Compare towns
Bridgewater vs Sunapee vs Braintree
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bridgewater has the shortest commute (24 min average).
Sunapee has the most expensive homes ($393k median).
Braintree has the most people working from home (19%).
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 | Bridgewater | Sunapee | Braintree |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 980Lowest |
3,416Highest |
1,026 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
-0.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
-3.1% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 57.1±8 47% above U.S. |
56.7±1.4Lowest 46% above U.S. |
58.4±2.4Highest 50% above U.S. |
| Braintree and Bridgewater are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 12.8%±5.8Highest U.S.: 22% |
9.9%±3.4Lowest U.S.: 22% |
12.3%±3.2 U.S.: 22% |
| Bridgewater and Braintree are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 30.2%±0.7Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
33.3%±7.1Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
33.2%±3.4 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Sunapee and Braintree are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 40.3% U.S.: 35.7% |
50.6%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
30.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.8%±3.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.5%±3.5 U.S.: 6.4% |
1.8%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Bridgewater and Sunapee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $70,272±$3kLowest 13% below U.S. |
$101,393±$20kHighest 26% above U.S. |
$79,803±$5k about the U.S. average |
| Sunapee and Braintree are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $218,300±$55k 34% below U.S. |
$393,000±$51kHighest 18% above U.S. |
$217,700±$28kLowest 35% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $850±$778 40% below U.S. |
$1,713±$451Highest 21% above U.S. |
$840±$405Lowest 41% below U.S. |
| Sunapee and Bridgewater are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,418Lowest 10% above U.S. |
$4,400Highest 41% above U.S. |
$3,908 25% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 59.7%±39.1Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
34.6%±10.5Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
43.4%±29.4 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Bridgewater and Braintree are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 14.8%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
12.4% U.S.: 12.5% |
11.1%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 85.4%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
75.9%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
81% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976 4 yrs older than U.S. |
1975Lowest 5 yrs older than U.S. |
1979Highest 1 yr older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minLowest 9% below U.S. |
33 minHighest 24% above U.S. |
26 min about the U.S. average |
| Work from home | 10.5%±6.6 U.S.: 15.1% |
9.5%±4.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
19%±7.2Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Braintree and Bridgewater 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 | — | #14 of 120 in NH | — |
| School district | — | Sunapee School District | Orange Southwest Unified Union School District #59 |
| High school in town | — | Sunapee Sr. High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 11.9 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.