Compare towns
Dunbarton vs Canton vs Strafford
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Dunbarton has the shortest commute (34 min average).
Canton has the most people working from home (25.7%).
Strafford has the most affordable homes ($428k 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 | Dunbarton | Canton | Strafford |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 3,097Lowest |
24,748Highest |
4,306 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +9% U.S.: +7.4% |
+13%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+6%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 48±3.7Highest 23% above U.S. |
42.6±2.3Lowest 10% above U.S. |
46.3±2.1 19% above U.S. |
| Dunbarton and Strafford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19.8%±3.8 U.S.: 22% |
22.9%±2.3Highest U.S.: 22% |
17.6%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Canton and Dunbarton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 20.4%±4.3Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
18.8%±2Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
19.4%±4.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Dunbarton and Strafford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 39.6%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
67.5%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
40.2% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.8%±2Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.5%±1 U.S.: 6.4% |
5.4%±2.6Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Strafford and Canton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $124,348±$21k 54% above U.S. |
$143,381±$9kHighest 78% above U.S. |
$122,105±$22kLowest 51% above U.S. |
| Canton and Dunbarton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $484,100±$33k 46% above U.S. |
$710,600±$27kHighest 114% above U.S. |
$427,900±$29kLowest 29% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,166±$70Lowest 17% below U.S. |
$2,315±$178Highest 64% above U.S. |
$1,635±$246 16% above U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $8,233Highest 164% above U.S. |
$6,560 110% above U.S. |
$6,086Lowest 95% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 54.7%±60.7 U.S.: 51.1% |
52.4%±9.1Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
76.3%±30.3Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Strafford and Dunbarton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 3%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
5.2% U.S.: 12.5% |
8%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 95.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
73.6%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
93.5% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1990Highest 10 yrs newer than U.S. |
1980Lowest same as U.S. |
1985 5 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 34 minLowest 27% above U.S. |
36 minHighest 36% above U.S. |
36 minHighest 36% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 12.6%±5.4Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
25.7%±3.3Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
15.9%±5 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #33 of 120 in NH | #81 of 282 in MA | #73 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Dunbarton School District | Blue Hills Regional Vocational Technical · Canton | Strafford School District |
| High school in town | None in town | Canton High | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 13.1 |
— |
| 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.