What stands out worked out from the figures below

Berlin has the most affordable homes ($131k median).

Hermon has grown the fastest since 2010 (+19.3%).

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	Berlin	Hermon
People
Population	9,383Highest	6,727Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-6.2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+19.3%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	44.6±2.8Highest 15% above U.S.	41.1±4.7Lowest 6% above U.S.
	Berlin and Hermon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	17.2%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 22%	21.6%±4.6Highest U.S.: 22%
	Hermon and Berlin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	20.1%±2.7Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	20.4%±4.7Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Hermon and Berlin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	14.1%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	37.6%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	2.7%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	4.8%±2.1Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Hermon and Berlin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$45,180±$5kLowest 44% below U.S.	$96,629±$22kHighest 20% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$131,000±$15kLowest 61% below U.S.	$333,600±$32kHighest about the U.S. average
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$815±$141Lowest 42% below U.S.	$1,406±$202Highest about the U.S. average
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,437Highest 10% above U.S.	$2,761Lowest 11% below U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	43.7%±12Highest U.S.: 51.1%	28.2%±19.1Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Berlin and Hermon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	15.3%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	6.8%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	62.6%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	75.2%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1938Lowest 42 yrs older than U.S.	2000Highest 20 yrs newer than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	19 minLowest 29% below U.S.	23 minHighest 14% below U.S.
Work from home	3.5%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	8.8%±4.2Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Hermon and Berlin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#108 of 120 in NH	#54 of 133 in ME
School district	Berlin School District	Hermon Public Schools
High school in town	Berlin Senior High School	Hermon High School
Students per teacherat that high school	8.2Lowest	14.6Highest
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.