Compare towns
Bellows Falls vs Hanover vs Walpole vs Newport
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 renters (49.3% rent).
Hanover has grown the fastest since 2010 (+5.4%).
Walpole has the oldest population (median age 46.5).
Newport has the shortest commute (15 min average).
Hanover is a college town. 36.9% 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 | Bellows Falls | Hanover | Walpole | Newport |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 2,891Lowest |
11,685Highest |
3,690 |
4,394 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -12.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+5.4%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
-2.7% U.S.: +7.4% |
-2.9% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 41.3±6.7 6% above U.S. |
28.7±5.1Lowest 26% below U.S. |
46.5±10.4Highest 20% above U.S. |
46.4±4.3 19% above U.S. |
| Walpole and Newport 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% |
14.4%±2.4 U.S.: 22% |
22.2%±5.2 U.S.: 22% |
13.2%±3.9Lowest 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% |
19.7%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
25.5%±5.4 U.S.: 17.2% |
25.8%±4.7Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Newport 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% U.S.: 35.7% |
88.2%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
32.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
25.1%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 8.2%±4.3 U.S.: 6.4% |
36.9%±2.4Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
4%±2.8 U.S.: 6.4% |
2.8%±1.5Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $56,086±$2k 31% below U.S. |
$169,583±$36kHighest 110% above U.S. |
$82,617±$16k about the U.S. average |
$54,646±$12kLowest 32% below U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $195,600±$35k 41% below U.S. |
$824,900±$61kHighest 148% above U.S. |
$319,800±$48k 4% below U.S. |
$179,400±$11kLowest 46% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,038±$109 27% below U.S. |
$2,253±$217Highest 59% above U.S. |
$1,165±$150 18% below U.S. |
$850±$49Lowest 40% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,448 43% above U.S. |
$10,000+Highest at least 221% above U.S. |
$6,078 95% above U.S. |
$4,036Lowest 29% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 43.9%±16.8Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
66.4%±17.5Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
51.6%±21.9 U.S.: 51.1% |
48.2%±15.8 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Hanover and Walpole 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% |
5.6%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
11.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
23% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 50.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
73.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
69.9% U.S.: 65.2% |
57.6% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 42 yrs older than U.S. |
1976Highest 4 yrs older than U.S. |
1967 13 yrs older than U.S. |
1966 14 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 20 min 24% below U.S. |
20 min 26% below U.S. |
23 minHighest 13% below U.S. |
15 minLowest 45% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 6.9%±5.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
26.4%±5Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
7.2%±4.9 U.S.: 15.1% |
16.8%±8.3 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Hanover and Newport 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 | — | #1 of 120 in NH | #27 of 120 in NH | #63 of 70 in VT |
| School district | — | Dresden School District · Hanover School District | Fall Mountain Regional School District | Newport City School District · North Country Union High School District |
| High school in town | — | Hanover High School | None in town | North Country Union High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 10.7 |
— | 10.7 |
| 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.