What stands out worked out from the figures below

Bristol has the most affordable homes ($258k median).

Lunenburg has grown the fastest since 2010 (+16.8%).

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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Bristol	Lunenburg
People
Population	3,273Lowest	11,902Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+6.2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+16.8%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	42.7±5.7Lowest 10% above U.S.	43.2±2.1Highest 11% above U.S.
	Lunenburg and Bristol are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	24.3%±6.4Highest U.S.: 22%	21.1%±3Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Bristol and Lunenburg are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	23.2%±4.9Highest U.S.: 17.2%	17.9%±2.7Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
	Bristol and Lunenburg are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	35.5%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	44%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3.6%±2Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	4.2%±1.8Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Lunenburg and Bristol are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$78,438±$10kLowest about the U.S. average	$112,828±$11kHighest 40% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$258,300±$63kLowest 22% below U.S.	$463,900±$24kHighest 39% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,310±$97Lowest 7% below U.S.	$1,974±$586Highest 40% above U.S.
	Lunenburg and Bristol are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,162Lowest 33% above U.S.	$6,401Highest 105% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	46.3%±14.2Highest U.S.: 51.1%	45.8%±13.5Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Bristol and Lunenburg are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	10.3%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	4.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	69.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	80.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1977Highest 3 yrs older than U.S.	1972Lowest 8 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	28 minLowest 5% above U.S.	36 minHighest 37% above U.S.
Work from home	11.8%±5.2Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	15.8%±3.5Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Lunenburg and Bristol 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	#79 of 120 in NH	#87 of 282 in MA
School district	Newfound Area School District	Lunenburg
High school in town	Newfound Regional High School	Lunenburg High
Students per teacherat that high school	11.5Lowest	12.4Highest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	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.