What stands out worked out from the figures below

Benton has the shortest commute (32 min average).

Unity has the most people working from home (9.5%).

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	Benton	Unity
People
Population	386Lowest	1,375Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	—	-9.2% NH: +4.6%
Median age	62.1±1.9Highest 43% above NH	58±4.5Lowest 34% above NH
	Benton and Unity are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	6.7%±4.2Lowest NH: 18.2%	12%±4.1Highest NH: 18.2%
	Unity and Benton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	37.3%±12.5Highest NH: 20.1%	34.9%±7Lowest NH: 20.1%
	Benton and Unity are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	18.2%Lowest NH: 40.6%	21.6%Highest NH: 40.6%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	1.8%±1.4Highest NH: 6%	1%±0.7Lowest NH: 6%
	Benton and Unity are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$67,895±$4kLowest 31% below NH	$87,500±$16kHighest 12% below NH
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$288,300±$46kHighest 28% below NH	$276,100±$29kLowest 31% below NH
	Benton and Unity are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	—	$1,625±$804 9% above NH
Property taxmedian, yearly	$2,922Lowest 56% below NH	$5,394Highest 19% below NH
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	100%±100Highest NH: 48.2%	40%±100Lowest NH: 48.2%
	Benton and Unity are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	15.9%Highest NH: 7.2%	6.3%Lowest NH: 7.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	92.1%Lowest NH: 72.8%	94.5%Highest NH: 72.8%
Typical home builtmedian year	1980Lowest 1 yr newer than NH	1982Highest 3 yrs newer than NH
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	32 minLowest 20% above NH	35 minHighest 31% above NH
Work from home	2.6%±3.4Lowest NH: 16.8%	9.5%±4Highest NH: 16.8%
	Unity and Benton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	—	Unity School District
High school 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.