What stands out worked out from the figures below

Bow has the highest household income ($173k).

Lowell has the most renters (56.8% 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	Lowell
People
Population	8,335Lowest	118,368Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+9.4%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	+8.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	41.5±2Highest 7% above U.S.	35.6±0.8Lowest 8% below U.S.
Kids under 18	25%±3.6Highest U.S.: 22%	21.7%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Bow and Lowell are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	17.6%±2.5Highest U.S.: 17.2%	12.6%±0.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	60.3%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	30%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.6%±1.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	9.7%±0.6Highest U.S.: 6.4%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$172,857±$16kHighest 114% above U.S.	$78,658±$4kLowest about the U.S. average
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$506,500±$34kHighest 52% above U.S.	$429,200±$11kLowest 29% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,539±$178Lowest 9% above U.S.	$1,625±$40Highest 15% above U.S.
	Lowell and Bow 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.	$4,499Lowest 44% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	39%±13.2Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	52.4%±3.8Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Lowell 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%	16.9%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	87.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	43.2%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1985Highest 5 yrs newer than U.S.	1953Lowest 27 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	27 minLowest about the U.S. average	28 minHighest 6% above U.S.
Work from home	22.7%±4.7Highest U.S.: 15.1%	10.6%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#26 of 120 in NH	#255 of 282 in MA
School district	Bow School District	Lowell
High school in town	Bow High School	Lowell High
Students per teacherat that high school	12.8Lowest	14.8Highest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	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.