Compare towns
Bow vs Hampton Beach vs Sutton vs Brookline
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).
Hampton Beach has the most renters (37.1% rent).
Sutton has the most affordable homes ($363k median).
Brookline has the most expensive homes ($544k median).
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 | Hampton Beach | Sutton | Brookline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,335Highest |
2,605 |
2,239Lowest |
5,736 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +9.4% NH: +4.6% |
+14.2%Highest NH: +4.6% |
+7.7%Lowest NH: +4.6% |
+13% NH: +4.6% |
| Median age | 41.5±2 4% below NH |
60.4±2.4Highest 39% above NH |
48.1±4.1 11% above NH |
41.2±1.5Lowest 5% below NH |
| Kids under 18 | 25%±3.6 NH: 18.2% |
3.1%±2.8Lowest NH: 18.2% |
20.5%±3.8 NH: 18.2% |
26.7%±4Highest NH: 18.2% |
| Brookline and Bow 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% |
33.7%±4.1Highest NH: 20.1% |
21.6%±5.9 NH: 20.1% |
11.4%±2.1Lowest NH: 20.1% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 60.3%Highest NH: 40.6% |
34%Lowest NH: 40.6% |
44.3% NH: 40.6% |
57.7% NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.6%±1.9 NH: 6% |
0.6%±0.7Lowest NH: 6% |
4.9%±3.6 NH: 6% |
6.3%±3.2Highest NH: 6% |
| Brookline 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 75% above NH |
$82,557±$17kLowest 17% below NH |
$130,313±$31k 32% above NH |
$171,046±$4k 73% above NH |
| Bow and Brookline are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $506,500±$34k 26% above NH |
$508,900±$76k 26% above NH |
$362,600±$16kLowest 10% below NH |
$544,400±$38kHighest 35% above NH |
| Brookline and Hampton Beach 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 |
$1,375±$130Lowest 8% below NH |
$1,656±$614 11% above NH |
$2,500±$1kHighest 68% above NH |
| Brookline and Sutton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $9,584 44% above NH |
$6,115Lowest 8% below NH |
$7,652 15% above NH |
$10,000+Highest at least 50% above NH |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 39%±13.2 NH: 48.2% |
61.7%±20.2Highest NH: 48.2% |
27.6%±47.2 NH: 48.2% |
23.8%±43.5Lowest NH: 48.2% |
| Hampton Beach and Bow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 2.7% NH: 7.2% |
8.2%Highest NH: 7.2% |
4.8% NH: 7.2% |
0.6%Lowest NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 87.5% NH: 72.8% |
62.9%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
95.7%Highest NH: 72.8% |
95.1% NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1985 6 yrs newer than NH |
1971Lowest 8 yrs older than NH |
1971Lowest 8 yrs older than NH |
1993Highest 14 yrs newer than NH |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 27 min about the NH average |
25 minLowest 5% below NH |
29 min 10% above NH |
33 minHighest 25% above NH |
| Work from home | 22.7%±4.7 NH: 16.8% |
26.9%±6.1Highest NH: 16.8% |
14.8%±5.6Lowest NH: 16.8% |
24.7%±5.8 NH: 16.8% |
| Hampton Beach and Brookline 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 | — | — | #23 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Bow School District | — | Kearsarge Regional School District | Brookline School District |
| High school in town | Bow High School | — | Kearsarge Regional High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.8Highest |
— | 10.4Lowest |
— |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | 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.