What stands out worked out from the figures below

Dartmouth has the shortest commute (27 min average).

Hudson has grown the fastest since 2010 (+3.8%).

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	Dartmouth	Hudson
People
Population	33,328Highest	25,557Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-0.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+3.8%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	42.5±2Lowest 9% above U.S.	45.7±1.9Highest 17% above U.S.
	Hudson and Dartmouth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	14.6%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 22%	16.8%±2.1Highest U.S.: 22%
	Hudson and Dartmouth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	21%±1.7Highest U.S.: 17.2%	20.7%±2.4Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
	Dartmouth and Hudson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	39%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	34.2%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	14.3%±1.3Highest U.S.: 6.4%	7%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$99,839±$8kLowest 24% above U.S.	$124,213±$6kHighest 54% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$496,500±$20kHighest 49% above U.S.	$438,900±$11kLowest 32% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,462±$159Lowest 3% above U.S.	$1,735±$123Highest 23% above U.S.
	Hudson and Dartmouth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,263Lowest 37% above U.S.	$6,636Highest 113% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	54%±9.8Highest U.S.: 51.1%	34.3%±7.2Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
Below poverty line	6.3%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	4.6%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	76%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	82.6%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1973Lowest 7 yrs older than U.S.	1983Highest 3 yrs newer than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	27 minLowest about the U.S. average	31 minHighest 19% above U.S.
Work from home	12.4%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	19.6%±3.6Highest U.S.: 15.1%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#115 of 282 in MA	#63 of 120 in NH
School district	Dartmouth	Hudson School District
High school in town	Dartmouth High	Alvirne High School
Students per teacherat that high school	11.9Highest	11.6Lowest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	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.