What stands out worked out from the figures below

Bennington has the most people working from home (14.7%).

Lisbon has the shortest commute (22 min average).

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	Lisbon
People
Population	1,588Highest	1,583Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+1.7%Highest NH: +4.6%	+1.6%Lowest NH: +4.6%
Median age	42.1±7.8Lowest about the NH average	46.4±5.7Highest 7% above NH
	Lisbon 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%	21.5%±6.2Lowest NH: 18.2%
	Bennington and Lisbon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	15.2%±1.7Lowest NH: 20.1%	20.8%±5Highest NH: 20.1%
	Lisbon and Bennington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	33.6%Highest NH: 40.6%	30.1%Lowest NH: 40.6%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	2.8%±1.3Highest NH: 6%	2.3%±2.2Lowest NH: 6%
	Bennington and Lisbon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$83,875±$7kHighest 15% below NH	$65,500±$13kLowest 34% below NH
	Bennington and Lisbon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$267,300±$15kHighest 34% below NH	$198,000±$19kLowest 51% below NH
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,292±$150Lowest 13% below NH	$1,344±$303Highest 10% below NH
	Lisbon and Bennington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,944Highest 11% below NH	$4,691Lowest 30% below NH
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	37.2%±20.6Lowest NH: 48.2%	52.9%±18.9Highest NH: 48.2%
	Lisbon 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%	8.6%Highest NH: 7.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	74.3%Highest NH: 72.8%	74.2%Lowest NH: 72.8%
Typical home builtmedian year	1978Highest 1 yr older than NH	1969Lowest 10 yrs older than NH
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	37 minHighest 38% above NH	22 minLowest 19% below NH
Work from home	14.7%±4.8Highest NH: 16.8%	10.3%±2.9Lowest NH: 16.8%
	Bennington and Lisbon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	Contoocook Valley School District	Lisbon Regional School District
High school in town	None in town	Lisbon Regional School (High)
Students per teacherat that high school	—	6.4
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.