Compare towns
Hancock vs Lyme vs New London
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against New Hampshire.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Hancock has grown the fastest since 2010 (+4.7%).
Lyme has the most people working from home (27.2%).
New London has the most homeowners (90.8%).
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 | Hancock | Lyme | New London |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,791 |
1,710Lowest |
4,433Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +4.7%Highest NH: +4.6% |
+1.7% NH: +4.6% |
+0.1%Lowest NH: +4.6% |
| Median age | 53.8±4.5Highest 24% above NH |
48.6±7.8Lowest 12% above NH |
52.8±6.7 22% above NH |
| Hancock and New London are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 15.4%±2.2 NH: 18.2% |
19.5%±3.4Highest NH: 18.2% |
12%±3Lowest NH: 18.2% |
| Lyme and Hancock are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 30.2%±2.7 NH: 20.1% |
26.5%±2.8Lowest NH: 20.1% |
37.5%±5.5Highest NH: 20.1% |
| New London and Hancock are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 53.9%Lowest NH: 40.6% |
70.1%Highest NH: 40.6% |
65.6% NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4%±1.6 NH: 6% |
3.3%±1.9Lowest NH: 6% |
20.8%±2.1Highest NH: 6% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $95,208±$15kLowest 4% below NH |
$133,906±$15kHighest 35% above NH |
$107,773±$10k 9% above NH |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $436,700±$22kLowest 8% above NH |
$645,000±$64kHighest 60% above NH |
$554,100±$64k 38% above NH |
| Lyme and New London are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,208±$650Lowest 19% below NH |
$1,418±$130 5% below NH |
$1,594±$551Highest 7% above NH |
| New London and Lyme are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $6,884 3% above NH |
$10,000+Highest at least 50% above NH |
$6,325Lowest 5% below NH |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 32.4%±55.6Lowest NH: 48.2% |
52.8%±29.8 NH: 48.2% |
71.8%±22.4Highest NH: 48.2% |
| New London and Lyme are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 4.1% NH: 7.2% |
4.4%Highest NH: 7.2% |
0.9%Lowest NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 85.6% NH: 72.8% |
80.5%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
90.8%Highest NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1969Lowest 10 yrs older than NH |
1977Highest 2 yrs older than NH |
1977Highest 2 yrs older than NH |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 33 minHighest 24% above NH |
21 minLowest 22% below NH |
25 min 8% below NH |
| Work from home | 14.9%±3.2 NH: 16.8% |
27.2%±5.4Highest NH: 16.8% |
14.7%±7.6Lowest NH: 16.8% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | — | #17 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Contoocook Valley School District | Lyme School District | Kearsarge Regional School District |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | None in town |
| 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.