What stands out worked out from the figures below

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

Troy has the most expensive homes ($267k 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	Troy
People
Population	410Lowest	2,005Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	—	-0.7% NH: +4.6%
Median age	56±10.5Highest 29% above NH	40.2±5Lowest 7% below NH
Kids under 18	11.2%±4.4Lowest NH: 18.2%	21.2%±4.5Highest NH: 18.2%
Age 65+	39.8%±15.5Highest NH: 20.1%	14.6%±3.4Lowest NH: 20.1%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	35.8%Highest NH: 40.6%	26.4%Lowest NH: 40.6%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	0.5%±3.1Lowest NH: 6%	4.1%±2.4Highest NH: 6%
	Troy and Dorchester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	—	$88,871±$14k 10% below NH
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$139,600±$133kLowest 65% below NH	$266,600±$39kHighest 34% below NH
	Troy and Dorchester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	—	$1,024±$331 31% below NH
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,779Lowest 43% below NH	$5,229Highest 22% below NH
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	0%±100Lowest NH: 48.2%	43.1%±27.1Highest NH: 48.2%
	Troy 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%	4.1%Lowest NH: 7.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	96.3%Highest NH: 72.8%	77.2%Lowest NH: 72.8%
Typical home builtmedian year	1973Highest 6 yrs older than NH	1971Lowest 8 yrs older than NH
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	40 minHighest 50% above NH	25 minLowest 5% below NH
Work from home	12.2%±8.8Highest NH: 16.8%	10.1%±4.3Lowest NH: 16.8%
	Dorchester and Troy are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	—	Monadnock Regional School District
High school in town	—	None in town
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.