Compare towns
Hillsborough vs Plaistow vs Sandown vs Henniker
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against New Hampshire.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Hillsborough has the most affordable homes ($272k median).
Sandown has the most people working from home (27.4%).
Henniker has grown the fastest since 2010 (+27.9%).
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.
| Measure | Hillsborough | Plaistow | Sandown | Henniker |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 5,980Lowest |
7,861Highest |
6,628 |
6,197 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -1.2%Lowest NH: +4.6% |
+2.9% NH: +4.6% |
+9.4% NH: +4.6% |
+27.9%Highest NH: +4.6% |
| Median age | 40.9±4.6Highest 6% below NH |
40.1±3.7 7% below NH |
40.8±3.7 6% below NH |
31.1±6.1Lowest 28% below NH |
| Hillsborough and Sandown are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 17.4%±4.6 NH: 18.2% |
19.8%±4.3 NH: 18.2% |
22.6%±6.5Highest NH: 18.2% |
15.3%±3.7Lowest NH: 18.2% |
| Sandown and Plaistow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 16.4%±3.9 NH: 20.1% |
17.4%±3.7Highest NH: 20.1% |
14.2%±4Lowest NH: 20.1% |
16.5%±6 NH: 20.1% |
| Plaistow and Henniker are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 23.9%Lowest NH: 40.6% |
34.9% NH: 40.6% |
34.1% NH: 40.6% |
41.4%Highest NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.6%±1.6Lowest NH: 6% |
3.3%±1.4 NH: 6% |
5.1%±2.6 NH: 6% |
27%±6.5Highest NH: 6% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $84,495±$12kLowest 15% below NH |
$108,317±$13k 9% above NH |
$135,040±$25kHighest 36% above NH |
$95,206±$21k 4% below NH |
| Sandown and Plaistow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $272,300±$16kLowest 32% below NH |
$404,500±$32k about the NH average |
$483,400±$44kHighest 20% above NH |
$356,700±$49k 11% below NH |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,198±$390 20% below NH |
$1,664±$187 12% above NH |
$1,893±$721Highest 27% above NH |
$1,081±$164Lowest 27% below NH |
| Sandown and Plaistow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,815Lowest 13% below NH |
$7,194 8% above NH |
$8,801 32% above NH |
$8,877Highest 33% above NH |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 61.7%±23.1 NH: 48.2% |
55.3%±16.9 NH: 48.2% |
64.1%±48.3Highest NH: 48.2% |
43.5%±22.6Lowest NH: 48.2% |
| Sandown and Hillsborough are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 6% NH: 7.2% |
4.5%Lowest NH: 7.2% |
10.8% NH: 7.2% |
11.6%Highest NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 92.3%Highest NH: 72.8% |
78.1% NH: 72.8% |
82.5% NH: 72.8% |
64.5%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1974Lowest 5 yrs older than NH |
1978 1 yr older than NH |
1986Highest 7 yrs newer than NH |
1974Lowest 5 yrs older than NH |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 41 minHighest 54% above NH |
29 min 7% above NH |
33 min 25% above NH |
20 minLowest 24% below NH |
| Work from home | 14%±5.2 NH: 16.8% |
13.6%±4Lowest NH: 16.8% |
27.4%±13.4Highest NH: 16.8% |
15.5%±5.6 NH: 16.8% |
| Sandown and Henniker 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 | #97 of 120 in NH | #66 of 120 in NH | #71 of 120 in NH | #56 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Hillsboro-Deering Cooperative School District | Timberlane Regional School District | Timberlane Regional School District | Henniker School District |
| High school in town | Hillsboro-Deering High School | Timberlane Regional High School | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 9.5Lowest |
11.4Highest |
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| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | 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.