What stands out worked out from the figures below

Effingham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+15.4%).

Hooksett has the highest household income ($118k).

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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Effingham	Hooksett
People
Population	1,912Lowest	15,057Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+15.4%Highest NH: +4.6%	+10.6%Lowest NH: +4.6%
Median age	46.9±12.4Highest 8% above NH	41.3±1.5Lowest 5% below NH
	Effingham and Hooksett are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	19.5%±4.5Highest NH: 18.2%	17.4%±2.9Lowest NH: 18.2%
	Effingham and Hooksett are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	18.7%±2.5Highest NH: 20.1%	17.3%±2.4Lowest NH: 20.1%
	Effingham and Hooksett are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	20.3%Lowest NH: 40.6%	39.6%Highest NH: 40.6%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	1.1%±0.8Lowest NH: 6%	8.9%±1.6Highest NH: 6%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$76,607±$14kLowest 23% below NH	$117,962±$11kHighest 19% above NH
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$322,700±$30kLowest 20% below NH	$407,000±$26kHighest about the NH average
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,090±$121Lowest 27% below NH	$1,661±$206Highest 11% above NH
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,163Lowest 23% below NH	$6,554Highest about the NH average
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	13.6%±40.4Lowest NH: 48.2%	41.7%±16.4Highest NH: 48.2%
	Hooksett and Effingham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	9%Highest NH: 7.2%	3.3%Lowest NH: 7.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	90.2%Highest NH: 72.8%	80.6%Lowest NH: 72.8%
Typical home builtmedian year	1982Lowest 3 yrs newer than NH	1988Highest 9 yrs newer than NH
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	32 minHighest 18% above NH	27 minLowest about the NH average
Work from home	16.1%±4.2Highest NH: 16.8%	13.4%±3.1Lowest NH: 16.8%
	Effingham and Hooksett 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	—	#30 of 120 in NH
School district	Governor Wentworth Regional School District	Hooksett School District
High school in town	None in town	None in town
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	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.