Compare towns
Hanover vs Bow vs New Boston
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against New Hampshire.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Hanover has the most expensive homes ($843k median).
Bow has the highest household income ($173k).
New Boston has grown the fastest since 2010 (+14.8%).
Hanover is a college town. 49.8% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
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 | Hanover | Bow | New Boston |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 8,479Highest |
8,335 |
6,165Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.1%Lowest NH: +4.6% |
+9.4% NH: +4.6% |
+14.8%Highest NH: +4.6% |
| Median age | 21.8±0.3Lowest 50% below NH |
41.5±2Highest 4% below NH |
38.8±3.4 10% below NH |
| Bow and New Boston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 9.8%±2.2Lowest NH: 18.2% |
25%±3.6 NH: 18.2% |
27.2%±5.5Highest NH: 18.2% |
| New Boston and Bow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 17.6%±3.2Highest NH: 20.1% |
17.6%±2.5Highest NH: 20.1% |
17%±4.3Lowest NH: 20.1% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 89.2%Highest NH: 40.6% |
60.3% NH: 40.6% |
44.4%Lowest NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 49.8%±2.5Highest NH: 6% |
5.6%±1.9 NH: 6% |
3.6%±3Lowest NH: 6% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $153,281±$26kLowest 55% above NH |
$172,857±$16kHighest 75% above NH |
$154,250±$25k 56% above NH |
| Bow and New Boston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $842,600±$97kHighest 109% above NH |
$506,500±$34k 26% above NH |
$481,100±$59kLowest 20% above NH |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $2,254±$249Highest 51% above NH |
$1,539±$178 3% above NH |
$1,193±$111Lowest 20% below NH |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $10,000+Highest at least 50% above NH |
$9,584 44% above NH |
$8,181Lowest 23% above NH |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 72%±17.4Highest NH: 48.2% |
39%±13.2 NH: 48.2% |
22.8%±20.5Lowest NH: 48.2% |
| Below poverty line | 8%Highest NH: 7.2% |
2.7%Lowest NH: 7.2% |
6.3% NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 62.4%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
87.5% NH: 72.8% |
88%Highest NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1974Lowest 5 yrs older than NH |
1985 6 yrs newer than NH |
1989Highest 10 yrs newer than NH |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 19 minLowest 29% below NH |
27 min about the NH average |
36 minHighest 33% above NH |
| Work from home | 26.7%±6Highest NH: 16.8% |
22.7%±4.7 NH: 16.8% |
22.2%±6.5Lowest NH: 16.8% |
| Hanover and Bow 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 | #1 of 120 in NH | #26 of 120 in NH | #21 of 120 in NH |
| School district | — | Bow School District | New Boston School District |
| High school in town | — | Bow High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.8 |
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| 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.