What stands out worked out from the figures below

Dover has the most expensive homes ($437k median).

Hartford has the most affordable homes ($305k 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	Hartford
People
Population	33,364Highest	10,736Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+9.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	+7.4%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	36.9±1.9Lowest 5% below U.S.	43.2±3.9Highest 11% above U.S.
Kids under 18	16.9%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 22%	18%±3Highest U.S.: 22%
	Hartford 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%	22.5%±3.3Highest U.S.: 17.2%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	52%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	47.6%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	6.2%±1.2Highest U.S.: 6.4%	4.9%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
	Dover and Hartford 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.	$78,125±$7kLowest 3% below U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$436,700±$20kHighest 31% above U.S.	$304,500±$26kLowest 8% below U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,607±$100Highest 14% above U.S.	$1,218±$118Lowest 14% below U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$8,249Highest 164% above U.S.	$5,773Lowest 85% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	48.6%±6.3Highest U.S.: 51.1%	44.6%±12.7Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Dover and Hartford 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%	11.1%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	52.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	67.8%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1976Lowest 4 yrs older than U.S.	1979Highest 1 yr older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	23 minHighest 14% below U.S.	18 minLowest 30% below U.S.
Work from home	18.6%±2.5Highest U.S.: 15.1%	13.9%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
	Dover and Hartford 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	#34 of 70 in VT
School district	Dover School District	Hartford School District
High school in town	Dover Senior High School	Hartford High School
Students per teacherat that high school	12.7Highest	9.6Lowest
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.