Compare towns
Durham vs Bow vs Amherst vs Durham
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against New Hampshire.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Durham has the most renters (46.4% rent).
Bow has grown the fastest since 2010 (+9.4%).
Amherst has the most people working from home (32.4%).
Durham is a college town. 70.2% 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 | Durham | Bow | Amherst | Durham |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 10,681 |
8,335Lowest |
11,861 |
15,080Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +7.8% NH: +4.6% |
+9.4%Highest NH: +4.6% |
+4.9%Lowest NH: +4.6% |
+5.8% NH: +4.6% |
| Median age | 20.1±0.2Lowest 54% below NH |
41.5±2 4% below NH |
45.9±3.5Highest 6% above NH |
20.8±0.3 52% below NH |
| Amherst and Bow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 6.5%±2Lowest NH: 18.2% |
25%±3.6Highest NH: 18.2% |
22.4%±3.3 NH: 18.2% |
10.3%±2.1 NH: 18.2% |
| Bow and Amherst are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 7.5%±1.4Lowest NH: 20.1% |
17.6%±2.5 NH: 20.1% |
20.2%±3Highest NH: 20.1% |
11.5%±1.6 NH: 20.1% |
| Amherst and Bow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 75.4%Highest NH: 40.6% |
60.3%Lowest NH: 40.6% |
65.7% NH: 40.6% |
75.4%Highest NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 70.2%±1.6Highest NH: 6% |
5.6%±1.9 NH: 6% |
3.7%±1.5Lowest NH: 6% |
55.1%±3.2 NH: 6% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $112,070±$25kLowest 13% above NH |
$172,857±$16kHighest 75% above NH |
$153,196±$10k 55% above NH |
$124,056±$21k 25% above NH |
| Bow and Amherst are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $498,000±$45kLowest 24% above NH |
$506,500±$34k 26% above NH |
$537,600±$30kHighest 34% above NH |
$504,300±$41k 25% above NH |
| Amherst and Bow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,302±$211Lowest 13% below NH |
$1,539±$178Highest 3% above NH |
$1,462±$256 about the NH average |
$1,429±$143 4% below NH |
| Bow and Amherst are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $10,000+Highest at least 50% above NH |
$9,584Lowest 44% above NH |
$9,773 47% above NH |
$10,000+Highest at least 50% above NH |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 55.4%±19.2 NH: 48.2% |
39%±13.2 NH: 48.2% |
31.4%±9Lowest NH: 48.2% |
66.4%±16Highest NH: 48.2% |
| Durham and Durham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 12.4% NH: 7.2% |
2.7%Lowest NH: 7.2% |
4.4% NH: 7.2% |
15.1%Highest NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 53.6%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
87.5% NH: 72.8% |
91.9%Highest NH: 72.8% |
64.4% NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1973Lowest 6 yrs older than NH |
1985Highest 6 yrs newer than NH |
1978 1 yr older than NH |
1981 2 yrs newer than NH |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 17 minLowest 36% below NH |
27 min about the NH average |
33 minHighest 22% above NH |
19 min 27% below NH |
| Work from home | 15.6%±3.3Lowest NH: 16.8% |
22.7%±4.7 NH: 16.8% |
32.4%±5.5Highest NH: 16.8% |
19.4%±3.5 NH: 16.8% |
| Amherst and Bow 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 | #9 of 120 in NH | #26 of 120 in NH | #20 of 120 in NH | #9 of 120 in NH |
| School district | — | Bow School District | Amherst School District · Souhegan Cooperative School District | Oyster River Coop School District |
| High school in town | — | Bow High School | Souhegan Coop High School | Oyster River High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.8Highest |
10.4Lowest |
12.3 |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | None yet | None yet | 51 photos → |
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.