Compare towns
Dover vs Bow vs Madbury
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 most people working from home (22.7%).
Madbury has the most kids (29% under 18).
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 | Madbury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 33,364Highest |
8,335 |
2,203Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +9.2% NH: +4.6% |
+9.4%Highest NH: +4.6% |
+8.3%Lowest NH: +4.6% |
| Median age | 36.9±1.9Lowest 15% below NH |
41.5±2Highest 4% below NH |
37.7±2.1 13% below NH |
| Bow and Madbury 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% |
25%±3.6 NH: 18.2% |
29%±5.9Highest NH: 18.2% |
| Madbury and Bow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 16.8%±1.8 NH: 20.1% |
17.6%±2.5Highest NH: 20.1% |
14.3%±2.6Lowest NH: 20.1% |
| Bow and Dover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 52%Lowest NH: 40.6% |
60.3%Highest NH: 40.6% |
52.6% NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.2%±1.2Highest NH: 6% |
5.6%±1.9 NH: 6% |
3.4%±1.8Lowest 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±$7kLowest 4% below NH |
$172,857±$16kHighest 75% above NH |
$148,365±$30k 50% above NH |
| Bow and Madbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $436,700±$20kLowest 8% above NH |
$506,500±$34kHighest 26% above NH |
$476,900±$31k 18% above NH |
| Bow and Madbury 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±$178Lowest 3% above NH |
$1,574±$759 6% above NH |
| Dover and Madbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $8,249Lowest 24% above NH |
$9,584 44% above NH |
$10,000+Highest at least 50% above NH |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 48.6%±6.3Highest NH: 48.2% |
39%±13.2 NH: 48.2% |
16.7%±15.2Lowest NH: 48.2% |
| Dover and Bow 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% |
4.9% NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 52.7%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
87.5%Highest NH: 72.8% |
82.9% NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976Lowest 3 yrs older than NH |
1985Highest 6 yrs newer than NH |
1984 5 yrs newer 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%±2.5 NH: 16.8% |
22.7%±4.7Highest NH: 16.8% |
14%±3.6Lowest NH: 16.8% |
| Bow and Dover 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 | Oyster River Coop School District |
| High school in town | Dover Senior High School | Bow High School | None in town |
| 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.