What stands out worked out from the figures below

Dorchester has the most affordable homes ($140k median).

Springfield has the most expensive homes ($384k median).

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	Dorchester	Springfield
People
Population	410Lowest	1,122Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	—	-4% NH: +4.6%
Median age	56±10.5Highest 29% above NH	51.4±8.8Lowest 19% above NH
	Dorchester and Springfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	11.2%±4.4Lowest NH: 18.2%	15.1%±8Highest NH: 18.2%
	Springfield 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%	19.8%±1.6Lowest NH: 20.1%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	35.8%Lowest NH: 40.6%	36.4%Highest NH: 40.6%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	0.5%±3.1Highest NH: 6%	0%±1.5Lowest NH: 6%
	Dorchester and Springfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	—	$100,893±$19k about the NH average
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$139,600±$133kLowest 65% below NH	$384,100±$50kHighest 5% below NH
Rentmedian gross, monthly	—	$1,096±$217 26% below NH
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,779Lowest 43% below NH	$5,946Highest 11% below NH
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	0%±100Lowest NH: 48.2%	25.9%±64.8Highest NH: 48.2%
	Springfield 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%	3.4%Lowest NH: 7.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	96.3%Highest NH: 72.8%	90.7%Lowest NH: 72.8%
Typical home builtmedian year	1973Lowest 6 yrs older than NH	1985Highest 6 yrs newer than NH
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	40 minHighest 50% above NH	34 minLowest 29% above NH
Work from home	12.2%±8.8Lowest NH: 16.8%	16.7%±11.6Highest NH: 16.8%
	Springfield and Dorchester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	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.