Compare towns
Dover vs Thornton vs Ellsworth
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).
Thornton has the most people working from home (29.8%).
Ellsworth has the oldest population (median age 61.8).
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 | Thornton | Ellsworth |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 33,364Highest |
2,799 |
51Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +9.2%Highest NH: +4.6% |
+8.8%Lowest NH: +4.6% |
— |
| Median age | 36.9±1.9Lowest 15% below NH |
51.1±3.4 18% above NH |
61.8±13.1Highest 43% above NH |
| Ellsworth and Thornton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.9%±1.8Highest NH: 18.2% |
13.9%±4.6 NH: 18.2% |
13.7%±59.8Lowest NH: 18.2% |
| Dover and Thornton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 16.8%±1.8Lowest NH: 20.1% |
19%±4.9 NH: 20.1% |
39.2%±46.4Highest NH: 20.1% |
| Ellsworth and Thornton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 52%Highest NH: 40.6% |
46.3% NH: 40.6% |
25%Lowest NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.2%±1.2Highest NH: 6% |
4.8%±2.9 NH: 6% |
0%±33.3Lowest NH: 6% |
| Dover and Thornton 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 4% below NH |
$90,022±$17k 9% below NH |
$89,375±$39kLowest 10% below NH |
| Dover and Thornton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $436,700±$20kHighest 8% above NH |
$351,900±$20k 13% below NH |
$350,000±$170kLowest 13% below NH |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,607±$100Highest 8% above NH |
$1,270±$428Lowest 15% below NH |
— |
| Dover and Thornton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $8,249Highest 24% above NH |
$5,032 25% below NH |
$3,813Lowest 43% below NH |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 48.6%±6.3Lowest NH: 48.2% |
57.7%±24.7Highest NH: 48.2% |
— |
| Thornton 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% |
9.2%Highest NH: 7.2% |
0%Lowest NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 52.7%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
88.3% NH: 72.8% |
100%Highest NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976Lowest 3 yrs older than NH |
1984Highest 5 yrs newer than NH |
1978 1 yr older than NH |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 23 min 15% below NH |
23 min 15% below NH |
— |
| Work from home | 18.6%±2.5Lowest NH: 16.8% |
29.8%±9.7Highest NH: 16.8% |
23.1%±26.3 NH: 16.8% |
| Thornton and Ellsworth 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 | #18 of 120 in NH | — |
| School district | Dover School District | Thornton School District | — |
| High school in town | Dover Senior High School | 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.