Compare towns
Dover vs Henniker vs Lyme
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).
Henniker has grown the fastest since 2010 (+27.9%).
Lyme has the most expensive homes ($645k median).
Henniker is a college town. 27% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
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 | Henniker | Lyme |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 33,364Highest |
6,197 |
1,710Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +9.2% NH: +4.6% |
+27.9%Highest NH: +4.6% |
+1.7%Lowest NH: +4.6% |
| Median age | 36.9±1.9 15% below NH |
31.1±6.1Lowest 28% below NH |
48.6±7.8Highest 12% above NH |
| Kids under 18 | 16.9%±1.8 NH: 18.2% |
15.3%±3.7Lowest NH: 18.2% |
19.5%±3.4Highest NH: 18.2% |
| Lyme and Dover 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% |
16.5%±6Lowest NH: 20.1% |
26.5%±2.8Highest NH: 20.1% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 52% NH: 40.6% |
41.4%Lowest NH: 40.6% |
70.1%Highest NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.2%±1.2 NH: 6% |
27%±6.5Highest NH: 6% |
3.3%±1.9Lowest NH: 6% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $94,829±$7kLowest 4% below NH |
$95,206±$21k 4% below NH |
$133,906±$15kHighest 35% above NH |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $436,700±$20k 8% above NH |
$356,700±$49kLowest 11% below NH |
$645,000±$64kHighest 60% above NH |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,607±$100Highest 8% above NH |
$1,081±$164Lowest 27% below NH |
$1,418±$130 5% below NH |
| Dover and Lyme 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 |
$8,877 33% above NH |
$10,000+Highest at least 50% above NH |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 48.6%±6.3 NH: 48.2% |
43.5%±22.6Lowest NH: 48.2% |
52.8%±29.8Highest NH: 48.2% |
| Lyme and Dover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 8.3% NH: 7.2% |
11.6%Highest NH: 7.2% |
4.4%Lowest NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 52.7%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
64.5% NH: 72.8% |
80.5%Highest NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976 3 yrs older than NH |
1974Lowest 5 yrs older than NH |
1977Highest 2 yrs older than NH |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 23 minHighest 15% below NH |
20 minLowest 24% below NH |
21 min 22% below NH |
| Work from home | 18.6%±2.5 NH: 16.8% |
15.5%±5.6Lowest NH: 16.8% |
27.2%±5.4Highest NH: 16.8% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #64 of 120 in NH | #56 of 120 in NH | — |
| School district | Dover School District | Henniker School District | Lyme School District |
| High school in town | Dover Senior High School | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.7 |
— | — |
| 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.