What stands out worked out from the figures below

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

Orford has the oldest population (median age 48.9).

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	Orford
People
Population	6,197Highest	1,295Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+27.9%Highest NH: +4.6%	0%Lowest NH: +4.6%
Median age	31.1±6.1Lowest 28% below NH	48.9±3.3Highest 13% above NH
Kids under 18	15.3%±3.7Highest NH: 18.2%	12.3%±3.1Lowest NH: 18.2%
	Henniker and Orford 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%	25.5%±4.2Highest NH: 20.1%
	Orford and Henniker are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	41.4%Lowest NH: 40.6%	44%Highest NH: 40.6%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	27%±6.5Highest NH: 6%	5%±2.1Lowest NH: 6%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$95,206±$21kHighest 4% below NH	$92,571±$24kLowest 7% below NH
	Henniker and Orford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$356,700±$49kHighest 11% below NH	$271,900±$25kLowest 32% below NH
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,081±$164Lowest 27% below NH	$1,263±$686Highest 15% below NH
	Orford 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	$5,836Lowest 12% below NH
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	43.5%±22.6Highest NH: 48.2%	37.8%±10.7Lowest NH: 48.2%
	Henniker and Orford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	11.6%Highest NH: 7.2%	5.8%Lowest NH: 7.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	64.5%Lowest NH: 72.8%	75.5%Highest NH: 72.8%
Typical home builtmedian year	1974Highest 5 yrs older than NH	1971Lowest 8 yrs older than NH
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	20 minLowest 24% below NH	26 minHighest 4% below NH
Work from home	15.5%±5.6Highest NH: 16.8%	10.8%±4.7Lowest NH: 16.8%
	Henniker and Orford 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	Rivendell Interstate School District
High school in town	None in town	Rivendell Academy
Students per teacherat that high school	—	9.5
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.