Compare towns
Dover vs Stow vs Keene
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).
Stow has the most people working from home (36.6%).
Keene has the most affordable homes ($253k 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 | Stow | Keene |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 33,364Highest |
7,165Lowest |
22,939 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +9.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+8.9% U.S.: +7.4% |
-1.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 36.9±1.9Lowest 5% below U.S. |
44.1±4.4Highest 13% above U.S. |
37.6±2.3 3% below U.S. |
| Stow and Keene 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% |
22.3%±4.1Highest U.S.: 22% |
14.1%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Stow 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% |
19.1%±3.5 U.S.: 17.2% |
19.5%±1.8Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Keene and Stow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 52% U.S.: 35.7% |
75.1%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
44.1%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.2%±1.2 U.S.: 6.4% |
3.7%±1.4Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
13.8%±1.4Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $94,829±$7k 17% above U.S. |
$185,809±$22kHighest 130% above U.S. |
$78,445±$8kLowest about the U.S. average |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $436,700±$20k 31% above U.S. |
$729,600±$39kHighest 119% above U.S. |
$252,500±$12kLowest 24% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,607±$100 14% above U.S. |
$1,782±$126Highest 26% above U.S. |
$1,342±$68Lowest 5% below U.S. |
| Stow and Dover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $8,249 164% above U.S. |
$10,000+Highest at least 221% above U.S. |
$6,812Lowest 118% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 48.6%±6.3 U.S.: 51.1% |
59.7%±44.2Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
44.5%±6.1Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Stow and Dover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 8.3% U.S.: 12.5% |
5.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
10.1%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 52.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
85.4%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
55.1% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976Highest 4 yrs older than U.S. |
1974 6 yrs older than U.S. |
1961Lowest 19 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 23 min 14% below U.S. |
36 minHighest 35% above U.S. |
17 minLowest 35% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 18.6%±2.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
36.6%±6.2Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
15.6%±2.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #64 of 120 in NH | #44 of 282 in MA | #81 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Dover School District | Nashoba | Keene School District |
| High school in town | Dover Senior High School | None in town | Keene High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.7Highest |
— | 12.3Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.