Get paid to care for family in Belknap County
Most of the 16,900 people in Belknap County who are 65 or older are cared for at home, by a relative. New Hampshire Medicaid can pay you for that work.
Belknap County at a glance
- Aged 65+
- 16,900
- Aged 85+
- 1,510
- Rank in NH
- 8th
- Median age
- 49.0
26% of residents
when daily help usually starts
of 10 counties, by residents 65+
older than the country
U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Population Estimates (Vintage 2024). Belknap County is a smaller-city county (Rural-Urban Continuum Code 4).
- 50 + DC
- states covered
- 3,144
- counties with local data
- $0
- it is always free to apply
- 2 min
- to see if you qualify
Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau · Rules from each state's published Medicaid program
Care in Belknap
What being a paid caregiver looks like here
About 16,900 people in Belknap County are 65 or older — 26% of everyone who lives here. That is an older county than New Hampshire overall, so more families here are already doing this work. Roughly 1,510 are 85 or older, the age when daily help usually starts. There are only so many home-care agencies in a county this size, and the ones that are here do not always cover evenings, weekends, or the far end of the county.
Statewide, 303,300 people in New Hampshire are 65 or older — 22% of the state, across 10 counties.
What New Hampshire pays family caregivers
$15–$22/hr
Your exact pay is set by the program and your care plan. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Source: New Hampshire Medicaid program data · Updated September 2026
New Hampshire's programs at a glance
- Choices for Independence (CFI) Waiver
- PCAS
- In-Home Supports Waiver (children)
- Spouse paid?
- Not right now
- Parent paid for a child?
- Sometimes
- Waitlist
- Some programs have no waitlist.
These rules are set by the state, so they are the same in every county. Read the full New Hampshire guide →
Towns and cities in Belknap County
New Hampshire sets eligibility, not your town — so a family in Laconia and a family at the far edge of the county apply the same way. The largest communities in Belknap County:
- Laconia17,310
- Gilford7,886
- Belmont7,428
- Meredith6,829
- Alton6,051
- Barnstead5,036
- Tilton4,116
- Gilmanton4,072
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, 2024 Subcounty Population Estimates.
How families in Belknap apply
You do not need a county office to start. Families in Belknap County start with New Hampshire's program:
Apply via NH Easy online or a district DHHS office; ServiceLink/ADRC (866-634-9412) assists with CFI; for PCAS enroll in NH Medicaid then submit a Request for Services to Granite State Independent Living.
Or skip the phone tag — our free 2-minute check tells you which New Hampshire program fits your family, then we help with the forms.
See if you qualify →Belknap questions, answered honestly
Can I get paid to care for a family member in Belknap County?
Yes. New Hampshire runs real Medicaid programs — like Choices for Independence (CFI) Waiver — that pay family caregivers, and they cover families in Belknap County. We help you enroll, and applying costs you nothing.
How much do family caregivers earn in Belknap County?
Reported figures in New Hampshire are around $15–$22/hr, but rates vary — the program sets your exact pay. We'll tell you your real number before you enroll.
Where do families in Belknap County apply?
Families in Belknap County start with the state, not the county. Apply via NH Easy online or a district DHHS office; ServiceLink/ADRC (866-634-9412) assists with CFI; for PCAS enroll in NH Medicaid then submit a Request for Services to Granite State Independent Living.
Can I get paid to care for my spouse in Belknap County?
Not right now — but other family members often can be. The fine print for New Hampshire: no — none of New Hampshire's three programs pays a spouse: He-E 801.12(a)(6) (Choices for Independence), He-W 552.04(b)(3) (PCAS) and He-M 524.26(j) (In-Home Supports) all exclude spouses
How many people in Belknap County might need this?
16,900 residents of Belknap County are 65 or older and about 1,510 are 85 or older, according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2024 population estimates. Most of them are cared for at home by a relative rather than in a facility. New Hampshire's programs exist to pay for exactly that care.
Which towns in Belknap do you cover?
All of Belknap County — including Laconia, Gilford, Belmont, Meredith and Alton. Eligibility is set by New Hampshire, not by your town, so where you live inside the county does not change whether you qualify.
Program facts come from New Hampshire's published Medicaid program rules · Population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau · Updated September 2026. Rules change — always confirm with the program.
Guides
For families in Belknap County
Start with the New Hampshire caregiver program, then read how the pieces fit together.
Nearby
Counties next to Belknap
The counties Belknap touches, by Census boundaries — a few of those borders run across water.
Find out in 2 minutes
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