Compare towns
Hopkinton vs Bow vs Webster 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
Hopkinton has the most people working from home (23.8%).
Bow has the highest household income ($173k).
Webster has the most homeowners (96%).
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 | Hopkinton | Bow | Webster | Henniker |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 6,037 |
8,335Highest |
2,227Lowest |
6,197 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.8% NH: +4.6% |
+9.4% NH: +4.6% |
+2.2%Lowest NH: +4.6% |
+27.9%Highest NH: +4.6% |
| Median age | 45±2.8Highest 4% above NH |
41.5±2 4% below NH |
44.7±7.6 3% above NH |
31.1±6.1Lowest 28% below NH |
| Hopkinton and Webster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 18.8%±4.1 NH: 18.2% |
25%±3.6Highest NH: 18.2% |
22.6%±8 NH: 18.2% |
15.3%±3.7Lowest NH: 18.2% |
| Bow and Webster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 19.9%±4.2Highest NH: 20.1% |
17.6%±2.5 NH: 20.1% |
19.4%±1.3 NH: 20.1% |
16.5%±6Lowest NH: 20.1% |
| Hopkinton and Webster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 58.2% NH: 40.6% |
60.3%Highest NH: 40.6% |
30.7%Lowest NH: 40.6% |
41.4% NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 7.9%±4.4 NH: 6% |
5.6%±1.9 NH: 6% |
3%±1.4Lowest NH: 6% |
27%±6.5Highest NH: 6% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $137,477±$21k 39% above NH |
$172,857±$16kHighest 75% above NH |
$107,171±$14k 8% above NH |
$95,206±$21kLowest 4% below NH |
| Bow and Hopkinton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $506,900±$54kHighest 26% above NH |
$506,500±$34k 26% above NH |
$338,500±$30kLowest 16% below NH |
$356,700±$49k 11% below NH |
| Hopkinton and Bow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,270±$129 15% below NH |
$1,539±$178Highest 3% above NH |
$1,396±$622 6% below NH |
$1,081±$164Lowest 27% below NH |
| Bow and Webster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $10,000+Highest at least 50% above NH |
$9,584 44% above NH |
$6,021Lowest 10% below NH |
$8,877 33% above NH |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 42.4%±6 NH: 48.2% |
39%±13.2Lowest NH: 48.2% |
53.6%±71Highest NH: 48.2% |
43.5%±22.6 NH: 48.2% |
| Webster and Henniker are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 6.5% NH: 7.2% |
2.7%Lowest NH: 7.2% |
9.6% NH: 7.2% |
11.6%Highest NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 87.3% NH: 72.8% |
87.5% NH: 72.8% |
96%Highest NH: 72.8% |
64.5%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1968Lowest 11 yrs older than NH |
1985Highest 6 yrs newer than NH |
1979 same as NH |
1974 5 yrs older than NH |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 22 min 17% below NH |
27 min about the NH average |
31 minHighest 14% above NH |
20 minLowest 24% below NH |
| Work from home | 23.8%±8.8Highest NH: 16.8% |
22.7%±4.7 NH: 16.8% |
17.1%±3.9 NH: 16.8% |
15.5%±5.6Lowest NH: 16.8% |
| Hopkinton and Bow 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 | #28 of 120 in NH | #26 of 120 in NH | — | #56 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Hopkinton School District | Bow School District | Merrimack Valley School District | Henniker School District |
| High school in town | Hopkinton High School | Bow High School | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.0Lowest |
12.8Highest |
— | — |
| 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.