Compare towns
Brookfield vs Hanover vs Wolfeboro
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against New Hampshire.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Brookfield has the most homeowners (98.4%).
Hanover has the highest household income ($170k).
Hanover is a college town. 36.9% 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 | Brookfield | Hanover | Wolfeboro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 567Lowest |
11,685Highest |
6,571 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6%Highest NH: +4.6% |
+5.4% NH: +4.6% |
+2.3%Lowest NH: +4.6% |
| Median age | 58.1±9.7Highest 34% above NH |
28.7±5.1Lowest 34% below NH |
57±1.8 32% above NH |
| Brookfield and Wolfeboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 8.6%±4Lowest NH: 18.2% |
14.4%±2.4Highest NH: 18.2% |
13.7%±3.3 NH: 18.2% |
| Hanover and Wolfeboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 38.4%±3.4Highest NH: 20.1% |
19.7%±2.8Lowest NH: 20.1% |
34.6%±5.2 NH: 20.1% |
| Brookfield and Wolfeboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 36.8%Lowest NH: 40.6% |
88.2%Highest NH: 40.6% |
45% NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±5 NH: 6% |
36.9%±2.4Highest NH: 6% |
2.8%±1.8Lowest NH: 6% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $81,406±$31kLowest 18% below NH |
$169,583±$36kHighest 71% above NH |
$94,375±$22k 5% below NH |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $428,000±$61kLowest 6% above NH |
$824,900±$61kHighest 105% above NH |
$546,500±$60k 36% above NH |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $2,253±$217Highest 51% above NH |
$1,103±$76Lowest 26% below NH |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,926 11% below NH |
$10,000+Highest at least 50% above NH |
$4,531Lowest 32% below NH |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | — | 66.4%±17.5Highest NH: 48.2% |
12%±11.6Lowest NH: 48.2% |
| Below poverty line | 3.9%Lowest NH: 7.2% |
5.6% NH: 7.2% |
8.2%Highest NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 98.4%Highest NH: 72.8% |
73.7%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
78.1% NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975Lowest 4 yrs older than NH |
1976 3 yrs older than NH |
1982Highest 3 yrs newer than NH |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 27 minHighest about the NH average |
20 minLowest 27% below NH |
24 min 11% below NH |
| Work from home | 13.7%±6.8Lowest NH: 16.8% |
26.4%±5Highest NH: 16.8% |
22.9%±6.6 NH: 16.8% |
| Hanover and Wolfeboro 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 | — | #1 of 120 in NH | #46 of 120 in NH |
| School district | — | Dresden School District · Hanover School District | Governor Wentworth Regional School District |
| High school in town | — | Hanover High School | Kingswood Regional High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 10.7Lowest |
11.1Highest |
| 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.