Compare towns
Columbia vs Dummer vs Effingham
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against New Hampshire.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Columbia has the shortest commute (20 min average).
Dummer has the highest household income ($91k).
Effingham has the most people working from home (16.1%).
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 | Columbia | Dummer | Effingham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 683 |
299Lowest |
1,912Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -12.9%Lowest NH: +4.6% |
— | +15.4%Highest NH: +4.6% |
| Median age | 51.8±10.1 20% above NH |
53.6±6.4Highest 24% above NH |
46.9±12.4Lowest 8% above NH |
| Dummer and Columbia are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 17.4%±5.2Lowest NH: 18.2% |
19.4%±5.1 NH: 18.2% |
19.5%±4.5Highest NH: 18.2% |
| Effingham and Dummer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 29.9%±8.3Highest NH: 20.1% |
21.4%±4.6 NH: 20.1% |
18.7%±2.5Lowest NH: 20.1% |
| Columbia and Dummer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 14.5%Lowest NH: 40.6% |
16.9% NH: 40.6% |
20.3%Highest NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 7%±3.7Highest NH: 6% |
0%±5.7Lowest NH: 6% |
1.1%±0.8 NH: 6% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $57,917±$13kLowest 42% below NH |
$91,250±$21kHighest 8% below NH |
$76,607±$14k 23% below NH |
| Dummer and Effingham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $196,400±$29kLowest 51% below NH |
$242,200±$51k 40% below NH |
$322,700±$30kHighest 20% below NH |
| Effingham and Dummer are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $792±$333Lowest 47% below NH |
— | $1,090±$121Highest 27% below NH |
| Effingham and Columbia are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,009Lowest 70% below NH |
$2,898 57% below NH |
$5,163Highest 23% below NH |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 9.1%±95.8 NH: 48.2% |
0%±100Lowest NH: 48.2% |
13.6%±40.4Highest NH: 48.2% |
| Effingham and Columbia are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 10.7%Highest NH: 7.2% |
9%Lowest NH: 7.2% |
9%Lowest NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 91.1% NH: 72.8% |
94.2%Highest NH: 72.8% |
90.2%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Highest 4 yrs newer than NH |
1977Lowest 2 yrs older than NH |
1982 3 yrs newer than NH |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 20 minLowest 24% below NH |
25 min 6% below NH |
32 minHighest 18% above NH |
| Work from home | 11.2%±6.7 NH: 16.8% |
6.8%±4.4Lowest NH: 16.8% |
16.1%±4.2Highest NH: 16.8% |
| Effingham and Columbia are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | — | — | Governor Wentworth Regional School District |
| High school in town | — | — | None in town |
| 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.