What stands out worked out from the figures below

Colebrook has the most affordable homes ($192k median).

Shelburne has the highest household income ($93k).

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	Colebrook	Shelburne
People
Population	1,988Highest	530Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-9.4% NH: +4.6%	—
Median age	53.7±4.9Highest 24% above NH	50.3±11Lowest 16% above NH
	Colebrook and Shelburne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	13.2%±3.9Highest NH: 18.2%	12.3%±5.1Lowest NH: 18.2%
	Colebrook and Shelburne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	27.8%±4.1Lowest NH: 20.1%	31.7%±5.5Highest NH: 20.1%
	Shelburne and Colebrook are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	16.3%Lowest NH: 40.6%	36.1%Highest NH: 40.6%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3.4%±2.6Lowest NH: 6%	4%±4.5Highest NH: 6%
	Shelburne and Colebrook are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$51,159±$6kLowest 48% below NH	$93,125±$18kHighest 6% below NH
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$192,200±$59kLowest 52% below NH	$280,200±$45kHighest 30% below NH
	Shelburne and Colebrook are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$750±$238Lowest 50% below NH	$1,130±$62Highest 24% below NH
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,350Highest 35% below NH	$3,801Lowest 43% below NH
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	50.3%±19.3Highest NH: 48.2%	10%±70.4Lowest NH: 48.2%
	Colebrook and Shelburne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	13.3%Highest NH: 7.2%	5.5%Lowest NH: 7.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	69.4%Lowest NH: 72.8%	86%Highest NH: 72.8%
Typical home builtmedian year	1973Lowest 6 yrs older than NH	1977Highest 2 yrs older than NH
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	21 minLowest 21% below NH	25 minHighest 6% below NH
Work from home	5.4%±3.1Lowest NH: 16.8%	9.3%±6.3Highest NH: 16.8%
	Shelburne and Colebrook are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	Colebrook School District	—
High school in town	Colebrook Academy and Elementary School (H)	—
Students per teacherat that high school	8.4	—
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	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.