What stands out worked out from the figures below

Henniker has grown the fastest since 2010 (+27.9%).

Bridgewater has the oldest population (median age 58.3).

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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Henniker	Bridgewater
People
Population	6,197Highest	1,169Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+27.9%Highest NH: +4.6%	+7.1%Lowest NH: +4.6%
Median age	31.1±6.1Lowest 28% below NH	58.3±6.3Highest 35% above NH
Kids under 18	15.3%±3.7Highest NH: 18.2%	10.8%±3.5Lowest NH: 18.2%
	Henniker and Bridgewater are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	16.5%±6Lowest NH: 20.1%	33.1%±1.8Highest NH: 20.1%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	41.4%Highest NH: 40.6%	32.8%Lowest NH: 40.6%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	27%±6.5Highest NH: 6%	1.3%±1.2Lowest NH: 6%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$95,206±$21kHighest 4% below NH	$82,361±$9kLowest 17% below NH
	Henniker and Bridgewater are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$356,700±$49kLowest 11% below NH	$398,600±$65kHighest about the NH average
	Bridgewater and Henniker are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,081±$164Lowest 27% below NH	$1,125±$201Highest 25% below NH
	Bridgewater and Henniker are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$8,877Highest 33% above NH	$2,823Lowest 58% below NH
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	43.5%±22.6Highest NH: 48.2%	32.1%±13.6Lowest NH: 48.2%
	Henniker and Bridgewater are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	11.6%Lowest NH: 7.2%	11.9%Highest NH: 7.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	64.5%Lowest NH: 72.8%	79.7%Highest NH: 72.8%
Typical home builtmedian year	1974Lowest 5 yrs older than NH	1979Highest same as NH
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	20 minLowest 24% below NH	30 minHighest 13% above NH
Work from home	15.5%±5.6Highest NH: 16.8%	8%±3.3Lowest NH: 16.8%
	Henniker and Bridgewater 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	#56 of 120 in NH	—
School district	Henniker School District	Newfound Area School District
High school in town	None in town	None in town
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	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.