Compare towns
Bow vs Windham vs Newmarket 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 shortest commute (27 min average).
Windham has the most expensive homes ($723k median).
Newmarket has the most renters (47.1% rent).
Brookline has the most people working from home (24.7%).
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 | Windham | Newmarket | Brookline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,335 |
16,038Highest |
9,463 |
5,736Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +9.4% NH: +4.6% |
+16.4%Highest NH: +4.6% |
+5.5%Lowest NH: +4.6% |
+13% NH: +4.6% |
| Median age | 41.5±2Highest 4% below NH |
41.1±2.9Lowest 5% below NH |
41.2±1.9 5% below NH |
41.2±1.5 5% below NH |
| Bow and Newmarket are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 25%±3.6 NH: 18.2% |
27.4%±3.3Highest NH: 18.2% |
15.6%±2.7Lowest NH: 18.2% |
26.7%±4 NH: 18.2% |
| Windham and Brookline 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% |
15.5%±2.6 NH: 20.1% |
16.1%±2.8 NH: 20.1% |
11.4%±2.1Lowest NH: 20.1% |
| Bow and Newmarket are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 60.3% NH: 40.6% |
62.7%Highest NH: 40.6% |
49.7%Lowest NH: 40.6% |
57.7% NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.6%±1.9 NH: 6% |
3.8%±1.8Lowest NH: 6% |
5.6%±1.9 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±$16k 75% above NH |
$189,583±$19kHighest 91% above NH |
$100,845±$13kLowest about the NH average |
$171,046±$4k 73% above NH |
| Windham and Bow 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 |
$723,300±$50kHighest 80% above NH |
$455,000±$22kLowest 13% above NH |
$544,400±$38k 35% above NH |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,539±$178Lowest 3% above NH |
$3,218±$350Highest 116% above NH |
$1,671±$69 12% above NH |
$2,500±$1k 68% above NH |
| Windham and Brookline 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 |
$10,000+Highest at least 50% above NH |
$8,734Lowest 31% above NH |
$10,000+Highest at least 50% above NH |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 39%±13.2 NH: 48.2% |
52.2%±50.9Highest NH: 48.2% |
46.3%±8.3 NH: 48.2% |
23.8%±43.5Lowest NH: 48.2% |
| Windham and Newmarket 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% |
2% NH: 7.2% |
4.6%Highest NH: 7.2% |
0.6%Lowest NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 87.5% NH: 72.8% |
93.9% NH: 72.8% |
52.9%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
95.1%Highest NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1985 6 yrs newer than NH |
1996Highest 17 yrs newer than NH |
1983Lowest 4 yrs newer than NH |
1993 14 yrs newer than NH |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 27 minLowest about the NH average |
31 min 15% above NH |
28 min 6% above NH |
33 minHighest 25% above NH |
| Work from home | 22.7%±4.7 NH: 16.8% |
21.9%±4.4 NH: 16.8% |
17.3%±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 | #13 of 120 in NH | #39 of 120 in NH | #23 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Bow School District | Windham School District | Newmarket School District | Brookline School District |
| High school in town | Bow High School | Windham High School | Newmarket Jr.-Sr. High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.8Highest |
12.8Highest |
9.9Lowest |
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| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | 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.