What stands out worked out from the figures below

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

Dalton has the oldest population (median age 49.7).

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	Dalton
People
Population	33,364Highest	6,256Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+9.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	-6.3%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	36.9±1.9Lowest 5% below U.S.	49.7±5.8Highest 28% above U.S.
Kids under 18	16.9%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 22%	20.6%±4.7Highest U.S.: 22%
	Dalton 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%	27.9%±5.7Highest U.S.: 17.2%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	52%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	44.3%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	6.2%±1.2Highest U.S.: 6.4%	2.3%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$94,829±$7kHighest 17% above U.S.	$79,438±$8kLowest about the U.S. average
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$436,700±$20kHighest 31% above U.S.	$295,700±$26kLowest 11% below U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,607±$100Highest 14% above U.S.	$872±$70Lowest 38% below U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$8,249Highest 164% above U.S.	$4,276Lowest 37% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	48.6%±6.3Highest U.S.: 51.1%	41.2%±19Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Dover and Dalton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	8.3%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	7.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	52.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	70.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1976Highest 4 yrs older than U.S.	1957Lowest 23 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	23 minHighest 14% below U.S.	22 minLowest 16% below U.S.
Work from home	18.6%±2.5Highest U.S.: 15.1%	12.5%±7.1Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
	Dover and Dalton 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	#192 of 282 in MA
School district	Dover School District	Central Berkshire
High school in town	Dover Senior High School	Wahconah Regional High
Students per teacherat that high school	12.7Highest	10.9Lowest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	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.