Compare towns
Bennington vs Hancock vs Meredith
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against New Hampshire.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bennington has the most kids (26% under 18).
Hancock has the most homeowners (85.6%).
Meredith has the most people working from home (23.7%).
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 | Hancock | Meredith |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,588Lowest |
1,791 |
6,758Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +1.7%Lowest NH: +4.6% |
+4.7% NH: +4.6% |
+6.7%Highest NH: +4.6% |
| Median age | 42.1±7.8Lowest about the NH average |
53.8±4.5 24% above NH |
55.5±3.7Highest 28% above NH |
| Meredith 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 NH: 18.2% |
15.4%±2.2 NH: 18.2% |
12.6%±3.3Lowest NH: 18.2% |
| Age 65+ | 15.2%±1.7Lowest NH: 20.1% |
30.2%±2.7 NH: 20.1% |
34.2%±5Highest NH: 20.1% |
| Meredith and Hancock 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 NH: 40.6% |
53.9%Highest NH: 40.6% |
45.9% NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.8%±1.3Lowest NH: 6% |
4%±1.6Highest NH: 6% |
2.9%±1.2 NH: 6% |
| Hancock and Meredith 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 |
$95,208±$15kHighest 4% below NH |
$87,019±$19k 12% below NH |
| Hancock and Meredith 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 |
$436,700±$22k 8% above NH |
$480,100±$48kHighest 19% above NH |
| Meredith and Hancock are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,292±$150Highest 13% below NH |
$1,208±$650 19% below NH |
$1,149±$304Lowest 23% below NH |
| Bennington and Hancock are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,944 11% below NH |
$6,884Highest 3% above NH |
$5,006Lowest 25% below NH |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 37.2%±20.6 NH: 48.2% |
32.4%±55.6Lowest NH: 48.2% |
48.5%±9.2Highest NH: 48.2% |
| Meredith 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% |
4.1% NH: 7.2% |
7.7%Highest NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 74.3%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
85.6%Highest NH: 72.8% |
75.8% NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1978Highest 1 yr older than NH |
1969Lowest 10 yrs older than NH |
1975 4 yrs older than NH |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 37 minHighest 38% above NH |
33 min 24% above NH |
26 minLowest about the NH average |
| Work from home | 14.7%±4.8Lowest NH: 16.8% |
14.9%±3.2 NH: 16.8% |
23.7%±4.9Highest NH: 16.8% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | — | #62 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Contoocook Valley School District | Contoocook Valley School District | Inter-Lakes Cooperative School District |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | Inter-Lakes High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 11.1 |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | 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.