Compare towns
Epping vs Dover vs Topsham
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Epping has the most people working from home (24%).
Dover has the most renters (47.3% rent).
Topsham has the most affordable homes ($361k 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 | Epping | Dover | Topsham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 7,430Lowest |
33,364Highest |
9,706 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +11.1%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+9.2% U.S.: +7.4% |
+8.8%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 45.1±3.5Highest 16% above U.S. |
36.9±1.9Lowest 5% below U.S. |
44.7±4 15% above U.S. |
| Epping and Topsham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 18.7%±4.8 U.S.: 22% |
16.9%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 22% |
19.9%±3.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Topsham and Epping are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 22.6%±5.2 U.S.: 17.2% |
16.8%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
24.4%±3.2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Topsham and Epping are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 37%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
52%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
50% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.1%±3.3 U.S.: 6.4% |
6.2%±1.2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.9%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Dover and Epping are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $104,220±$7kHighest 29% above U.S. |
$94,829±$7k 17% above U.S. |
$91,028±$10kLowest 13% above U.S. |
| Epping and Dover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $436,900±$35kHighest 31% above U.S. |
$436,700±$20k 31% above U.S. |
$360,800±$20kLowest 8% above U.S. |
| Epping and Dover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,742±$576Highest 23% above U.S. |
$1,607±$100 14% above U.S. |
$1,355±$642Lowest 4% below U.S. |
| Epping and Dover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $6,936 122% above U.S. |
$8,249Highest 164% above U.S. |
$4,259Lowest 37% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 67.8%±25.9Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
48.6%±6.3 U.S.: 51.1% |
40.3%±12.9Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Epping and Dover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 4.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
8.3%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
6.4% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 86.3%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
52.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
78.9% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1989Highest 9 yrs newer than U.S. |
1976Lowest 4 yrs older than U.S. |
1980 same as U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 32 minHighest 22% above U.S. |
23 minLowest 14% below U.S. |
24 min 11% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 24%±6.9Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
18.6%±2.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
17.2%±4.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Epping and Dover 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 | #77 of 120 in NH | #64 of 120 in NH | #66 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Epping School District | Dover School District | RSU 75/MSAD 75 |
| High school in town | Epping High School | Dover Senior High School | Mt Ararat High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.3Lowest |
12.7Highest |
12.2 |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.