What stands out worked out from the figures below

Bennington has grown the fastest since 2010 (+1.7%).

Franconia has the most expensive homes ($530k median).

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	Bennington	Franconia
People
Population	1,588Highest	1,060Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+1.7%Highest NH: +4.6%	-1.9%Lowest NH: +4.6%
Median age	42.1±7.8Lowest about the NH average	55.6±7Highest 28% above NH
	Franconia and Bennington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	26%±5.2Highest NH: 18.2%	15.2%±5.5Lowest NH: 18.2%
Age 65+	15.2%±1.7Lowest NH: 20.1%	36.6%±6.7Highest NH: 20.1%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	33.6%Lowest NH: 40.6%	57.9%Highest NH: 40.6%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	2.8%±1.3Lowest NH: 6%	5%±5.4Highest NH: 6%
	Franconia 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 15% below NH	$87,292±$28kHighest 12% below NH
	Franconia and Bennington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$267,300±$15kLowest 34% below NH	$530,300±$96kHighest 32% above NH
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,292±$150Highest 13% below NH	$1,281±$278Lowest 14% below NH
	Bennington and Franconia are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,944Lowest 11% below NH	$7,451Highest 12% above NH
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	37.2%±20.6Lowest NH: 48.2%	73.2%±74.4Highest NH: 48.2%
	Franconia and Bennington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	4%Lowest NH: 7.2%	11.4%Highest NH: 7.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	74.3%Lowest NH: 72.8%	83.1%Highest NH: 72.8%
Typical home builtmedian year	1978Lowest 1 yr older than NH	1981Highest 2 yrs newer than NH
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	37 minHighest 38% above NH	20 minLowest 25% below NH
Work from home	14.7%±4.8Highest NH: 16.8%	11.9%±5.1Lowest NH: 16.8%
	Bennington and Franconia are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	Contoocook Valley School District	Lafayette Regional School District
High school in town	None 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.