Compare towns
Franconia vs Sutton vs Hancock
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against New Hampshire.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Franconia has the shortest commute (20 min average).
Sutton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.7%).
Hancock has the most people working from home (14.9%).
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 | Franconia | Sutton | Hancock |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,060Lowest |
2,239Highest |
1,791 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -1.9%Lowest NH: +4.6% |
+7.7%Highest NH: +4.6% |
+4.7% NH: +4.6% |
| Median age | 55.6±7Highest 28% above NH |
48.1±4.1Lowest 11% above NH |
53.8±4.5 24% above NH |
| Franconia and Hancock are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 15.2%±5.5Lowest NH: 18.2% |
20.5%±3.8Highest NH: 18.2% |
15.4%±2.2 NH: 18.2% |
| Sutton and Hancock are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 36.6%±6.7Highest NH: 20.1% |
21.6%±5.9Lowest NH: 20.1% |
30.2%±2.7 NH: 20.1% |
| Franconia and Hancock are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 57.9%Highest NH: 40.6% |
44.3%Lowest NH: 40.6% |
53.9% NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5%±5.4Highest NH: 6% |
4.9%±3.6 NH: 6% |
4%±1.6Lowest NH: 6% |
| Franconia and Sutton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $87,292±$28kLowest 12% below NH |
$130,313±$31kHighest 32% above NH |
$95,208±$15k 4% below NH |
| Sutton and Hancock are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $530,300±$96kHighest 32% above NH |
$362,600±$16kLowest 10% below NH |
$436,700±$22k 8% above NH |
| Franconia and Hancock are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,281±$278 14% below NH |
$1,656±$614Highest 11% above NH |
$1,208±$650Lowest 19% below NH |
| Sutton and Franconia are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $7,451 12% above NH |
$7,652Highest 15% above NH |
$6,884Lowest 3% above NH |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 73.2%±74.4Highest NH: 48.2% |
27.6%±47.2Lowest NH: 48.2% |
32.4%±55.6 NH: 48.2% |
| Franconia and Hancock are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 11.4%Highest NH: 7.2% |
4.8% NH: 7.2% |
4.1%Lowest NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 83.1%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
95.7%Highest NH: 72.8% |
85.6% NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1981Highest 2 yrs newer than NH |
1971 8 yrs older than NH |
1969Lowest 10 yrs older than NH |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 20 minLowest 25% below NH |
29 min 10% above NH |
33 minHighest 24% above NH |
| Work from home | 11.9%±5.1Lowest NH: 16.8% |
14.8%±5.6 NH: 16.8% |
14.9%±3.2Highest NH: 16.8% |
| Hancock and Sutton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Schools | |||
| School district | Lafayette Regional School District | Kearsarge Regional School District | Contoocook Valley School District |
| High school in town | None in town | Kearsarge Regional High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 10.4 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | 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.