Compare towns
Bennington vs Cornish vs Dummerston vs Hancock
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bennington has the most kids (26% under 18).
Cornish has the most homeowners (94.1%).
Dummerston has the most people working from home (25.9%).
Hancock has grown the fastest since 2010 (+4.7%).
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 | Bennington | Cornish | Dummerston | Hancock |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,588Lowest |
1,816 |
2,090Highest |
1,791 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +1.7% U.S.: +7.4% |
-1.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+0.1% U.S.: +7.4% |
+4.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 42.1±7.8Lowest 8% above U.S. |
54±8.3Highest 39% above U.S. |
45.6±11.7 17% above U.S. |
53.8±4.5 38% above U.S. |
| Cornish and Hancock are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 26%±5.2Highest U.S.: 22% |
14.4%±3.2Lowest U.S.: 22% |
21.7%±6 U.S.: 22% |
15.4%±2.2 U.S.: 22% |
| Bennington and Dummerston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 15.2%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
27.3%±4.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
24.3%±3 U.S.: 17.2% |
30.2%±2.7Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Hancock and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 33.6%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
40.6% U.S.: 35.7% |
58.7%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
53.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.8%±1.3 U.S.: 6.4% |
1.4%±0.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
1.3%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
4%±1.6Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Hancock and Bennington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $83,875±$7kLowest 4% above U.S. |
$91,821±$2k 14% above U.S. |
$101,696±$21kHighest 26% above U.S. |
$95,208±$15k 18% above U.S. |
| Dummerston and Hancock are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $267,300±$15kLowest 20% below U.S. |
$296,000±$69k 11% below U.S. |
$335,300±$22k about the U.S. average |
$436,700±$22kHighest 31% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,292±$150 9% below U.S. |
$1,221±$227 14% below U.S. |
$1,392±$126Highest about the U.S. average |
$1,208±$650Lowest 15% below U.S. |
| Dummerston and Bennington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,944 91% above U.S. |
$5,796 86% above U.S. |
$4,536Lowest 45% above U.S. |
$6,884Highest 121% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 37.2%±20.6 U.S.: 51.1% |
40.5%±38.1 U.S.: 51.1% |
44.1%±32.2Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
32.4%±55.6Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Dummerston and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
4.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
4.5% U.S.: 12.5% |
4.1% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 74.3%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
94.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
92.9% U.S.: 65.2% |
85.6% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1978 2 yrs older than U.S. |
1980Highest same as U.S. |
1971 9 yrs older than U.S. |
1969Lowest 11 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 37 minHighest 40% above U.S. |
24 min 8% below U.S. |
21 minLowest 21% below U.S. |
33 min 25% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 14.7%±4.8 U.S.: 15.1% |
12%±4.1Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
25.9%±10.3Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
14.9%±3.2 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Dummerston and Hancock are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Schools | ||||
| School district | Contoocook Valley School District | Cornish School District | Windham Southeast Unified Union School District #96 | Contoocook Valley School District |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | None in town | None in town |
| 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.