Compare towns
Dorchester vs Dover vs Eliot vs Lyme
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Dorchester has the most affordable homes ($140k median).
Dover has the most renters (47.3% rent).
Lyme has the most people working from home (27.2%).
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 | Dorchester | Dover | Eliot | Lyme |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 410Lowest |
33,364Highest |
7,146 |
1,710 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +9.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+8.3% U.S.: +7.4% |
+1.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 56±10.5Highest 44% above U.S. |
36.9±1.9Lowest 5% below U.S. |
50.8±5.9 31% above U.S. |
48.6±7.8 25% above U.S. |
| Dorchester and Eliot are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 11.2%±4.4Lowest U.S.: 22% |
16.9%±1.8 U.S.: 22% |
16.3%±3.9 U.S.: 22% |
19.5%±3.4Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Lyme and Dover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 39.8%±15.5Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
16.8%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
27.8%±6.2 U.S.: 17.2% |
26.5%±2.8 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Dorchester and Eliot are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 35.8%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
52% U.S.: 35.7% |
43.6% U.S.: 35.7% |
70.1%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 0.5%±3.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
6.2%±1.2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
2%±1.4 U.S.: 6.4% |
3.3%±1.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Dover and Lyme are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | — | $94,829±$7kLowest 17% above U.S. |
$101,522±$10k 26% above U.S. |
$133,906±$15kHighest 66% above U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $139,600±$133kLowest 58% below U.S. |
$436,700±$20k 31% above U.S. |
$498,900±$62k 50% above U.S. |
$645,000±$64kHighest 94% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $1,607±$100 14% above U.S. |
$1,948±$471Highest 38% above U.S. |
$1,418±$130Lowest about the U.S. average |
| Eliot and Dover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,779Lowest 21% above U.S. |
$8,249 164% above U.S. |
$4,549 46% above U.S. |
$10,000+Highest at least 221% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 0%±100Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
48.6%±6.3 U.S.: 51.1% |
55.1%±20.1Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
52.8%±29.8 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Eliot and Lyme are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 18.6%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
8.3% U.S.: 12.5% |
4.8% U.S.: 12.5% |
4.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 96.3%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
52.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
79.8% U.S.: 65.2% |
80.5% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1973Lowest 7 yrs older than U.S. |
1976 4 yrs older than U.S. |
1979Highest 1 yr older than U.S. |
1977 3 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 40 minHighest 52% above U.S. |
23 min 14% below U.S. |
23 min 15% below U.S. |
21 minLowest 21% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 12.2%±8.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
18.6%±2.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
17.4%±4.7 U.S.: 15.1% |
27.2%±5.4Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | #64 of 120 in NH | #19 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | — | Dover School District | RSU 35/MSAD 35 | Lyme School District |
| High school in town | — | Dover Senior High School | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.7 |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.