Compare towns
Bellows Falls vs Dover vs Walpole vs Wilder
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bellows Falls has the most affordable homes ($196k median).
Dover has the most people working from home (18.6%).
Walpole has the most homeowners (69.9%).
Wilder has grown the fastest since 2010 (+81.7%).
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 | Bellows Falls | Dover | Walpole | Wilder |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 2,891Lowest |
33,364Highest |
3,690 |
3,087 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -12.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+9.2% U.S.: +7.4% |
-2.7% U.S.: +7.4% |
+81.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 41.3±6.7 6% above U.S. |
36.9±1.9Lowest 5% below U.S. |
46.5±10.4Highest 20% above U.S. |
45.5±8.9 17% above U.S. |
| Walpole and Wilder are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 22.6%±6.4Highest U.S.: 22% |
16.9%±1.8 U.S.: 22% |
22.2%±5.2 U.S.: 22% |
11.8%±4.1Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Bellows Falls and Walpole are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 23.7%±5.7 U.S.: 17.2% |
16.8%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
25.5%±5.4 U.S.: 17.2% |
27.3%±4.4Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Wilder and Walpole are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 27.5%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
52% U.S.: 35.7% |
32.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
60.2%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 8.2%±4.3Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
6.2%±1.2 U.S.: 6.4% |
4%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
8.1%±3.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Bellows Falls and Wilder are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $56,086±$2kLowest 31% below U.S. |
$94,829±$7kHighest 17% above U.S. |
$82,617±$16k about the U.S. average |
$75,143±$9k 7% below U.S. |
| Dover and Walpole are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $195,600±$35kLowest 41% below U.S. |
$436,700±$20kHighest 31% above U.S. |
$319,800±$48k 4% below U.S. |
$273,200±$18k 18% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,038±$109Lowest 27% below U.S. |
$1,607±$100Highest 14% above U.S. |
$1,165±$150 18% below U.S. |
$1,142±$451 19% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,448Lowest 43% above U.S. |
$8,249Highest 164% above U.S. |
$6,078 95% above U.S. |
$5,505 76% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 43.9%±16.8 U.S.: 51.1% |
48.6%±6.3 U.S.: 51.1% |
51.6%±21.9Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
39.9%±17.2Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Walpole and Dover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 25.1%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
8.3%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
11.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
9.3% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 50.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
52.7% U.S.: 65.2% |
69.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
62.9% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 42 yrs older than U.S. |
1976 4 yrs older than U.S. |
1967 13 yrs older than U.S. |
1983Highest 3 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 20 min 24% below U.S. |
23 min 14% below U.S. |
23 minHighest 13% below U.S. |
17 minLowest 37% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 6.9%±5.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
18.6%±2.5Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
7.2%±4.9 U.S.: 15.1% |
12.6%±6.7 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Dover and Wilder 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 | — | #64 of 120 in NH | #27 of 120 in NH | — |
| School district | — | Dover School District | Fall Mountain Regional School District | — |
| High school in town | — | Dover Senior High School | None in town | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.7 |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | None yet | None yet | 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.