What stands out worked out from the figures below

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

Tamworth has the shortest commute (22 min average).

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	Tamworth
People
Population	1,912Lowest	2,884Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+15.4%Highest NH: +4.6%	-1.5%Lowest NH: +4.6%
Median age	46.9±12.4Highest 8% above NH	45.6±10.9Lowest 5% above NH
	Effingham and Tamworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	19.5%±4.5Lowest NH: 18.2%	23.3%±6.5Highest NH: 18.2%
	Tamworth and Effingham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	18.7%±2.5Lowest NH: 20.1%	28.2%±7Highest NH: 20.1%
	Tamworth and Effingham 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%	33.9%Highest NH: 40.6%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	1.1%±0.8Highest NH: 6%	0.4%±0.7Lowest NH: 6%
	Effingham and Tamworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$76,607±$14kHighest 23% below NH	$68,036±$20kLowest 31% below NH
	Effingham and Tamworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$322,700±$30kLowest 20% below NH	$366,800±$29kHighest 9% below NH
	Tamworth and Effingham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,090±$121Lowest 27% below NH	$1,110±$184Highest 26% below NH
	Tamworth and Effingham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,163Highest 23% below NH	$4,474Lowest 33% below NH
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	13.6%±40.4Lowest NH: 48.2%	43.6%±31.1Highest NH: 48.2%
	Tamworth and Effingham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	9%Lowest NH: 7.2%	9.2%Highest NH: 7.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	90.2%Highest NH: 72.8%	74%Lowest NH: 72.8%
Typical home builtmedian year	1982Highest 3 yrs newer than NH	1975Lowest 4 yrs older than NH
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	32 minHighest 18% above NH	22 minLowest 16% below NH
Work from home	16.1%±4.2Lowest NH: 16.8%	16.4%±11.3Highest NH: 16.8%
	Tamworth and Effingham 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	—	#101 of 120 in NH
School district	Governor Wentworth Regional School District	Tamworth 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.