Compare towns
Bow vs Plymouth vs Auburn
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 kids (25% under 18).
Plymouth has the most affordable homes ($292k median).
Auburn has grown the fastest since 2010 (+20%).
Plymouth is a college town. 33.7% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
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 | Plymouth | Auburn |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,335Highest |
6,601 |
6,119Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +9.4% NH: +4.6% |
-4.4%Lowest NH: +4.6% |
+20%Highest NH: +4.6% |
| Median age | 41.5±2 4% below NH |
24.6±3.4Lowest 43% below NH |
44.3±5.9Highest about the NH average |
| Auburn 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% |
13.6%±3.6Lowest NH: 18.2% |
19.3%±4.3 NH: 18.2% |
| Bow and Auburn 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% |
12%±2.7Lowest NH: 20.1% |
13.4%±3.2 NH: 20.1% |
| Bow and Auburn 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% |
54%Lowest NH: 40.6% |
55.3% NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.6%±1.9Lowest NH: 6% |
33.7%±3.5Highest NH: 6% |
7.2%±4.7 NH: 6% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $172,857±$16kHighest 75% above NH |
$77,027±$26kLowest 22% below NH |
$153,253±$6k 55% above NH |
| Bow and Auburn 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 |
$292,400±$22kLowest 27% below NH |
$600,300±$29kHighest 49% above NH |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,539±$178 3% above NH |
$1,108±$255Lowest 26% below NH |
$1,893±$822Highest 27% above NH |
| Auburn 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 |
$6,288Lowest 6% below NH |
$8,092 21% above NH |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 39%±13.2Highest NH: 48.2% |
33.8%±11.6 NH: 48.2% |
27.6%±27Lowest NH: 48.2% |
| Bow and Plymouth 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% |
18.6%Highest NH: 7.2% |
2.5%Lowest NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 87.5% NH: 72.8% |
56.3%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
93.9%Highest NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1985Highest 6 yrs newer than NH |
1981Lowest 2 yrs newer than NH |
1984 5 yrs newer than NH |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 27 min about the NH average |
18 minLowest 31% below NH |
28 minHighest 4% above NH |
| Work from home | 22.7%±4.7 NH: 16.8% |
11.7%±3.6Lowest NH: 16.8% |
26.5%±6.6Highest NH: 16.8% |
| Auburn 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 | #47 of 120 in NH | #44 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Bow School District | Plymouth School District · Pemi-Baker Regional School District | Auburn School District |
| High school in town | Bow High School | Plymouth Regional High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.8 |
12.8 |
— |
| 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.