What stands out worked out from the figures below

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

Springfield has the highest household income ($101k).

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	Springfield
People
Population	2,183Highest	1,122Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-6.6%Lowest NH: +4.6%	-4%Highest NH: +4.6%
Median age	42.3±11.2Lowest about the NH average	51.4±8.8Highest 19% above NH
	Springfield and Ashland are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	21.4%±6.4Highest NH: 18.2%	15.1%±8Lowest NH: 18.2%
	Ashland and Springfield 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%	19.8%±1.6Lowest NH: 20.1%
	Ashland and Springfield 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%	36.4%Highest NH: 40.6%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	2.7%±1.7Highest NH: 6%	0%±1.5Lowest NH: 6%
	Ashland and Springfield 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	$100,893±$19kHighest about the NH average
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$227,000±$29kLowest 44% below NH	$384,100±$50kHighest 5% below NH
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,096±$155 26% below NH	$1,096±$217 26% below NH
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,961Lowest 26% below NH	$5,946Highest 11% below NH
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	39.1%±14.8Highest NH: 48.2%	25.9%±64.8Lowest NH: 48.2%
	Ashland and Springfield 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%	3.4%Lowest NH: 7.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	64.1%Lowest NH: 72.8%	90.7%Highest NH: 72.8%
Typical home builtmedian year	1978Lowest 1 yr older than NH	1985Highest 6 yrs newer than NH
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	26 minLowest 4% below NH	34 minHighest 29% above NH
Work from home	9.9%±4.6Lowest NH: 16.8%	16.7%±11.6Highest NH: 16.8%
	Springfield 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	—
High school 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.