Compare towns
Keene vs Cambridge vs Milford
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Keene has the shortest commute (17 min average).
Cambridge has the most homeowners (70.3%).
Milford has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.7%).
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 | Keene | Cambridge | Milford |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 22,939Highest |
3,767Lowest |
16,337 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -1.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+4.9% U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 37.6±2.3Highest 3% below U.S. |
37.4±1.8 4% below U.S. |
36.8±2.5Lowest 5% below U.S. |
| Keene and Cambridge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 14.1%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 22% |
23%±4.9 U.S.: 22% |
23.7%±3.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Milford and Cambridge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.5%±1.8Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
14.4%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
15.1%±1.9 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.1% U.S.: 35.7% |
50.7%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
37.2%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 13.8%±1.4Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
1.9%±1.2Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.2%±1.3 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $78,445±$8k about the U.S. average |
$72,344±$19kLowest 10% below U.S. |
$97,768±$14kHighest 21% above U.S. |
| Milford and Keene are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $252,500±$12kLowest 24% below U.S. |
$343,000±$38k 3% above U.S. |
$398,800±$20kHighest 20% above U.S. |
| Milford and Cambridge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,342±$68 5% below U.S. |
$1,183±$66Lowest 16% below U.S. |
$1,661±$126Highest 18% above U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $6,812 118% above U.S. |
$4,910Lowest 57% above U.S. |
$7,522Highest 141% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 44.5%±6.1Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
66.6%±7.3Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
49.6%±15.8 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Cambridge and Milford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 10.1%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
6.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
3.9%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 55.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
70.3%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
64.9% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1961Lowest 19 yrs older than U.S. |
1985Highest 5 yrs newer than U.S. |
1982 2 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 17 minLowest 35% below U.S. |
32 minHighest 23% above U.S. |
27 min about the U.S. average |
| Work from home | 15.6%±2.7Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
9.9%±4.1Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
15.6%±3.3Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #81 of 120 in NH | #25 of 70 in VT | #55 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Keene School District | Cambridge School District | Milford School District |
| High school in town | Keene High School | None in town | Milford High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.3Highest |
— | 10.7Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | 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.