Compare towns
Bow vs Keene vs Newmarket vs Roxbury
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).
Keene has the most affordable homes ($253k median).
Newmarket has the most renters (47.1% rent).
Roxbury has the most homeowners (95.5%).
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 | Keene | Newmarket | Roxbury |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,335 |
22,939Highest |
9,463 |
299Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +9.4%Highest NH: +4.6% |
-1.5%Lowest NH: +4.6% |
+5.5% NH: +4.6% |
— |
| Median age | 41.5±2 4% below NH |
37.6±2.3Lowest 13% below NH |
41.2±1.9 5% below NH |
43.2±17.7Highest about the NH average |
| Roxbury and Bow 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% |
14.1%±1.6Lowest NH: 18.2% |
15.6%±2.7 NH: 18.2% |
14.7%±11.5 NH: 18.2% |
| Age 65+ | 17.6%±2.5 NH: 20.1% |
19.5%±1.8Highest NH: 20.1% |
16.1%±2.8Lowest NH: 20.1% |
17.4%±10.8 NH: 20.1% |
| Keene and Bow 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% |
44.1% NH: 40.6% |
49.7% NH: 40.6% |
30.6%Lowest NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.6%±1.9Lowest NH: 6% |
13.8%±1.4Highest NH: 6% |
5.6%±1.9Lowest NH: 6% |
13.4%±15.8 NH: 6% |
| Keene and Roxbury 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 |
$78,445±$8k 21% below NH |
$100,845±$13k about the NH average |
$69,226±$14kLowest 30% below NH |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $506,500±$34kHighest 26% above NH |
$252,500±$12kLowest 37% below NH |
$455,000±$22k 13% above NH |
$323,100±$219k 20% below NH |
| Bow and Newmarket 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 |
$1,342±$68Lowest 10% below NH |
$1,671±$69Highest 12% above NH |
— |
| Newmarket 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 |
$6,812 about the NH average |
$8,734 31% above NH |
$5,787Lowest 13% below NH |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 39%±13.2 NH: 48.2% |
44.5%±6.1 NH: 48.2% |
46.3%±8.3Highest NH: 48.2% |
0%±100Lowest NH: 48.2% |
| Newmarket and Keene 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% |
10.1%Highest NH: 7.2% |
4.6% NH: 7.2% |
3.7% NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 87.5% NH: 72.8% |
55.1% NH: 72.8% |
52.9%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
95.5%Highest NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1985Highest 6 yrs newer than NH |
1961Lowest 18 yrs older than NH |
1983 4 yrs newer than NH |
1969 10 yrs older than NH |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 27 min about the NH average |
17 minLowest 36% below NH |
28 minHighest 6% above NH |
21 min 22% below NH |
| Work from home | 22.7%±4.7Highest NH: 16.8% |
15.6%±2.7 NH: 16.8% |
17.3%±3.3 NH: 16.8% |
0.7%±1.4Lowest NH: 16.8% |
| Bow and Newmarket 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 | #81 of 120 in NH | #39 of 120 in NH | — |
| School district | Bow School District | Keene School District | Newmarket School District | — |
| High school in town | Bow High School | Keene High School | Newmarket Jr.-Sr. High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.8Highest |
12.3 |
9.9Lowest |
— |
| 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.