Compare towns
Boscawen vs Bow vs Nashua
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against New Hampshire.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Boscawen has the most affordable homes ($287k median).
Bow has the highest household income ($173k).
Nashua has the most renters (44.2% rent).
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.
| Measure | Boscawen | Bow | Nashua |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 4,044Lowest |
8,335 |
91,294Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +0.8%Lowest NH: +4.6% |
+9.4%Highest NH: +4.6% |
+5.6% NH: +4.6% |
| Median age | 46±4.2Highest 6% above NH |
41.5±2 4% below NH |
40±1.3Lowest 8% below NH |
| Boscawen and Bow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 18.1%±4.5Lowest NH: 18.2% |
25%±3.6Highest NH: 18.2% |
18.6%±1.2 NH: 18.2% |
| Age 65+ | 25.2%±5.3Highest NH: 20.1% |
17.6%±2.5 NH: 20.1% |
16.9%±1Lowest NH: 20.1% |
| Boscawen and Bow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 20.5%Lowest NH: 40.6% |
60.3%Highest NH: 40.6% |
41.2% NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.3%±1.9Lowest NH: 6% |
5.6%±1.9Highest NH: 6% |
5%±0.6 NH: 6% |
| Bow and Nashua are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $77,328±$27kLowest 22% below NH |
$172,857±$16kHighest 75% above NH |
$96,326±$5k about the NH average |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $286,500±$23kLowest 29% below NH |
$506,500±$34kHighest 26% above NH |
$403,900±$11k about the NH average |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,265±$307Lowest 15% below NH |
$1,539±$178 3% above NH |
$1,737±$41Highest 16% above NH |
| Nashua and Bow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $6,549Lowest about the NH average |
$9,584Highest 44% above NH |
$6,799 about the NH average |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 41.2%±21 NH: 48.2% |
39%±13.2Lowest NH: 48.2% |
45.8%±4.2Highest NH: 48.2% |
| Nashua and Boscawen are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 17%Highest NH: 7.2% |
2.7%Lowest NH: 7.2% |
7.8% NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 75.3% NH: 72.8% |
87.5%Highest NH: 72.8% |
55.8%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1978 1 yr older than NH |
1985Highest 6 yrs newer than NH |
1975Lowest 4 yrs older than NH |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 minHighest 4% above NH |
27 min about the NH average |
26 minLowest about the NH average |
| Work from home | 9.9%±6.1Lowest NH: 16.8% |
22.7%±4.7Highest NH: 16.8% |
17.4%±1.6 NH: 16.8% |
| Bow and Nashua 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 | #51 of 120 in NH | #26 of 120 in NH | #67 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Merrimack Valley School District | Bow School District | Nashua School District |
| High school in town | None in town | Bow High School | Nashua High School South |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.8 |
12.8 |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | 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.