Compare towns
Bedford vs Dover vs Durham vs Eliot
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bedford has the most people working from home (27%).
Dover has the most renters (47.3% rent).
Durham has the youngest population (median age 20.8).
Eliot has the oldest population (median age 50.8).
Durham is a college town. 55.1% 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.
| Measure | Bedford | Dover | Durham | Eliot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 23,746 |
33,364Highest |
15,080 |
7,146Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +10%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+9.2% U.S.: +7.4% |
+5.8%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+8.3% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 45±2.2 16% above U.S. |
36.9±1.9 5% below U.S. |
20.8±0.3Lowest 47% below U.S. |
50.8±5.9Highest 31% above U.S. |
| Eliot and Bedford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 22.7%±2.5Highest U.S.: 22% |
16.9%±1.8 U.S.: 22% |
10.3%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 22% |
16.3%±3.9 U.S.: 22% |
| Age 65+ | 20.5%±2.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
16.8%±1.8 U.S.: 17.2% |
11.5%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
27.8%±6.2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Eliot and Bedford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 63% U.S.: 35.7% |
52% U.S.: 35.7% |
75.4%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
43.6%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.7%±2.1 U.S.: 6.4% |
6.2%±1.2 U.S.: 6.4% |
55.1%±3.2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
2%±1.4Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $167,418±$12kHighest 107% above U.S. |
$94,829±$7kLowest 17% above U.S. |
$124,056±$21k 54% above U.S. |
$101,522±$10k 26% above U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $612,100±$26kHighest 84% above U.S. |
$436,700±$20kLowest 31% above U.S. |
$504,300±$41k 52% above U.S. |
$498,900±$62k 50% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $2,099±$274Highest 49% above U.S. |
$1,607±$100 14% above U.S. |
$1,429±$143Lowest about the U.S. average |
$1,948±$471 38% above U.S. |
| Bedford and Eliot are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $9,803 214% above U.S. |
$8,249 164% above U.S. |
$10,000+Highest at least 221% above U.S. |
$4,549Lowest 46% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 59.4%±15.3 U.S.: 51.1% |
48.6%±6.3Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
66.4%±16Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
55.1%±20.1 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Durham and Bedford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 2.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
8.3% U.S.: 12.5% |
15.1%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
4.8% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 82.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
52.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
64.4% U.S.: 65.2% |
79.8% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1990Highest 10 yrs newer than U.S. |
1976Lowest 4 yrs older than U.S. |
1981 1 yr newer than U.S. |
1979 1 yr older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 25 minHighest 4% below U.S. |
23 min 14% below U.S. |
19 minLowest 27% below U.S. |
23 min 15% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 27%±3.4Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
18.6%±2.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
19.4%±3.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
17.4%±4.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #7 of 120 in NH | #64 of 120 in NH | #9 of 120 in NH | #19 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Bedford School District | Dover School District | Oyster River Coop School District | RSU 35/MSAD 35 |
| High school in town | Bedford High School | Dover Senior High School | Oyster River High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 13.5Highest |
12.7 |
12.3Lowest |
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| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | None yet | 51 photos → | None yet |
U.S. 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.