What stands out worked out from the figures below

Dover has grown the fastest since 2010 (+9.2%).

Augusta has the most affordable homes ($201k 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	Dover	Augusta
People
Population	33,364Highest	19,077Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+9.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	-1.2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	36.9±1.9Lowest 5% below U.S.	42.5±2.4Highest 9% above U.S.
Kids under 18	16.9%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 22%	18.9%±2.6Highest U.S.: 22%
	Augusta and Dover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	16.8%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	21.5%±2.6Highest U.S.: 17.2%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	52%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	28.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	6.2%±1.2Highest U.S.: 6.4%	3.6%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$94,829±$7kHighest 17% above U.S.	$47,979±$3kLowest 41% below U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$436,700±$20kHighest 31% above U.S.	$201,000±$18kLowest 40% below U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,607±$100Highest 14% above U.S.	$919±$79Lowest 35% below U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$8,249Highest 164% above U.S.	$2,465Lowest 21% below U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	48.6%±6.3Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	49.2%±8.3Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Augusta and Dover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	8.3%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	18.2%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	52.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	53.8%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1976Highest 4 yrs older than U.S.	1965Lowest 15 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	23 minHighest 14% below U.S.	19 minLowest 29% below U.S.
Work from home	18.6%±2.5Highest U.S.: 15.1%	15.1%±3.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
	Dover and Augusta 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	#64 of 120 in NH	#119 of 133 in ME
School district	Dover School District	Augusta Public Schools · Maine Arts Academy
High school in town	Dover Senior High School	Cony
Students per teacherat that high school	12.7Lowest	17.9Highest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	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.