Compare towns
Durham vs Chatham
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 people working from home (19.4%).
Chatham has the oldest population (median age 48.3).
Durham is a college town. 55.1% 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 | Chatham |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 15,080Highest |
430Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.8% NH: +4.6% |
— |
| Median age | 20.8±0.3Lowest 52% below NH |
48.3±8.6Highest 12% above NH |
| Kids under 18 | 10.3%±2.1Lowest NH: 18.2% |
21.4%±7.4Highest NH: 18.2% |
| Age 65+ | 11.5%±1.6Lowest NH: 20.1% |
26.5%±10Highest NH: 20.1% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 75.4%Highest NH: 40.6% |
38.4%Lowest NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 55.1%±3.2Highest NH: 6% |
5.8%±3.8Lowest NH: 6% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $124,056±$21kHighest 25% above NH |
$66,042±$19kLowest 33% below NH |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $504,300±$41kHighest 25% above NH |
$362,900±$42kLowest 10% below NH |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,429±$143 4% below NH |
— |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $10,000+Highest at least 50% above NH |
$3,690Lowest 45% below NH |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 66.4%±16Highest NH: 48.2% |
33.3%±100Lowest NH: 48.2% |
| Durham and Chatham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 15.1%Highest NH: 7.2% |
8.1%Lowest NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.4%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
82.8%Highest NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1981Highest 2 yrs newer than NH |
1979Lowest same as NH |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 19 minLowest 27% below NH |
36 minHighest 33% above NH |
| Work from home | 19.4%±3.5Highest NH: 16.8% |
7.3%±5.4Lowest NH: 16.8% |
| Schools | ||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #9 of 120 in NH | — |
| School district | Oyster River Coop School District | — |
| High school in town | Oyster River High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.3 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | ||
| Old photos in Our Story | 51 photos → | 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.