Compare towns
Dover vs Bedford vs Sutton
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against New Hampshire.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Dover has the most renters (47.3% rent).
Bedford has the most people working from home (27%).
Sutton has the most affordable homes ($363k 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.
| Measure | Dover | Bedford | Sutton |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 33,364Highest |
23,746 |
2,239Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +9.2% NH: +4.6% |
+10%Highest NH: +4.6% |
+7.7%Lowest NH: +4.6% |
| Median age | 36.9±1.9Lowest 15% below NH |
45±2.2 4% above NH |
48.1±4.1Highest 11% above NH |
| Sutton and Bedford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.9%±1.8Lowest NH: 18.2% |
22.7%±2.5Highest NH: 18.2% |
20.5%±3.8 NH: 18.2% |
| Bedford and Sutton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 16.8%±1.8Lowest NH: 20.1% |
20.5%±2.1 NH: 20.1% |
21.6%±5.9Highest NH: 20.1% |
| Sutton and Bedford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 52% NH: 40.6% |
63%Highest NH: 40.6% |
44.3%Lowest NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.2%±1.2Highest NH: 6% |
4.7%±2.1Lowest NH: 6% |
4.9%±3.6 NH: 6% |
| Dover and Sutton 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 4% below NH |
$167,418±$12kHighest 69% above NH |
$130,313±$31k 32% above NH |
| Bedford and Sutton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $436,700±$20k 8% above NH |
$612,100±$26kHighest 52% above NH |
$362,600±$16kLowest 10% below NH |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,607±$100Lowest 8% above NH |
$2,099±$274Highest 41% above NH |
$1,656±$614 11% above NH |
| Bedford and Sutton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $8,249 24% above NH |
$9,803Highest 47% above NH |
$7,652Lowest 15% above NH |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 48.6%±6.3 NH: 48.2% |
59.4%±15.3Highest NH: 48.2% |
27.6%±47.2Lowest NH: 48.2% |
| Bedford and Dover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 8.3%Highest NH: 7.2% |
2.7%Lowest NH: 7.2% |
4.8% NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 52.7%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
82.9% NH: 72.8% |
95.7%Highest NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976 3 yrs older than NH |
1990Highest 11 yrs newer than NH |
1971Lowest 8 yrs older than NH |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 23 minLowest 15% below NH |
25 min 5% below NH |
29 minHighest 10% above NH |
| Work from home | 18.6%±2.5 NH: 16.8% |
27%±3.4Highest NH: 16.8% |
14.8%±5.6Lowest NH: 16.8% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #64 of 120 in NH | #7 of 120 in NH | — |
| School district | Dover School District | Bedford School District | Kearsarge Regional School District |
| High school in town | Dover Senior High School | Bedford High School | Kearsarge Regional High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.7 |
13.5Highest |
10.4Lowest |
| 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.