Compare towns
Gorham vs Canton vs Shelburne
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Gorham has the most affordable homes ($162k median).
Canton has the most people working from home (25.7%).
Shelburne has the most homeowners (86%).
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 | Gorham | Canton | Shelburne |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 2,682 |
24,748Highest |
530Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -5.3%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+13%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
— |
| Median age | 53.9±3.6Highest 39% above U.S. |
42.6±2.3Lowest 10% above U.S. |
50.3±11 29% above U.S. |
| Gorham and Shelburne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 12.5%±3.9 U.S.: 22% |
22.9%±2.3Highest U.S.: 22% |
12.3%±5.1Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Age 65+ | 31.7%±6.8Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
18.8%±2Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
31.7%±5.5Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 20.7%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
67.5%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
36.1% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.7%±2.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.5%±1 U.S.: 6.4% |
4%±4.5Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Gorham and Canton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $61,275±$7kLowest 24% below U.S. |
$143,381±$9kHighest 78% above U.S. |
$93,125±$18k 15% above U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $161,600±$49kLowest 51% below U.S. |
$710,600±$27kHighest 114% above U.S. |
$280,200±$45k 16% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $838±$83Lowest 41% below U.S. |
$2,315±$178Highest 64% above U.S. |
$1,130±$62 20% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,334 39% above U.S. |
$6,560Highest 110% above U.S. |
$3,801Lowest 22% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 41%±20.3 U.S.: 51.1% |
52.4%±9.1Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
10%±70.4Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Canton and Gorham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 4.3%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
5.2% U.S.: 12.5% |
5.5%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 71.6%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
73.6% U.S.: 65.2% |
86%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1971Lowest 9 yrs older than U.S. |
1980Highest same as U.S. |
1977 3 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 23 minLowest 14% below U.S. |
36 minHighest 36% above U.S. |
25 min 5% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 1.7%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
25.7%±3.3Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
9.3%±6.3 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #57 of 120 in NH | #81 of 282 in MA | — |
| School district | Gorham Randolph Shelburne Cooperative School District | Blue Hills Regional Vocational Technical · Canton | — |
| High school in town | Gorham High School | Canton High | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.0Lowest |
13.1Highest |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.