What stands out worked out from the figures below

Bow has the most homeowners (87.5%).

Boston has the most renters (64.3% 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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Bow	Boston
People
Population	8,335Lowest	666,442Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+9.4% U.S.: +7.4%	+9.4% U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	41.5±2Highest 7% above U.S.	33.3±0.2Lowest 14% below U.S.
Kids under 18	25%±3.6Highest U.S.: 22%	15.1%±0.3Lowest U.S.: 22%
Age 65+	17.6%±2.5Highest U.S.: 17.2%	13%±0.3Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	60.3%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	54.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.6%±1.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	15%±0.3Highest U.S.: 6.4%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$172,857±$16kHighest 114% above U.S.	$97,344±$2kLowest 21% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$506,500±$34kLowest 52% above U.S.	$731,700±$10kHighest 120% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,539±$178Lowest 9% above U.S.	$2,147±$25Highest 52% above U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$9,584Highest 207% above U.S.	$4,456Lowest 43% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	39%±13.2Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	51.2%±1.2Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Boston and Bow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	2.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	16.6%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	87.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	35.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1985Highest 5 yrs newer than U.S.	1947Lowest 33 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	27 minLowest about the U.S. average	30 minHighest 15% above U.S.
Work from home	22.7%±4.7Highest U.S.: 15.1%	21.3%±0.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
	Bow and Boston 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	#26 of 120 in NH	#258 of 282 in MA
School district	Bow School District	Edward M. Kennedy Academy for Health Careers: A Horace Mann · Boston
High school in town	Bow High School	Boston Latin School
Students per teacherat that high school	12.8Lowest	18.7Highest
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.