What stands out worked out from the figures below

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

Gardner has the most affordable homes ($302k 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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Dover	Gardner
People
Population	33,364Highest	21,148Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+9.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	+5.2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	36.9±1.9Lowest 5% below U.S.	43.7±2.3Highest 12% above U.S.
Kids under 18	16.9%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 22%	18.3%±2.3Highest U.S.: 22%
	Gardner 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%	19.6%±2.2Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Gardner 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%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	23.8%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	6.2%±1.2Highest U.S.: 6.4%	4.6%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
	Dover and Gardner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$94,829±$7kHighest 17% above U.S.	$67,518±$8kLowest 16% below U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$436,700±$20kHighest 31% above U.S.	$301,600±$20kLowest 9% below U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,607±$100Highest 14% above U.S.	$1,109±$51Lowest 22% below U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$8,249Highest 164% above U.S.	$4,150Lowest 33% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	48.6%±6.3Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	49.7%±8.6Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Gardner and Dover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	8.3%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	13.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	52.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	58.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1976Highest 4 yrs older than U.S.	1954Lowest 26 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	23 minLowest 14% below U.S.	31 minHighest 16% above U.S.
Work from home	18.6%±2.5Highest U.S.: 15.1%	13.3%±3.6Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
	Dover and Gardner 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	#273 of 282 in MA
School district	Dover School District	Gardner
High school in town	Dover Senior High School	Gardner High
Students per teacherat that high school	12.7Lowest	13.5Highest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	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.