What stands out worked out from the figures below

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

Sanbornton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+2%).

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	Sanbornton
People
Population	2,183Lowest	3,053Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-6.6%Lowest NH: +4.6%	+2%Highest NH: +4.6%
Median age	42.3±11.2Highest about the NH average	41.9±5.4Lowest 3% below NH
	Ashland and Sanbornton 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%	18.1%±5.5Lowest NH: 18.2%
	Ashland and Sanbornton 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%	21.5%±4.4Lowest NH: 20.1%
	Ashland and Sanbornton 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%	39.7%Highest NH: 40.6%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	2.7%±1.7Highest NH: 6%	1.9%±1.4Lowest NH: 6%
	Ashland and Sanbornton 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	$113,750±$41kHighest 15% above NH
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$227,000±$29kLowest 44% below NH	$452,300±$30kHighest 12% above NH
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,096±$155Lowest 26% below NH	$1,289±$198Highest 14% below NH
	Sanbornton 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	$5,731Highest 14% below NH
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	39.1%±14.8Highest NH: 48.2%	29.3%±23.5Lowest NH: 48.2%
	Ashland and Sanbornton 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%	4.8%Lowest NH: 7.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	64.1%Lowest NH: 72.8%	85.9%Highest NH: 72.8%
Typical home builtmedian year	1978Lowest 1 yr older than NH	1986Highest 7 yrs newer than NH
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	26 minLowest 4% below NH	31 minHighest 16% above NH
Work from home	9.9%±4.6Lowest NH: 16.8%	15.8%±6.1Highest NH: 16.8%
	Sanbornton 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	—	#42 of 120 in NH
School district	Ashland School District	Winnisquam 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.