Compare towns
Cornish vs Bedford vs Salisbury
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against New Hampshire.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Cornish has the most affordable homes ($296k median).
Bedford has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10%).
Salisbury has the most homeowners (96.9%).
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.
| Measure | Cornish | Bedford | Salisbury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,816 |
23,746Highest |
1,609Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -1.5%Lowest NH: +4.6% |
+10%Highest NH: +4.6% |
+2.9% NH: +4.6% |
| Median age | 54±8.3Highest 25% above NH |
45±2.2Lowest 4% above NH |
51.5±4.5 19% above NH |
| Cornish and Salisbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 14.4%±3.2Lowest NH: 18.2% |
22.7%±2.5Highest NH: 18.2% |
20.1%±9.6 NH: 18.2% |
| Bedford and Salisbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 27.3%±4.1Highest NH: 20.1% |
20.5%±2.1Lowest NH: 20.1% |
24.9%±4 NH: 20.1% |
| Cornish and Salisbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 40.6% NH: 40.6% |
63%Highest NH: 40.6% |
37.3%Lowest NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.4%±0.9Lowest NH: 6% |
4.7%±2.1Highest NH: 6% |
2%±1.1 NH: 6% |
| Bedford and Salisbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $91,821±$2kLowest 7% below NH |
$167,418±$12kHighest 69% above NH |
$111,591±$17k 13% above NH |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $296,000±$69kLowest 26% below NH |
$612,100±$26kHighest 52% above NH |
$363,400±$47k 10% below NH |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,221±$227Lowest 18% below NH |
$2,099±$274Highest 41% above NH |
$1,917±$632 29% above NH |
| Bedford and Salisbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,796Lowest 13% below NH |
$9,803Highest 47% above NH |
$5,859 12% below NH |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 40.5%±38.1 NH: 48.2% |
59.4%±15.3Highest NH: 48.2% |
0%±100Lowest NH: 48.2% |
| Bedford and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 4.7% NH: 7.2% |
2.7%Lowest NH: 7.2% |
7.1%Highest NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 94.1% NH: 72.8% |
82.9%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
96.9%Highest NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1980Lowest 1 yr newer than NH |
1990Highest 11 yrs newer than NH |
1982 3 yrs newer than NH |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minLowest 9% below NH |
25 min 5% below NH |
32 minHighest 20% above NH |
| Work from home | 12%±4.1Lowest NH: 16.8% |
27%±3.4Highest NH: 16.8% |
23.3%±10.6 NH: 16.8% |
| Bedford and Salisbury 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 | — | #7 of 120 in NH | — |
| School district | Cornish School District | Bedford School District | Merrimack Valley School District |
| High school in town | None in town | Bedford High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 13.5 |
— |
| 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.