Compare towns
Dorchester vs Epping vs Brookfield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against New Hampshire.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Dorchester has the most affordable homes ($140k median).
Epping has the most people working from home (24%).
Brookfield has the shortest commute (27 min average).
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 | Epping | Brookfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 410Lowest |
7,430Highest |
567 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +11.1%Highest NH: +4.6% |
+6%Lowest NH: +4.6% |
| Median age | 56±10.5 29% above NH |
45.1±3.5Lowest 4% above NH |
58.1±9.7Highest 34% above NH |
| Brookfield and Dorchester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 11.2%±4.4 NH: 18.2% |
18.7%±4.8Highest NH: 18.2% |
8.6%±4Lowest NH: 18.2% |
| Epping and Dorchester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 39.8%±15.5Highest NH: 20.1% |
22.6%±5.2Lowest NH: 20.1% |
38.4%±3.4 NH: 20.1% |
| Dorchester and Brookfield 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 NH: 40.6% |
37%Highest NH: 40.6% |
36.8% NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 0.5%±3.1Lowest NH: 6% |
5.1%±3.3 NH: 6% |
5.5%±5Highest NH: 6% |
| Brookfield and Epping are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | — | $104,220±$7kHighest 5% above NH |
$81,406±$31kLowest 18% below NH |
| Epping and Brookfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $139,600±$133kLowest 65% below NH |
$436,900±$35kHighest 9% above NH |
$428,000±$61k 6% above NH |
| Epping and Brookfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $1,742±$576 17% above NH |
— |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,779Lowest 43% below NH |
$6,936Highest 4% above NH |
$5,926 11% below NH |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 0%±100Lowest NH: 48.2% |
67.8%±25.9Highest NH: 48.2% |
— |
| Epping and Dorchester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 18.6%Highest NH: 7.2% |
4.7% NH: 7.2% |
3.9%Lowest NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 96.3% NH: 72.8% |
86.3%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
98.4%Highest NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1973Lowest 6 yrs older than NH |
1989Highest 10 yrs newer than NH |
1975 4 yrs older than NH |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 40 minHighest 50% above NH |
32 min 21% above NH |
27 minLowest about the NH average |
| Work from home | 12.2%±8.8Lowest NH: 16.8% |
24%±6.9Highest NH: 16.8% |
13.7%±6.8 NH: 16.8% |
| Epping and Brookfield 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 | — | #77 of 120 in NH | — |
| School district | — | Epping School District | — |
| High school in town | — | Epping High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 9.3 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.