Compare towns
Bow vs Merrimack 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 most renters (12.5% rent).
Merrimack has the most affordable homes ($459k median).
Brookline has grown the fastest since 2010 (+13%).
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 | Merrimack | Brookline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,335 |
28,164Highest |
5,736Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +9.4% NH: +4.6% |
+4.5%Lowest NH: +4.6% |
+13%Highest NH: +4.6% |
| Median age | 41.5±2Highest 4% below NH |
41.5±2.2Highest 4% below NH |
41.2±1.5Lowest 5% below NH |
| Kids under 18 | 25%±3.6 NH: 18.2% |
22%±2.5Lowest 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%±2.5Highest NH: 20.1% |
16.8%±1.8 NH: 20.1% |
11.4%±2.1Lowest NH: 20.1% |
| Bow and Merrimack 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% |
50.2%Lowest NH: 40.6% |
57.7% NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.6%±1.9 NH: 6% |
5.1%±1.2Lowest 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 |
$127,219±$16kLowest 28% 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 |
$458,600±$15kLowest 14% above NH |
$544,400±$38kHighest 35% above NH |
| Brookline and Bow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,539±$178Lowest 3% above NH |
$1,932±$147 30% above NH |
$2,500±$1kHighest 68% above NH |
| Brookline and Merrimack 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 |
$7,345Lowest 10% above NH |
$10,000+Highest at least 50% above NH |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 39%±13.2Highest NH: 48.2% |
34.9%±9.4 NH: 48.2% |
23.8%±43.5Lowest NH: 48.2% |
| Bow and Merrimack 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% |
3%Highest NH: 7.2% |
0.6%Lowest NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 87.5%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
88.9% NH: 72.8% |
95.1%Highest NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1985Lowest 6 yrs newer than NH |
1985Lowest 6 yrs newer than NH |
1993Highest 14 yrs newer than NH |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 27 min about the NH average |
27 minLowest about the NH average |
33 minHighest 25% above NH |
| Work from home | 22.7%±4.7 NH: 16.8% |
21%±3.3Lowest NH: 16.8% |
24.7%±5.8Highest NH: 16.8% |
| Brookline 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 | #58 of 120 in NH | #23 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Bow School District | Merrimack School District | Brookline School District |
| High school in town | Bow High School | Merrimack High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.8Highest |
12.5Lowest |
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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.