Compare towns
Cornish vs Reading vs Windham vs Lyndeborough
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Cornish has the most affordable homes ($296k median).
Reading has the most people working from home (22.9%).
Windham has the youngest population (median age 44.2).
Lyndeborough has the highest household income ($117k).
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 | Reading | Windham | Lyndeborough |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,816Highest |
699 |
594Lowest |
1,616 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -1.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+3.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
— | +1.1% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 54±8.3Highest 39% above U.S. |
51.1±7.6 31% above U.S. |
44.2±7.4Lowest 14% above U.S. |
50±3.2 29% above U.S. |
| Cornish and Reading are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 14.4%±3.2Lowest U.S.: 22% |
18.5%±4.2Highest U.S.: 22% |
17.5%±7.9 U.S.: 22% |
14.9%±5.3 U.S.: 22% |
| Reading and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 27.3%±4.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
28.2%±3.3Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
23.2%±8.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
22.6%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Reading 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% U.S.: 35.7% |
46% U.S.: 35.7% |
48.1%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
40.1%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.4%±0.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
3.1%±2.5 U.S.: 6.4% |
0.8%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
3.7%±1.5Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Lyndeborough and Reading are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $91,821±$2k 14% above U.S. |
$85,000±$19kLowest 5% above U.S. |
$94,500±$12k 17% above U.S. |
$116,964±$17kHighest 45% above U.S. |
| Lyndeborough and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $296,000±$69kLowest 11% below U.S. |
$377,200±$72k 13% above U.S. |
$353,900±$20k 6% above U.S. |
$390,900±$26kHighest 17% above U.S. |
| Lyndeborough and Reading are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,221±$227 14% below U.S. |
$1,100±$331Lowest 22% below U.S. |
— | $1,482±$457Highest 5% above U.S. |
| Lyndeborough and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,796 86% above U.S. |
$5,754Lowest 84% above U.S. |
$5,951 91% above U.S. |
$7,133Highest 129% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 40.5%±38.1Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
63.3%±31.7Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
41.2%±94 U.S.: 51.1% |
48.9%±90 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Reading and Lyndeborough are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 4.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
8.4% U.S.: 12.5% |
9.9%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
3.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 94.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
84.9% U.S.: 65.2% |
82.9%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
92.4% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1980 same as U.S. |
1969Lowest 11 yrs older than U.S. |
1982Highest 2 yrs newer than U.S. |
1981 1 yr newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minLowest 8% below U.S. |
33 min 25% above U.S. |
27 min about the U.S. average |
39 minHighest 48% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 12%±4.1Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
22.9%±10.6Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
20.5%±5.6 U.S.: 15.1% |
16.7%±3.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Reading and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Schools | ||||
| School district | Cornish School District | Mountain Views Unified Union School District #76 | — | Wilton-Lyndeborough Cooperative School District |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | — | None in town |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet | None yet |
U.S. 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.