Compare towns
Cornish vs Dover vs Plymouth
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 homeowners (94.1%).
Dover has grown the fastest since 2010 (+9.2%).
Plymouth has the youngest population (median age 24.6).
Plymouth is a college town. 33.7% 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 | Cornish | Dover | Plymouth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,816Lowest |
33,364Highest |
6,601 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -1.5% NH: +4.6% |
+9.2%Highest NH: +4.6% |
-4.4%Lowest NH: +4.6% |
| Median age | 54±8.3Highest 25% above NH |
36.9±1.9 15% below NH |
24.6±3.4Lowest 43% below NH |
| Kids under 18 | 14.4%±3.2 NH: 18.2% |
16.9%±1.8Highest NH: 18.2% |
13.6%±3.6Lowest NH: 18.2% |
| Dover and Cornish 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% |
16.8%±1.8 NH: 20.1% |
12%±2.7Lowest NH: 20.1% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 40.6%Lowest NH: 40.6% |
52% NH: 40.6% |
54%Highest NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.4%±0.9Lowest NH: 6% |
6.2%±1.2 NH: 6% |
33.7%±3.5Highest NH: 6% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $91,821±$2k 7% below NH |
$94,829±$7kHighest 4% below NH |
$77,027±$26kLowest 22% below NH |
| Dover and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $296,000±$69k 26% below NH |
$436,700±$20kHighest 8% above NH |
$292,400±$22kLowest 27% below NH |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,221±$227 18% below NH |
$1,607±$100Highest 8% above NH |
$1,108±$255Lowest 26% below NH |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,796Lowest 13% below NH |
$8,249Highest 24% above NH |
$6,288 6% below NH |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 40.5%±38.1 NH: 48.2% |
48.6%±6.3Highest NH: 48.2% |
33.8%±11.6Lowest NH: 48.2% |
| Dover and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 4.7%Lowest NH: 7.2% |
8.3% NH: 7.2% |
18.6%Highest NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 94.1%Highest NH: 72.8% |
52.7%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
56.3% NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1980 1 yr newer than NH |
1976Lowest 3 yrs older than NH |
1981Highest 2 yrs newer than NH |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minHighest 9% below NH |
23 min 15% below NH |
18 minLowest 31% below NH |
| Work from home | 12%±4.1 NH: 16.8% |
18.6%±2.5Highest NH: 16.8% |
11.7%±3.6Lowest NH: 16.8% |
| Dover and Cornish 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 | — | #64 of 120 in NH | #47 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Cornish School District | Dover School District | Plymouth School District · Pemi-Baker Regional School District |
| High school in town | None in town | Dover Senior High School | Plymouth Regional High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.7Lowest |
12.8Highest |
| 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.