What stands out worked out from the figures below

Hudson has grown the fastest since 2010 (+3.8%).

Dartmouth has the shortest commute (27 min average).

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	Hudson	Dartmouth
People
Population	25,557Lowest	33,328Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+3.8%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	-0.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	45.7±1.9Highest 17% above U.S.	42.5±2Lowest 9% above U.S.
	Hudson and Dartmouth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	16.8%±2.1Highest U.S.: 22%	14.6%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Hudson and Dartmouth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	20.7%±2.4Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	21%±1.7Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Dartmouth and Hudson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	34.2%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	39%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	7%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	14.3%±1.3Highest U.S.: 6.4%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$124,213±$6kHighest 54% above U.S.	$99,839±$8kLowest 24% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$438,900±$11kLowest 32% above U.S.	$496,500±$20kHighest 49% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,735±$123Highest 23% above U.S.	$1,462±$159Lowest 3% above U.S.
	Hudson and Dartmouth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$6,636Highest 113% above U.S.	$4,263Lowest 37% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	34.3%±7.2Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	54%±9.8Highest U.S.: 51.1%
Below poverty line	4.6%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	6.3%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	82.6%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	76%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1983Highest 3 yrs newer than U.S.	1973Lowest 7 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	31 minHighest 19% above U.S.	27 minLowest about the U.S. average
Work from home	19.6%±3.6Highest U.S.: 15.1%	12.4%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#63 of 120 in NH	#115 of 282 in MA
School district	Hudson School District	Dartmouth
High school in town	Alvirne High School	Dartmouth High
Students per teacherat that high school	11.6Lowest	11.9Highest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	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.