What stands out worked out from the figures below

Gorham has the most affordable homes ($162k median).

Hermon has grown the fastest since 2010 (+19.3%).

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	Gorham	Hermon
People
Population	2,682Lowest	6,727Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-5.3%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+19.3%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	53.9±3.6Highest 39% above U.S.	41.1±4.7Lowest 6% above U.S.
Kids under 18	12.5%±3.9Lowest U.S.: 22%	21.6%±4.6Highest U.S.: 22%
Age 65+	31.7%±6.8Highest U.S.: 17.2%	20.4%±4.7Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
	Gorham and Hermon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	20.7%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	37.6%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	6.7%±2.8Highest U.S.: 6.4%	4.8%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
	Gorham and Hermon 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.	$96,629±$22kHighest 20% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$161,600±$49kLowest 51% below U.S.	$333,600±$32kHighest about the U.S. average
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$838±$83Lowest 41% below U.S.	$1,406±$202Highest about the U.S. average
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,334Highest 39% above U.S.	$2,761Lowest 11% below U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	41%±20.3Highest U.S.: 51.1%	28.2%±19.1Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Gorham and Hermon 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%	6.8%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	71.6%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	75.2%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1971Lowest 9 yrs older than U.S.	2000Highest 20 yrs newer than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	23 min 14% below U.S.	23 min 14% below U.S.
Work from home	1.7%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	8.8%±4.2Highest U.S.: 15.1%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#57 of 120 in NH	#54 of 133 in ME
School district	Gorham Randolph Shelburne Cooperative School District	Hermon Public Schools
High school in town	Gorham High School	Hermon High School
Students per teacherat that high school	9.0Lowest	14.6Highest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	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.