Compare towns
Dover vs Epping vs Strafford vs Eliot
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Dover has the most renters (47.3% rent).
Epping has the most people working from home (24%).
Strafford has the highest household income ($122k).
Eliot has the most expensive homes ($499k 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 | Epping | Strafford | Eliot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 33,364Highest |
7,430 |
4,306Lowest |
7,146 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +9.2% U.S.: +7.4% |
+11.1%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+6%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+8.3% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 36.9±1.9Lowest 5% below U.S. |
45.1±3.5 16% above U.S. |
46.3±2.1 19% above U.S. |
50.8±5.9Highest 31% above U.S. |
| Eliot and Strafford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 16.9%±1.8 U.S.: 22% |
18.7%±4.8Highest U.S.: 22% |
17.6%±3.5 U.S.: 22% |
16.3%±3.9Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Epping and Strafford 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% |
22.6%±5.2 U.S.: 17.2% |
19.4%±4.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
27.8%±6.2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Eliot and Epping are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 52%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
37%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
40.2% U.S.: 35.7% |
43.6% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.2%±1.2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.1%±3.3 U.S.: 6.4% |
5.4%±2.6 U.S.: 6.4% |
2%±1.4Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Dover and Strafford 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 17% above U.S. |
$104,220±$7k 29% above U.S. |
$122,105±$22kHighest 51% above U.S. |
$101,522±$10k 26% above U.S. |
| Strafford and Epping are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $436,700±$20k 31% above U.S. |
$436,900±$35k 31% above U.S. |
$427,900±$29kLowest 29% above U.S. |
$498,900±$62kHighest 50% above U.S. |
| Eliot and Epping are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,607±$100Lowest 14% above U.S. |
$1,742±$576 23% above U.S. |
$1,635±$246 16% above U.S. |
$1,948±$471Highest 38% above U.S. |
| Eliot and Epping are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $8,249Highest 164% above U.S. |
$6,936 122% above U.S. |
$6,086 95% above U.S. |
$4,549Lowest 46% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 48.6%±6.3Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
67.8%±25.9 U.S.: 51.1% |
76.3%±30.3Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
55.1%±20.1 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Strafford and Epping 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% |
4.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
8% U.S.: 12.5% |
4.8% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 52.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
86.3% U.S.: 65.2% |
93.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
79.8% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976Lowest 4 yrs older than U.S. |
1989Highest 9 yrs newer than U.S. |
1985 5 yrs newer than U.S. |
1979 1 yr older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 23 min 14% below U.S. |
32 min 22% above U.S. |
36 minHighest 36% above U.S. |
23 minLowest 15% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 18.6%±2.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
24%±6.9Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
15.9%±5Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
17.4%±4.7 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Epping 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 | #77 of 120 in NH | #73 of 120 in NH | #19 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Dover School District | Epping School District | Strafford School District | RSU 35/MSAD 35 |
| High school in town | Dover Senior High School | Epping High School | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.7Highest |
9.3Lowest |
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| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | 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.