Compare towns
Dover vs Bow vs Hampton Beach
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).
Bow has the highest household income ($173k).
Hampton Beach has grown the fastest since 2010 (+14.2%).
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 | Bow | Hampton Beach |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 33,364Highest |
8,335 |
2,605Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +9.2%Lowest NH: +4.6% |
+9.4% NH: +4.6% |
+14.2%Highest NH: +4.6% |
| Median age | 36.9±1.9Lowest 15% below NH |
41.5±2 4% below NH |
60.4±2.4Highest 39% above NH |
| Kids under 18 | 16.9%±1.8 NH: 18.2% |
25%±3.6Highest NH: 18.2% |
3.1%±2.8Lowest NH: 18.2% |
| Age 65+ | 16.8%±1.8Lowest NH: 20.1% |
17.6%±2.5 NH: 20.1% |
33.7%±4.1Highest NH: 20.1% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 52% NH: 40.6% |
60.3%Highest NH: 40.6% |
34%Lowest NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.2%±1.2Highest NH: 6% |
5.6%±1.9 NH: 6% |
0.6%±0.7Lowest NH: 6% |
| Dover and Bow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $94,829±$7k 4% below NH |
$172,857±$16kHighest 75% above NH |
$82,557±$17kLowest 17% below NH |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $436,700±$20kLowest 8% above NH |
$506,500±$34k 26% above NH |
$508,900±$76kHighest 26% above NH |
| Hampton Beach and Bow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,607±$100Highest 8% above NH |
$1,539±$178 3% above NH |
$1,375±$130Lowest 8% below NH |
| Dover and Bow 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 |
$9,584Highest 44% above NH |
$6,115Lowest 8% below NH |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 48.6%±6.3 NH: 48.2% |
39%±13.2Lowest NH: 48.2% |
61.7%±20.2Highest NH: 48.2% |
| Hampton Beach 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% |
8.2% NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 52.7%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
87.5%Highest NH: 72.8% |
62.9% NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976 3 yrs older than NH |
1985Highest 6 yrs newer than NH |
1971Lowest 8 yrs older than NH |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 23 minLowest 15% below NH |
27 minHighest about the NH average |
25 min 5% below NH |
| Work from home | 18.6%±2.5Lowest NH: 16.8% |
22.7%±4.7 NH: 16.8% |
26.9%±6.1Highest NH: 16.8% |
| Hampton Beach and Bow 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 | #26 of 120 in NH | — |
| School district | Dover School District | Bow School District | — |
| High school in town | Dover Senior High School | Bow High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.7Lowest |
12.8Highest |
— |
| 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.