What stands out worked out from the figures below

Alstead has the oldest population (median age 56).

Madbury has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.3%).

What matters to you?

Pick a few. We’ll pull those rows to the top and mark which town comes out ahead on each. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Alstead	Madbury
People
Population	1,551Lowest	2,203Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-3.8%Lowest NH: +4.6%	+8.3%Highest NH: +4.6%
Median age	56±3.3Highest 29% above NH	37.7±2.1Lowest 13% below NH
Kids under 18	12.3%±3.1Lowest NH: 18.2%	29%±5.9Highest NH: 18.2%
Age 65+	27.8%±4.2Highest NH: 20.1%	14.3%±2.6Lowest NH: 20.1%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	28.3%Lowest NH: 40.6%	52.6%Highest NH: 40.6%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3.4%±2.6 NH: 6%	3.4%±1.8 NH: 6%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$64,526±$11kLowest 35% below NH	$148,365±$30kHighest 50% above NH
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$271,600±$37kLowest 33% below NH	$476,900±$31kHighest 18% above NH
Rentmedian gross, monthly	—	$1,574±$759 6% above NH
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,322Lowest 20% below NH	$10,000+Highest at least 50% above NH
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	72.1%±22.3Highest NH: 48.2%	16.7%±15.2Lowest NH: 48.2%
Below poverty line	8.9%Highest NH: 7.2%	4.9%Lowest NH: 7.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	76%Lowest NH: 72.8%	82.9%Highest NH: 72.8%
Typical home builtmedian year	1973Lowest 6 yrs older than NH	1984Highest 5 yrs newer than NH
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	32 minHighest 19% above NH	25 minLowest 5% below NH
Work from home	12.1%±5.6Lowest NH: 16.8%	14%±3.6Highest NH: 16.8%
	Madbury and Alstead are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	Fall Mountain Regional School District	Oyster River Coop School District
High school in town	None in town	None in town
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	None yet	None yet

NH average · Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024; 2010 & 2020 decennial census; NCES Common Core of Data. “±” is the Census margin of error. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. School rank compares math and reading proficiency against the state average.