momentum.”
New Hampshire's roads improved to a 'C+' in the 2026 report card, compared to a 'D+' at the national level. More than 86 percent of the state highway system is in good or fair condition, up 18 percent over the past decade despite a 15 percent rise in vehicle miles traveled since 2000. Bridges received a 'C-', lower than the national grade of 'C', as 8.4 percent of the state inventory is in poor condition, higher than the national average of 6.8 percent. The average age of the state's non-Turnpike bridges is 65 years, while municipal bridges average 56 years, both ahead of the common intended design life of 50 years. Increased state funding and resources from the IIJA helped lead to improved road conditions and a 27 percent decrease in 'Red List' bridges, meaning those that have at least one structural element in 'poor' condition but are still considered safe to use.
Three sectors playing a major role in freight mobility saw grade increases. Aviation received the highest grade with a 'B-', an improvement from a 'C+' in 2017. The IIJA added $50 million to New Hampshire airports, and passenger travel has rebounded to pre-pandemic levels.
The state's drinking water infrastructure received a 'C-', as the state's 2,500 public water systems are aging beyond their intended design lives and struggling to keep up with growing demands and emerging contaminants, such as PFAS. Despite receiving more than $400 million in federal drinking water infrastructure funding between 2022 and 2026, the network faces an estimated $857 million in investment needs over the next 10 years. Wastewater received a 'D+', facing a $2.2 billion in needs by 2042 despite only receiving approximately $65 million annually in loans and grants. Much of the state's wastewater network was built in the 1970s and requires modernization or replacement.
The report card includes seven recommendations to raise the grade:
• Secure dedicated, long-term funding to replace one-time federal infusions: Much of New Hampshire's recent progress has relied on recent federal programs, while state revenue sources have not kept pace with needs. Dedicated, predictable funding is needed, and existing state funds should be maintained.
• Set NH rates and fees for proactiveness rather than reactiveness: New Hampshire's utility and resource rates are not sufficient to sustain infrastructure programs and assets. Aligning rates and fees with the actual cost of service, supported by public education on those costs, will allow owners to plan for replacement rather than react to failure.
• Expand asset management and preventive maintenance: Knowing what assets exist, what condition they are in, and what they will cost to replace allows owners to prioritize limited dollars. Statewide support is needed for asset inventories, condition assessments, and planning.
• Build resilience into planning, design, and funding decisions: Heavier storms, drought, and rising seas already affect infrastructure statewide. Resilience should be integrated into capital plans, including coastal protection at harbors, system interconnections, and storage and transmission improvements for the electric grid.
• Improve the built environment for safer, healthier communities: New Hampshire should fund positions to develop and manage dam Emergency Action Plans, fully fund and expand roadway safety programs, invest in treatment and source evaluation for emerging contaminants, and strengthen cybersecurity at water systems.
• Invest in the infrastructure workforce: Staffing gaps affect infrastructure programs across categories and limit what the state and its partners can deliver. Expanded training, certification, and career pathways, along with retention of experienced staff, are essential.
• Strengthen partnerships, technical assistance, and regional coordination: State support should include technical assistance for municipal bridges and grant administration, measures allowing small water systems to interconnect or merge, funding programs open to non-state dam owners, support to local stormwater funding programs, and regional partnerships for rail.
Civil engineers use their expertise and school report card-style letter grades to condense complicated data into an easy-to-understand analysis of New Hampshire's infrastructure network. ASCE state report cards are modeled after the Report Card for America's Infrastructure, which is released once every four years.
