Compare towns
Concord vs Bridgewater vs Bow
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against New Hampshire.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Concord has the most renters (43.2% rent).
Bridgewater has the oldest population (median age 58.3).
Bow has the highest household income ($173k).
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 | Concord | Bridgewater | Bow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 44,375Highest |
1,169Lowest |
8,335 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3%Lowest NH: +4.6% |
+7.1% NH: +4.6% |
+9.4%Highest NH: +4.6% |
| Median age | 40.7±1.3Lowest 6% below NH |
58.3±6.3Highest 35% above NH |
41.5±2 4% below NH |
| Kids under 18 | 17.2%±1.3 NH: 18.2% |
10.8%±3.5Lowest NH: 18.2% |
25%±3.6Highest NH: 18.2% |
| Age 65+ | 18.7%±1.5 NH: 20.1% |
33.1%±1.8Highest NH: 20.1% |
17.6%±2.5Lowest NH: 20.1% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 42.3% NH: 40.6% |
32.8%Lowest NH: 40.6% |
60.3%Highest NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6%±0.8Highest NH: 6% |
1.3%±1.2Lowest NH: 6% |
5.6%±1.9 NH: 6% |
| Concord and Bow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $84,902±$5k 14% below NH |
$82,361±$9kLowest 17% below NH |
$172,857±$16kHighest 75% above NH |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $350,900±$13kLowest 13% below NH |
$398,600±$65k about the NH average |
$506,500±$34kHighest 26% above NH |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,441±$43 3% below NH |
$1,125±$201Lowest 25% below NH |
$1,539±$178Highest 3% above NH |
| Bow and Concord are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $7,227 8% above NH |
$2,823Lowest 58% below NH |
$9,584Highest 44% above NH |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 44.1%±5.2Highest NH: 48.2% |
32.1%±13.6Lowest NH: 48.2% |
39%±13.2 NH: 48.2% |
| Concord and Bow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 8.9% NH: 7.2% |
11.9%Highest NH: 7.2% |
2.7%Lowest NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 56.8%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
79.7% NH: 72.8% |
87.5%Highest NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1969Lowest 10 yrs older than NH |
1979 same as NH |
1985Highest 6 yrs newer than NH |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 23 minLowest 14% below NH |
30 minHighest 13% above NH |
27 min about the NH average |
| Work from home | 14.1%±1.8 NH: 16.8% |
8%±3.3Lowest NH: 16.8% |
22.7%±4.7Highest NH: 16.8% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #89 of 120 in NH | — | #26 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Concord School District · Merrimack Valley School District | Newfound Area School District | Bow School District |
| High school in town | Concord High School | None in town | Bow High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 13.0Highest |
— | 12.8Lowest |
| 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.