What stands out worked out from the figures below

Haverhill has grown the fastest since 2010 (+11.3%).

Jaffrey has the most affordable homes ($246k median).

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	Haverhill	Jaffrey
People
Population	67,698Highest	5,448Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+11.3%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	-2.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	39.4±1.1Lowest about the U.S. average	42.9±3.9Highest 10% above U.S.
	Jaffrey and Haverhill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	21.3%±1.5Lowest U.S.: 22%	23.1%±5.1Highest U.S.: 22%
	Jaffrey and Haverhill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	15.5%±1.2Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	18.5%±3.8Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Jaffrey and Haverhill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	32.6%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	31.2%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4.5%±0.6Highest U.S.: 6.4%	3.1%±2.4Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
	Haverhill and Jaffrey are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$88,326±$4kLowest 9% above U.S.	$92,330±$18kHighest 14% above U.S.
	Jaffrey and Haverhill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$453,900±$9kHighest 36% above U.S.	$245,500±$27kLowest 26% below U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,668±$49Highest 18% above U.S.	$962±$202Lowest 32% below U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,772Lowest 53% above U.S.	$6,196Highest 99% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	60.2%±5.3Highest U.S.: 51.1%	45.7%±23Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Haverhill and Jaffrey are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	11.3%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	3.8%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	62.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	81.8%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1964Lowest 16 yrs older than U.S.	1973Highest 7 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	27 minHighest 4% above U.S.	25 minLowest 7% below U.S.
Work from home	12.5%±1.5Highest U.S.: 15.1%	7.5%±4.2Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
	Haverhill and Jaffrey 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	#243 of 282 in MA	#87 of 120 in NH
School district	Haverhill · Whittier Regional Vocational Technical	Jaffrey-Rindge Cooperative School District
High school in town	Haverhill High	Conant Middle High School (H)
Students per teacherat that high school	12.5Lowest	21.3Highest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	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.