What stands out worked out from the figures below

Bennington has the most kids (26% under 18).

Temple has the most expensive homes ($401k 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	Temple
People
Population	1,588Highest	1,363Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+1.7%Highest NH: +4.6%	+1.2%Lowest NH: +4.6%
Median age	42.1±7.8Lowest about the NH average	49.5±7.3Highest 14% above NH
	Temple 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%	14.3%±3.5Lowest NH: 18.2%
Age 65+	15.2%±1.7Lowest NH: 20.1%	17.8%±2.8Highest NH: 20.1%
	Temple 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%Lowest NH: 40.6%	36.5%Highest NH: 40.6%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	2.8%±1.3Highest NH: 6%	1.7%±1.1Lowest NH: 6%
	Bennington and Temple 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	$94,107±$15kHighest 5% below NH
	Temple 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	$401,000±$27kHighest about the NH average
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,292±$150Highest 13% below NH	$1,169±$523Lowest 22% below NH
	Bennington and Temple 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	$6,983Highest 5% above NH
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	37.2%±20.6Highest NH: 48.2%	30.2%±54.1Lowest NH: 48.2%
	Bennington and Temple 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%	9.4%Highest NH: 7.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	74.3%Lowest NH: 72.8%	82.2%Highest NH: 72.8%
Typical home builtmedian year	1978Lowest 1 yr older than NH	1982Highest 3 yrs newer than NH
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	37 minHighest 38% above NH	37 minLowest 37% above NH
Work from home	14.7%±4.8Lowest NH: 16.8%	16.9%±5.6Highest NH: 16.8%
	Temple 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	Contoocook Valley School District
High school in town	None in town	None in town
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	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.