What stands out worked out from the figures below

Charlestown has grown the fastest since 2010 (-6%).

Rockingham has the most people working from home (17.9%).

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	Charlestown	Rockingham
People
Population	4,889Highest	4,807Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-6%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	-8.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	41.6±8.5Lowest 7% above U.S.	46.4±2.6Highest 19% above U.S.
	Rockingham and Charlestown are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	22.4%±5.7Highest U.S.: 22%	19.2%±4.3Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Charlestown and Rockingham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	22.4%±5.2Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	29.8%±5Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Rockingham and Charlestown are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	12.5%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	37.1%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3.9%±3.2Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	6.1%±2.9Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Rockingham and Charlestown are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$47,338±$23kLowest 41% below U.S.	$70,857±$16kHighest 12% below U.S.
	Rockingham and Charlestown are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$228,000±$62kHighest 31% below U.S.	$210,900±$14kLowest 37% below U.S.
	Charlestown and Rockingham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,099±$85Highest 22% below U.S.	$1,062±$101Lowest 25% below U.S.
	Charlestown and Rockingham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,143Highest 65% above U.S.	$4,887Lowest 57% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	65%±24.9Highest U.S.: 51.1%	46.7%±13.7Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Charlestown and Rockingham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	14.8%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	16.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	78.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	61.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1977Highest 3 yrs older than U.S.	1938Lowest 42 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	24 minHighest 9% below U.S.	20 minLowest 25% below U.S.
Work from home	7.6%±4.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	17.9%±7.1Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Rockingham and Charlestown 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	#113 of 120 in NH	#65 of 70 in VT
School district	Fall Mountain Regional School District	Rockingham School District
High school in town	None in town	None in town
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.