Compare towns
Cornish vs Plainfield vs Sutton vs Lyndeborough
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).
Plainfield has the youngest population (median age 38.9).
Sutton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.7%).
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 | Plainfield | Sutton | Lyndeborough |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,816 |
2,522Highest |
2,239 |
1,616Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -1.5%Lowest NH: +4.6% |
+4% NH: +4.6% |
+7.7%Highest NH: +4.6% |
+1.1% NH: +4.6% |
| Median age | 54±8.3Highest 25% above NH |
38.9±6.5Lowest 10% below NH |
48.1±4.1 11% above NH |
50±3.2 15% above NH |
| Cornish and Lyndeborough 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% |
23.4%±5.8Highest NH: 18.2% |
20.5%±3.8 NH: 18.2% |
14.9%±5.3 NH: 18.2% |
| Plainfield and Sutton 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% |
19.8%±4.5Lowest NH: 20.1% |
21.6%±5.9 NH: 20.1% |
22.6%±1.8 NH: 20.1% |
| Cornish and Lyndeborough 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% |
46.7%Highest NH: 40.6% |
44.3% NH: 40.6% |
40.1%Lowest NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.4%±0.9Lowest NH: 6% |
4.8%±2.3 NH: 6% |
4.9%±3.6Highest NH: 6% |
3.7%±1.5 NH: 6% |
| Sutton and Plainfield 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 |
$122,656±$13k 24% above NH |
$130,313±$31kHighest 32% above NH |
$116,964±$17k 18% above NH |
| Sutton and Plainfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $296,000±$69kLowest 26% below NH |
$442,400±$47kHighest 10% above NH |
$362,600±$16k 10% below NH |
$390,900±$26k about the NH average |
| Plainfield and Lyndeborough are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,221±$227Lowest 18% below NH |
$1,674±$181Highest 12% above NH |
$1,656±$614 11% above NH |
$1,482±$457 about the NH average |
| Plainfield and Sutton 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 |
$7,904Highest 19% above NH |
$7,652 15% above NH |
$7,133 7% above NH |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 40.5%±38.1 NH: 48.2% |
31.8%±23.1 NH: 48.2% |
27.6%±47.2Lowest NH: 48.2% |
48.9%±90Highest NH: 48.2% |
| Lyndeborough 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% |
5.2%Highest NH: 7.2% |
4.8% NH: 7.2% |
3.7%Lowest NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 94.1% NH: 72.8% |
87.3%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
95.7%Highest NH: 72.8% |
92.4% NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1980 1 yr newer than NH |
1977 2 yrs older than NH |
1971Lowest 8 yrs older than NH |
1981Highest 2 yrs newer than NH |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min 9% below NH |
22 minLowest 18% below NH |
29 min 10% above NH |
39 minHighest 46% above NH |
| Work from home | 12%±4.1Lowest NH: 16.8% |
18.1%±8.5Highest NH: 16.8% |
14.8%±5.6 NH: 16.8% |
16.7%±3.5 NH: 16.8% |
| Plainfield and Lyndeborough 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 | — | #19 of 120 in NH | — | — |
| School district | Cornish School District | Plainfield School District | Kearsarge Regional School District | Wilton-Lyndeborough Cooperative School District |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | Kearsarge Regional High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 10.4 |
— |
| 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.