Compare towns
Henniker vs Amesbury vs Nelson
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Henniker has the youngest population (median age 31.1).
Amesbury has the most expensive homes ($519k median).
Nelson has the most people working from home (31.5%).
Henniker is a college town. 27% 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 | Henniker | Amesbury | Nelson |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 6,197 |
17,403Highest |
648Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +27.9%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
— | -13.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 31.1±6.1Lowest 20% below U.S. |
43.7±1.7Highest 12% above U.S. |
42.3±11.7 9% above U.S. |
| Amesbury and Nelson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 15.3%±3.7Lowest U.S.: 22% |
20%±2.4 U.S.: 22% |
27.5%±6.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Nelson and Amesbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 16.5%±6Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
18.2%±2.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
24.8%±2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 41.4%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
44.8% U.S.: 35.7% |
61.1%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 27%±6.5Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.1%±1.3 U.S.: 6.4% |
0.9%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $95,206±$21kLowest 18% above U.S. |
$103,554±$12kHighest 28% above U.S. |
$99,792±$23k 24% above U.S. |
| Amesbury and Nelson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $356,700±$49k 7% above U.S. |
$519,300±$32kHighest 56% above U.S. |
$340,900±$49kLowest about the U.S. average |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,081±$164Lowest 23% below U.S. |
$1,683±$115Highest 19% above U.S. |
$1,203±$243 15% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $8,877Highest 185% above U.S. |
$7,360 136% above U.S. |
$5,575Lowest 79% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 43.5%±22.6 U.S.: 51.1% |
66.7%±10.7Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
40%±68.8Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Amesbury and Henniker are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 11.6%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
7.1% U.S.: 12.5% |
1.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 64.5%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
68.6% U.S.: 65.2% |
90.2%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1974 6 yrs older than U.S. |
1969Lowest 11 yrs older than U.S. |
1975Highest 5 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 20 minLowest 23% below U.S. |
29 minHighest 10% above U.S. |
24 min 8% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 15.5%±5.6Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
17.4%±2.8 U.S.: 15.1% |
31.5%±8Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #56 of 120 in NH | #151 of 282 in MA | — |
| School district | Henniker School District | Amesbury | Nelson School District |
| High school in town | None in town | Amesbury High | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 10.9 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 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.