What stands out worked out from the figures below

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

Topsham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+2.2%).

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	Topsham
People
Population	1,588Highest	999Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+1.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+2.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	42.1±7.8Lowest 8% above U.S.	50.1±5.9Highest 29% above U.S.
	Topsham 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%	18%±3.4Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Bennington and Topsham 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%	23.2%±4.8Highest U.S.: 17.2%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	33.6%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	28.1%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	2.8%±1.3Highest U.S.: 6.4%	1.7%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
	Bennington and Topsham 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 4% above U.S.	$72,308±$60kLowest 10% below U.S.
	Bennington and Topsham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$267,300±$15kHighest 20% below U.S.	$222,900±$56kLowest 33% below U.S.
	Bennington and Topsham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,292±$150Highest 9% below U.S.	$908±$398Lowest 36% below U.S.
	Bennington and Topsham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,944Highest 91% above U.S.	$4,006Lowest 28% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	37.2%±20.6Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	91.9%±28.3Highest U.S.: 51.1%
Below poverty line	4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	18.8%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	74.3%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	90.3%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1978Lowest 2 yrs older than U.S.	1981Highest 1 yr newer than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	37 minHighest 40% above U.S.	35 minLowest 32% above U.S.
Work from home	14.7%±4.8Highest U.S.: 15.1%	14.2%±5.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
	Bennington and Topsham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	Contoocook Valley School District	Waits River Union High District #36
High school in town	None in town	None in town
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	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.