What stands out worked out from the figures below

Ashland has the most kids (21.4% under 18).

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	Ashland	Henniker
People
Population	2,183Lowest	6,197Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-6.6%Lowest NH: +4.6%	+27.9%Highest NH: +4.6%
Median age	42.3±11.2Highest about the NH average	31.1±6.1Lowest 28% below NH
	Ashland and Henniker 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%	15.3%±3.7Lowest NH: 18.2%
	Ashland and Henniker 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%	16.5%±6Lowest NH: 20.1%
	Ashland and Henniker 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%	41.4%Highest NH: 40.6%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	2.7%±1.7Lowest NH: 6%	27%±6.5Highest NH: 6%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$54,607±$9kLowest 45% below NH	$95,206±$21kHighest 4% below NH
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$227,000±$29kLowest 44% below NH	$356,700±$49kHighest 11% below NH
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,096±$155Highest 26% below NH	$1,081±$164Lowest 27% below NH
	Ashland and Henniker 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	$8,877Highest 33% above NH
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	39.1%±14.8Lowest NH: 48.2%	43.5%±22.6Highest NH: 48.2%
	Henniker 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%	11.6%Lowest NH: 7.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	64.1%Lowest NH: 72.8%	64.5%Highest NH: 72.8%
Typical home builtmedian year	1978Highest 1 yr older than NH	1974Lowest 5 yrs older than NH
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	26 minHighest 4% below NH	20 minLowest 24% below NH
Work from home	9.9%±4.6Lowest NH: 16.8%	15.5%±5.6Highest NH: 16.8%
	Henniker and Ashland 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	—	#56 of 120 in NH
School district	Ashland School District	Henniker 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.