Compare towns
Bow vs Dover vs Eliot vs Ogunquit
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bow has the highest household income ($173k).
Dover has the most renters (47.3% rent).
Eliot has the shortest commute (23 min average).
Ogunquit has grown the fastest since 2010 (+76.8%).
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 | Bow | Dover | Eliot | Ogunquit |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,335 |
33,364Highest |
7,146 |
1,379Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +9.4% U.S.: +7.4% |
+9.2% U.S.: +7.4% |
+8.3%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+76.8%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 41.5±2 7% above U.S. |
36.9±1.9Lowest 5% below U.S. |
50.8±5.9 31% above U.S. |
62.8±4.8Highest 61% above U.S. |
| Kids under 18 | 25%±3.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
16.9%±1.8 U.S.: 22% |
16.3%±3.9 U.S.: 22% |
5.7%±3.2Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Age 65+ | 17.6%±2.5 U.S.: 17.2% |
16.8%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
27.8%±6.2 U.S.: 17.2% |
43.6%±10.1Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Ogunquit and Eliot are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 60.3% U.S.: 35.7% |
52% U.S.: 35.7% |
43.6%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
63.5%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.6%±1.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
6.2%±1.2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
2%±1.4Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.2%±2.8 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Dover and Bow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $172,857±$16kHighest 114% above U.S. |
$94,829±$7kLowest 17% above U.S. |
$101,522±$10k 26% above U.S. |
$114,259±$56k 42% above U.S. |
| Bow and Ogunquit are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $506,500±$34k 52% above U.S. |
$436,700±$20kLowest 31% above U.S. |
$498,900±$62k 50% above U.S. |
$875,700±$79kHighest 163% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,539±$178Lowest 9% above U.S. |
$1,607±$100 14% above U.S. |
$1,948±$471Highest 38% above U.S. |
— |
| Eliot and Dover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $9,584Highest 207% above U.S. |
$8,249 164% above U.S. |
$4,549 46% above U.S. |
$4,473Lowest 43% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 39%±13.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
48.6%±6.3 U.S.: 51.1% |
55.1%±20.1Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
0%±61.1Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Eliot and Dover 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% |
8.3%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
4.8% U.S.: 12.5% |
3.2% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 87.5% U.S.: 65.2% |
52.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
79.8% U.S.: 65.2% |
94.3%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1985Highest 5 yrs newer than U.S. |
1976Lowest 4 yrs older than U.S. |
1979 1 yr older than U.S. |
1978 2 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 27 minHighest about the U.S. average |
23 min 14% below U.S. |
23 minLowest 15% below U.S. |
26 min about the U.S. average |
| Work from home | 22.7%±4.7 U.S.: 15.1% |
18.6%±2.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
17.4%±4.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
43.3%±12.4Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #26 of 120 in NH | #64 of 120 in NH | #19 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | Bow School District | Dover School District | RSU 35/MSAD 35 | — |
| High school in town | Bow High School | Dover Senior High School | None in town | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.8Highest |
12.7Lowest |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | 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.



