Compare towns
Bow vs Salisbury vs Wells
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bow has the most people working from home (22.7%).
Salisbury has the shortest commute (19 min average).
Wells has the most affordable homes ($243k 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 | Salisbury | Wells |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,335Highest |
1,200 |
1,148Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +9.4%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+7.5% U.S.: +7.4% |
+5.6%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 41.5±2Lowest 7% above U.S. |
50.6±6.5 30% above U.S. |
50.7±5.2Highest 30% above U.S. |
| Wells and Salisbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 25%±3.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
16.6%±3.2 U.S.: 22% |
15.1%±4.2Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Age 65+ | 17.6%±2.5Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
30.4%±2.9Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
24.5%±2.2 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 60.3%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
34.6% U.S.: 35.7% |
29.7%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.6%±1.9Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
1.6%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
3%±2.1 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Bow and Wells 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 114% above U.S. |
$99,688±$21k 23% above U.S. |
$75,417±$11kLowest 7% below U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $506,500±$34kHighest 52% above U.S. |
$306,900±$51k 8% below U.S. |
$243,000±$42kLowest 27% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,539±$178Highest 9% above U.S. |
$1,443±$984 about the U.S. average |
$1,313±$282Lowest 7% below U.S. |
| Bow and Salisbury 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. |
$4,842 55% above U.S. |
$3,308Lowest 6% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 39%±13.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
31.9%±22.6Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
62.5%±100Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Wells 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% |
4.6% U.S.: 12.5% |
15.5%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 87.5%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
88.7% U.S.: 65.2% |
93.4%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1985Highest 5 yrs newer than U.S. |
1967Lowest 13 yrs older than U.S. |
1977 3 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 27 min about the U.S. average |
19 minLowest 29% below U.S. |
48 minHighest 80% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 22.7%±4.7Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
6%±2.2Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
11.3%±6.2 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #26 of 120 in NH | — | — |
| School district | Bow School District | Addison Central Unified Union School District #55 | Wells Spring Unified Union School District #69 |
| High school in town | Bow High School | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.8 |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | 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.