Compare towns
Ashland vs Grantham vs Thornton
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against New Hampshire.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Ashland has the most affordable homes ($227k median).
Grantham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+14%).
Thornton has the most people working from home (29.8%).
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.
| Measure | Ashland | Grantham | Thornton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 2,183Lowest |
3,465Highest |
2,799 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -6.6%Lowest NH: +4.6% |
+14%Highest NH: +4.6% |
+8.8% NH: +4.6% |
| Median age | 42.3±11.2Lowest about the NH average |
50.4±7.5 16% above NH |
51.1±3.4Highest 18% above NH |
| Thornton and Grantham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 21.4%±6.4Highest NH: 18.2% |
19.1%±6.6 NH: 18.2% |
13.9%±4.6Lowest NH: 18.2% |
| Ashland and Grantham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 25.8%±5.3Highest NH: 20.1% |
17%±6.9Lowest NH: 20.1% |
19%±4.9 NH: 20.1% |
| Ashland and Thornton 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% |
59.6%Highest NH: 40.6% |
46.3% NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.7%±1.7Lowest NH: 6% |
4.8%±6Highest NH: 6% |
4.8%±2.9Highest NH: 6% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $54,607±$9kLowest 45% below NH |
$106,403±$54kHighest 7% above NH |
$90,022±$17k 9% below NH |
| Grantham and Thornton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $227,000±$29kLowest 44% below NH |
$343,100±$39k 15% below NH |
$351,900±$20kHighest 13% below NH |
| Thornton and Grantham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,096±$155Lowest 26% below NH |
— | $1,270±$428Highest 15% below NH |
| Thornton and Ashland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,961Lowest 26% below NH |
$7,605Highest 14% above NH |
$5,032 25% below NH |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 39.1%±14.8Lowest NH: 48.2% |
— | 57.7%±24.7Highest NH: 48.2% |
| Thornton 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% |
0%Lowest NH: 7.2% |
9.2% NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.1%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
100%Highest NH: 72.8% |
88.3% NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1978Lowest 1 yr older than NH |
1987Highest 8 yrs newer than NH |
1984 5 yrs newer than NH |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 minHighest 4% below NH |
23 minLowest 16% below NH |
23 min 15% below NH |
| Work from home | 9.9%±4.6Lowest NH: 16.8% |
13.8%±6.2 NH: 16.8% |
29.8%±9.7Highest NH: 16.8% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | #6 of 120 in NH | #18 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Ashland School District | Grantham School District | Thornton School District |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | None in town |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | 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.