Compare towns
Dover vs Stratham vs North Hampton 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).
Stratham has the most kids (23.5% under 18).
North Hampton has the most people working from home (25.9%).
Eliot has the shortest commute (23 min average).
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 | Stratham | North Hampton | Eliot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 33,364Highest |
7,754 |
4,543Lowest |
7,146 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +9.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+5.7% U.S.: +7.4% |
+5.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+8.3% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 36.9±1.9Lowest 5% below U.S. |
41.6±4.9 7% above U.S. |
50.5±3.3 30% above U.S. |
50.8±5.9Highest 31% above U.S. |
| Eliot and North Hampton 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% |
23.5%±5.3Highest U.S.: 22% |
19.2%±5.4 U.S.: 22% |
16.3%±3.9Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Stratham and North Hampton 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% |
20.6%±3.6 U.S.: 17.2% |
26%±4.9 U.S.: 17.2% |
27.8%±6.2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Eliot and North Hampton 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% |
69.9%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
54.5% U.S.: 35.7% |
43.6%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.2%±1.2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
3.9%±1.7 U.S.: 6.4% |
2.5%±1.5 U.S.: 6.4% |
2%±1.4Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Dover and Stratham 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. |
$151,998±$20kHighest 88% above U.S. |
$146,458±$29k 81% above U.S. |
$101,522±$10k 26% above U.S. |
| Stratham and North Hampton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $436,700±$20kLowest 31% above U.S. |
$655,400±$36k 97% above U.S. |
$670,400±$61kHighest 102% above U.S. |
$498,900±$62k 50% above U.S. |
| North Hampton and Stratham 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. |
$2,511±$377Highest 78% above U.S. |
$1,805±$106 28% above U.S. |
$1,948±$471 38% above U.S. |
| Stratham and Eliot 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. |
$9,781Highest 214% above U.S. |
$8,529 173% above U.S. |
$4,549Lowest 46% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 48.6%±6.3 U.S.: 51.1% |
64%±38.2Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
23.5%±21Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
55.1%±20.1 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Stratham and Eliot 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% |
2.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
2.9% U.S.: 12.5% |
4.8% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 52.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
92.6%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
91.3% U.S.: 65.2% |
79.8% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976Lowest 4 yrs older than U.S. |
1986Highest 6 yrs newer than U.S. |
1984 4 yrs newer than U.S. |
1979 1 yr older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 23 min 14% below U.S. |
27 minHighest about the U.S. average |
25 min 7% below U.S. |
23 minLowest 15% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 18.6%±2.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
25.3%±6.6 U.S.: 15.1% |
25.9%±6.9Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
17.4%±4.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| North Hampton and Stratham 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 | #43 of 120 in NH | #12 of 120 in NH | #19 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Dover School District | Exeter Region Cooperative School District · Stratham School District | North Hampton School District | RSU 35/MSAD 35 |
| High school in town | Dover Senior High School | None in town | 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 | 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.