What stands out worked out from the figures below

Ashby has the oldest population (median age 50.5).

Henniker has grown the fastest since 2010 (+27.9%).

Henniker is a college town. 27% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.

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	Ashby	Henniker
People
Population	3,211Lowest	6,197Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+3.9%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+27.9%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	50.5±3Highest 30% above U.S.	31.1±6.1Lowest 20% below U.S.
Kids under 18	17%±3.5Highest U.S.: 22%	15.3%±3.7Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Ashby and Henniker are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	21.5%±4.3Highest U.S.: 17.2%	16.5%±6Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
	Ashby and Henniker are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	43.7%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	41.4%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3%±1.2Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	27%±6.5Highest U.S.: 6.4%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$115,598±$9kHighest 43% above U.S.	$95,206±$21kLowest 18% above U.S.
	Ashby and Henniker are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$390,500±$30kHighest 17% above U.S.	$356,700±$49kLowest 7% above U.S.
	Ashby and Henniker are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,200±$484Highest 15% below U.S.	$1,081±$164Lowest 23% below U.S.
	Ashby and Henniker are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$6,034Lowest 93% above U.S.	$8,877Highest 185% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	36.4%±53.5Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	43.5%±22.6Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Henniker and Ashby are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	2.6%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	11.6%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	95.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	64.5%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1970Lowest 10 yrs older than U.S.	1974Highest 6 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	33 minHighest 25% above U.S.	20 minLowest 23% below U.S.
Work from home	17.8%±5.8Highest U.S.: 15.1%	15.5%±5.6Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
	Ashby and Henniker are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#200 of 282 in MA	#56 of 120 in NH
School district	North Middlesex	Henniker School District
High school in town	None in town	None in town
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	None yet	None yet

U.S. 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.