Compare towns
Bow vs Meredith vs Hampstead
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).
Meredith has the oldest population (median age 55.5).
Hampstead has the most expensive homes ($521k 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 | Meredith | Hampstead |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,335 |
6,758Lowest |
9,102Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +9.4%Highest NH: +4.6% |
+6.7% NH: +4.6% |
+5.6%Lowest NH: +4.6% |
| Median age | 41.5±2Lowest 4% below NH |
55.5±3.7Highest 28% above NH |
45.3±6.1 5% above NH |
| Kids under 18 | 25%±3.6Highest NH: 18.2% |
12.6%±3.3Lowest NH: 18.2% |
21.3%±3.7 NH: 18.2% |
| Bow and Hampstead are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 17.6%±2.5Lowest NH: 20.1% |
34.2%±5Highest NH: 20.1% |
21.8%±4 NH: 20.1% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 60.3%Highest NH: 40.6% |
45.9% NH: 40.6% |
44.9%Lowest NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.6%±1.9Highest NH: 6% |
2.9%±1.2Lowest NH: 6% |
5.1%±1.6 NH: 6% |
| Bow and Hampstead 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 |
$87,019±$19kLowest 12% below NH |
$112,348±$18k 13% above NH |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $506,500±$34k 26% above NH |
$480,100±$48kLowest 19% above NH |
$521,100±$45kHighest 29% above NH |
| Hampstead and Bow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,539±$178Highest 3% above NH |
$1,149±$304Lowest 23% below NH |
$1,299±$149 13% below NH |
| Bow and Hampstead 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 |
$5,006Lowest 25% below NH |
$8,634 30% above NH |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 39%±13.2Lowest NH: 48.2% |
48.5%±9.2Highest NH: 48.2% |
44.1%±20.2 NH: 48.2% |
| Meredith and Hampstead 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% |
7.7%Highest NH: 7.2% |
3.8% NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 87.5%Highest NH: 72.8% |
75.8%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
82.1% NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1985 6 yrs newer than NH |
1975Lowest 4 yrs older than NH |
1988Highest 9 yrs newer than NH |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 27 min about the NH average |
26 minLowest about the NH average |
30 minHighest 13% above NH |
| Work from home | 22.7%±4.7 NH: 16.8% |
23.7%±4.9Highest NH: 16.8% |
21%±4.7Lowest NH: 16.8% |
| Meredith 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 | #62 of 120 in NH | #49 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Bow School District | Inter-Lakes Cooperative School District | Hampstead School District |
| High school in town | Bow High School | Inter-Lakes High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.8Highest |
11.1Lowest |
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| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.