What stands out worked out from the figures below

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

Orford has the shortest commute (26 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	Orford
People
Population	1,588Highest	1,295Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+1.7%Highest NH: +4.6%	0%Lowest NH: +4.6%
Median age	42.1±7.8Lowest about the NH average	48.9±3.3Highest 13% above NH
	Orford 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%	12.3%±3.1Lowest NH: 18.2%
Age 65+	15.2%±1.7Lowest NH: 20.1%	25.5%±4.2Highest NH: 20.1%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	33.6%Lowest NH: 40.6%	44%Highest NH: 40.6%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	2.8%±1.3Lowest NH: 6%	5%±2.1Highest NH: 6%
	Orford 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	$92,571±$24kHighest 7% below NH
	Orford 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	$271,900±$25kHighest 32% below NH
	Orford and Bennington 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	$1,263±$686Lowest 15% below NH
	Bennington and Orford 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	$5,836Lowest 12% below NH
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	37.2%±20.6Lowest NH: 48.2%	37.8%±10.7Highest NH: 48.2%
	Orford 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%	5.8%Highest NH: 7.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	74.3%Lowest NH: 72.8%	75.5%Highest NH: 72.8%
Typical home builtmedian year	1978Highest 1 yr older than NH	1971Lowest 8 yrs older than NH
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	37 minHighest 38% above NH	26 minLowest 4% below NH
Work from home	14.7%±4.8Highest NH: 16.8%	10.8%±4.7Lowest NH: 16.8%
	Bennington and Orford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	Contoocook Valley School District	Rivendell Interstate School District
High school in town	None in town	Rivendell Academy
Students per teacherat that high school	—	9.5
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.