What stands out worked out from the figures below

Boothbay Harbor has the oldest population (median age 63.8).

Dover has grown the fastest since 2010 (+9.2%).

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	Boothbay Harbor	Dover
People
Population	2,096Lowest	33,364Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-6.4%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+9.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	63.8±4.7Highest 64% above U.S.	36.9±1.9Lowest 5% below U.S.
Kids under 18	11.5%±3.9Lowest U.S.: 22%	16.9%±1.8Highest U.S.: 22%
	Dover and Boothbay Harbor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	47%±4.5Highest U.S.: 17.2%	16.8%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	42.4%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	52%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3.7%±2.5Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	6.2%±1.2Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Dover and Boothbay Harbor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$62,800±$13kLowest 22% below U.S.	$94,829±$7kHighest 17% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$400,600±$49kLowest 20% above U.S.	$436,700±$20kHighest 31% above U.S.
	Dover and Boothbay Harbor are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,058±$123Lowest 25% below U.S.	$1,607±$100Highest 14% above U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$2,808Lowest 10% below U.S.	$8,249Highest 164% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	79.3%±17.1Highest U.S.: 51.1%	48.6%±6.3Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
Below poverty line	16.1%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	8.3%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	75.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	52.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1956Lowest 24 yrs older than U.S.	1976Highest 4 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	14 minLowest 46% below U.S.	23 minHighest 14% below U.S.
Work from home	17.1%±6.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	18.6%±2.5Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Dover and Boothbay Harbor 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	—	#64 of 120 in NH
School district	Boothbay-Boothbay Hbr CSD	Dover School District
High school in town	Boothbay Region High School	Dover Senior High School
Students per teacherat that high school	8.4Lowest	12.7Highest
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.