Compare towns
Bow vs Dunbarton vs Epping vs Henniker
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against New Hampshire.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bow has the highest household income ($173k).
Dunbarton has the most homeowners (95.1%).
Epping has the most people working from home (24%).
Henniker has grown the fastest since 2010 (+27.9%).
Henniker is a college town. 27% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
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 | Dunbarton | Epping | Henniker |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,335Highest |
3,097Lowest |
7,430 |
6,197 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +9.4% NH: +4.6% |
+9%Lowest NH: +4.6% |
+11.1% NH: +4.6% |
+27.9%Highest NH: +4.6% |
| Median age | 41.5±2 4% below NH |
48±3.7Highest 11% above NH |
45.1±3.5 4% above NH |
31.1±6.1Lowest 28% below NH |
| Dunbarton and Epping are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 25%±3.6Highest NH: 18.2% |
19.8%±3.8 NH: 18.2% |
18.7%±4.8 NH: 18.2% |
15.3%±3.7Lowest NH: 18.2% |
| Bow and Dunbarton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 17.6%±2.5 NH: 20.1% |
20.4%±4.3 NH: 20.1% |
22.6%±5.2Highest NH: 20.1% |
16.5%±6Lowest NH: 20.1% |
| Epping and Dunbarton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 60.3%Highest NH: 40.6% |
39.6% NH: 40.6% |
37%Lowest NH: 40.6% |
41.4% NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.6%±1.9 NH: 6% |
3.8%±2Lowest NH: 6% |
5.1%±3.3 NH: 6% |
27%±6.5Highest NH: 6% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $172,857±$16kHighest 75% above NH |
$124,348±$21k 26% above NH |
$104,220±$7k 5% above NH |
$95,206±$21kLowest 4% below NH |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $506,500±$34kHighest 26% above NH |
$484,100±$33k 20% above NH |
$436,900±$35k 9% above NH |
$356,700±$49kLowest 11% below NH |
| Bow and Dunbarton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,539±$178 3% above NH |
$1,166±$70 22% below NH |
$1,742±$576Highest 17% above NH |
$1,081±$164Lowest 27% below NH |
| Epping and Bow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $9,584Highest 44% above NH |
$8,233 23% above NH |
$6,936Lowest 4% above NH |
$8,877 33% above NH |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 39%±13.2Lowest NH: 48.2% |
54.7%±60.7 NH: 48.2% |
67.8%±25.9Highest NH: 48.2% |
43.5%±22.6 NH: 48.2% |
| Epping and Dunbarton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 2.7%Lowest NH: 7.2% |
3% NH: 7.2% |
4.7% NH: 7.2% |
11.6%Highest NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 87.5% NH: 72.8% |
95.1%Highest NH: 72.8% |
86.3% NH: 72.8% |
64.5%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1985 6 yrs newer than NH |
1990Highest 11 yrs newer than NH |
1989 10 yrs newer than NH |
1974Lowest 5 yrs older than NH |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 27 min about the NH average |
34 minHighest 25% above NH |
32 min 21% above NH |
20 minLowest 24% below NH |
| Work from home | 22.7%±4.7 NH: 16.8% |
12.6%±5.4Lowest NH: 16.8% |
24%±6.9Highest NH: 16.8% |
15.5%±5.6 NH: 16.8% |
| Epping and Bow 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 | #33 of 120 in NH | #77 of 120 in NH | #56 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Bow School District | Dunbarton School District | Epping School District | Henniker School District |
| High school in town | Bow High School | None in town | Epping High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.8Highest |
— | 9.3Lowest |
— |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | 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.