What stands out worked out from the figures below

Castle Hill has the most affordable homes ($145k median).

Hooksett has the most expensive homes ($348k 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.

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

Measure	Castle Hill	Hooksett
People
Population	281Lowest	5,876Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	—	+27.4% U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	57.8±15.8Highest 49% above U.S.	42.6±2Lowest 10% above U.S.
	Castle Hill and Hooksett are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	14.2%±5.8Lowest U.S.: 22%	14.7%±3.6Highest U.S.: 22%
	Hooksett and Castle Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	44.8%±6.5Highest U.S.: 17.2%	20.7%±3.9Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	26.7%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	41.4%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	2.1%±5.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	6.2%±3.7Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Hooksett and Castle Hill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$54,250±$14kLowest 33% below U.S.	$101,053±$25kHighest 25% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$145,300±$18kLowest 56% below U.S.	$348,100±$32kHighest 5% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$950±$574Lowest 33% below U.S.	$1,811±$283Highest 28% above U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$1,449Lowest 54% below U.S.	$4,960Highest 59% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	75%±100Highest U.S.: 51.1%	46%±20.2Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Castle Hill and Hooksett are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	4.3%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	94.3%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	72.5%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1982Lowest 2 yrs newer than U.S.	1987Highest 7 yrs newer than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	19 minLowest 29% below U.S.	29 minHighest 11% above U.S.
Work from home	10.3%±9.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	14.4%±4.6Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Hooksett and Castle Hill 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	—	#30 of 120 in NH
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	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.