Compare towns
Concord vs Dover vs Hanover vs Rochester
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 oldest housing (typical home built 1969).
Dover has the most renters (47.3% rent).
Hanover has the most expensive homes ($825k median).
Rochester has the most affordable homes ($279k median).
Hanover is a college town. 36.9% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
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 | Dover | Hanover | Rochester |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 44,375Highest |
33,364 |
11,685Lowest |
33,144 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +3%Lowest NH: +4.6% |
+9.2%Highest NH: +4.6% |
+5.4% NH: +4.6% |
+9.2%Highest NH: +4.6% |
| Median age | 40.7±1.3 6% below NH |
36.9±1.9 15% below NH |
28.7±5.1Lowest 34% below NH |
43±1.8Highest about the NH average |
| Rochester and Concord are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 17.2%±1.3 NH: 18.2% |
16.9%±1.8 NH: 18.2% |
14.4%±2.4Lowest NH: 18.2% |
18.2%±1.7Highest NH: 18.2% |
| Rochester and Concord are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 18.7%±1.5 NH: 20.1% |
16.8%±1.8Lowest NH: 20.1% |
19.7%±2.8Highest NH: 20.1% |
19.6%±1.9 NH: 20.1% |
| Hanover and Rochester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 42.3% NH: 40.6% |
52% NH: 40.6% |
88.2%Highest NH: 40.6% |
27.1%Lowest NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6%±0.8 NH: 6% |
6.2%±1.2 NH: 6% |
36.9%±2.4Highest NH: 6% |
4.3%±1Lowest NH: 6% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $84,902±$5k 14% below NH |
$94,829±$7k 4% below NH |
$169,583±$36kHighest 71% above NH |
$80,836±$3kLowest 18% below NH |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $350,900±$13k 13% below NH |
$436,700±$20k 8% above NH |
$824,900±$61kHighest 105% above NH |
$279,100±$10kLowest 31% below NH |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,441±$43 3% below NH |
$1,607±$100 8% above NH |
$2,253±$217Highest 51% above NH |
$1,369±$72Lowest 8% below NH |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $7,227 8% above NH |
$8,249 24% above NH |
$10,000+Highest at least 50% above NH |
$5,334Lowest 20% below NH |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 44.1%±5.2Lowest NH: 48.2% |
48.6%±6.3 NH: 48.2% |
66.4%±17.5Highest NH: 48.2% |
46.3%±7 NH: 48.2% |
| Hanover and Dover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 8.9%Highest NH: 7.2% |
8.3% NH: 7.2% |
5.6%Lowest NH: 7.2% |
8.3% NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 56.8% NH: 72.8% |
52.7%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
73.7%Highest NH: 72.8% |
66% NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1969Lowest 10 yrs older than NH |
1976 3 yrs older than NH |
1976 3 yrs older than NH |
1978Highest 1 yr older than NH |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 23 min 14% below NH |
23 min 15% below NH |
20 minLowest 27% below NH |
26 minHighest about the NH average |
| Work from home | 14.1%±1.8 NH: 16.8% |
18.6%±2.5 NH: 16.8% |
26.4%±5Highest NH: 16.8% |
11.8%±2.1Lowest NH: 16.8% |
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #89 of 120 in NH | #64 of 120 in NH | #1 of 120 in NH | #98 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Concord School District · Merrimack Valley School District | Dover School District | Dresden School District · Hanover School District | Rochester School District |
| High school in town | Concord High School | Dover Senior High School | Hanover High School | Spaulding High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 13.0 |
12.7 |
10.7Lowest |
13.2Highest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | 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.