What stands out worked out from the figures below

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

Strafford has the most expensive homes ($431k 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	Strafford
People
Population	1,588Highest	1,372Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+1.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	-0.4%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	42.1±7.8Lowest 8% above U.S.	51.4±4.7Highest 32% above U.S.
	Strafford 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 U.S.: 22%	23%±5.2Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Bennington and Strafford 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%	22.1%±3.4Highest U.S.: 17.2%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	33.6%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	53.3%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	2.8%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	5.1%±2.6Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Strafford 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.	$110,833±$19kHighest 37% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$267,300±$15kLowest 20% below U.S.	$431,300±$40kHighest 30% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,292±$150Highest 9% below U.S.	$1,125±$789Lowest 20% below U.S.
	Bennington and Strafford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,944Lowest 91% above U.S.	$7,149Highest 129% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	37.2%±20.6Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	44.6%±48Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Strafford and Bennington 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%	5.2%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	74.3%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	88.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1978Lowest 2 yrs older than U.S.	1980Highest same as U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	37 minHighest 40% above U.S.	23 minLowest 13% below U.S.
Work from home	14.7%±4.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	16.1%±4.3Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Strafford and Bennington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	Contoocook Valley School District	Strafford School District
High school in town	None in town	None in town
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	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.