What stands out worked out from the figures below

Cornish has grown the fastest since 2010 (-1.5%).

Lancaster has the most kids (20.9% under 18).

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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Cornish	Lancaster
People
Population	1,816Lowest	3,216Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-1.5%Highest NH: +4.6%	-8.2%Lowest NH: +4.6%
Median age	54±8.3Highest 25% above NH	45.5±6.9Lowest 5% above NH
	Cornish and Lancaster 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%	20.9%±6.1Highest NH: 18.2%
	Lancaster and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	27.3%±4.1Lowest NH: 20.1%	28.4%±5.8Highest NH: 20.1%
	Lancaster and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	40.6%Highest NH: 40.6%	30.1%Lowest NH: 40.6%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	1.4%±0.9Lowest NH: 6%	2.9%±2.2Highest NH: 6%
	Lancaster and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$91,821±$2kHighest 7% below NH	$68,911±$23kLowest 30% below NH
	Cornish and Lancaster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$296,000±$69kHighest 26% below NH	$215,700±$24kLowest 46% below NH
	Cornish and Lancaster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,221±$227Highest 18% below NH	$1,019±$263Lowest 32% below NH
	Cornish and Lancaster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,796Highest 13% below NH	$4,226Lowest 37% below NH
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	40.5%±38.1Highest NH: 48.2%	36.1%±17Lowest NH: 48.2%
	Cornish and Lancaster 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%	16.7%Highest NH: 7.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	94.1%Highest NH: 72.8%	75.1%Lowest NH: 72.8%
Typical home builtmedian year	1980Highest 1 yr newer than NH	1942Lowest 37 yrs older than NH
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	24 minHighest 9% below NH	23 minLowest 14% below NH
Work from home	12%±4.1Highest NH: 16.8%	11.5%±6.3Lowest NH: 16.8%
	Cornish and Lancaster 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	—	#107 of 120 in NH
School district	Cornish School District	White Mountains Regional School District
High school in town	None in town	None in town
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	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.