What stands out worked out from the figures below

Jaffrey has grown the fastest since 2010 (-2.5%).

Columbia has the most people working from home (11.2%).

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	Jaffrey	Columbia
People
Population	5,448Highest	683Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-2.5%Highest NH: +4.6%	-12.9%Lowest NH: +4.6%
Median age	42.9±3.9Lowest about the NH average	51.8±10.1Highest 20% above NH
	Columbia and Jaffrey are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	23.1%±5.1Highest NH: 18.2%	17.4%±5.2Lowest NH: 18.2%
	Jaffrey and Columbia are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	18.5%±3.8Lowest NH: 20.1%	29.9%±8.3Highest NH: 20.1%
	Columbia and Jaffrey are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	31.2%Highest NH: 40.6%	14.5%Lowest NH: 40.6%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3.1%±2.4Lowest NH: 6%	7%±3.7Highest NH: 6%
	Columbia and Jaffrey are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$92,330±$18kHighest 7% below NH	$57,917±$13kLowest 42% below NH
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$245,500±$27kHighest 39% below NH	$196,400±$29kLowest 51% below NH
	Jaffrey and Columbia are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$962±$202Highest 35% below NH	$792±$333Lowest 47% below NH
	Jaffrey and Columbia are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$6,196Highest 7% below NH	$2,009Lowest 70% below NH
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	45.7%±23Highest NH: 48.2%	9.1%±95.8Lowest NH: 48.2%
	Jaffrey and Columbia are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	3.8%Lowest NH: 7.2%	10.7%Highest NH: 7.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	81.8%Lowest NH: 72.8%	91.1%Highest NH: 72.8%
Typical home builtmedian year	1973Lowest 6 yrs older than NH	1983Highest 4 yrs newer than NH
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	25 minHighest 8% below NH	20 minLowest 24% below NH
Work from home	7.5%±4.2Lowest NH: 16.8%	11.2%±6.7Highest NH: 16.8%
	Columbia and Jaffrey 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	#87 of 120 in NH	—
School district	Jaffrey-Rindge Cooperative School District	—
High school in town	Conant Middle High School (H)	—
Students per teacherat that high school	21.3	—
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.