What stands out worked out from the figures below

Ashland has the most affordable homes ($227k median).

Bradford has grown the fastest since 2010 (+0.7%).

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	Ashland	Bradford
People
Population	2,183Highest	1,565Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-6.6%Lowest NH: +4.6%	+0.7%Highest NH: +4.6%
Median age	42.3±11.2Lowest about the NH average	50.3±5.2Highest 16% above NH
	Bradford and Ashland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	21.4%±6.4 NH: 18.2%	21.4%±4.2 NH: 18.2%
Age 65+	25.8%±5.3Lowest NH: 20.1%	26.3%±3.5Highest NH: 20.1%
	Bradford and Ashland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	35.9%Lowest NH: 40.6%	37.9%Highest NH: 40.6%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	2.7%±1.7Highest NH: 6%	1.9%±1.2Lowest NH: 6%
	Ashland and Bradford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$54,607±$9kLowest 45% below NH	$108,015±$21kHighest 9% above NH
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$227,000±$29kLowest 44% below NH	$341,700±$38kHighest 15% below NH
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,096±$155Lowest 26% below NH	$1,507±$206Highest about the NH average
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,961Lowest 26% below NH	$6,307Highest 5% below NH
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	39.1%±14.8Lowest NH: 48.2%	41.1%±22.4Highest NH: 48.2%
	Bradford and Ashland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	21.1%Highest NH: 7.2%	9.6%Lowest NH: 7.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	64.1%Lowest NH: 72.8%	85.4%Highest NH: 72.8%
Typical home builtmedian year	1978Highest 1 yr older than NH	1972Lowest 7 yrs older than NH
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	26 minLowest 4% below NH	32 minHighest 20% above NH
Work from home	9.9%±4.6Lowest NH: 16.8%	18.6%±8Highest NH: 16.8%
	Bradford and Ashland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	Ashland School District	Kearsarge Regional 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.