Compare towns
Keene vs Eliot vs Bow
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 most affordable homes ($253k median).
Eliot has the oldest population (median age 50.8).
Bow has the highest household income ($173k).
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 | Eliot | Bow |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 22,939Highest |
7,146Lowest |
8,335 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -1.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+8.3% U.S.: +7.4% |
+9.4%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 37.6±2.3Lowest 3% below U.S. |
50.8±5.9Highest 31% above U.S. |
41.5±2 7% above U.S. |
| Kids under 18 | 14.1%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 22% |
16.3%±3.9 U.S.: 22% |
25%±3.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Age 65+ | 19.5%±1.8 U.S.: 17.2% |
27.8%±6.2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
17.6%±2.5Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.1% U.S.: 35.7% |
43.6%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
60.3%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 13.8%±1.4Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
2%±1.4Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.6%±1.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $78,445±$8kLowest about the U.S. average |
$101,522±$10k 26% above U.S. |
$172,857±$16kHighest 114% above U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $252,500±$12kLowest 24% below U.S. |
$498,900±$62k 50% above U.S. |
$506,500±$34kHighest 52% above U.S. |
| Bow and Eliot are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,342±$68Lowest 5% below U.S. |
$1,948±$471Highest 38% above U.S. |
$1,539±$178 9% above U.S. |
| Eliot and Bow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $6,812 118% above U.S. |
$4,549Lowest 46% above U.S. |
$9,584Highest 207% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 44.5%±6.1 U.S.: 51.1% |
55.1%±20.1Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
39%±13.2Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Eliot and Keene 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% |
4.8% U.S.: 12.5% |
2.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 55.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
79.8% U.S.: 65.2% |
87.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1961Lowest 19 yrs older than U.S. |
1979 1 yr older than U.S. |
1985Highest 5 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 17 minLowest 35% below U.S. |
23 min 15% below U.S. |
27 minHighest about the U.S. average |
| Work from home | 15.6%±2.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
17.4%±4.7 U.S.: 15.1% |
22.7%±4.7Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Bow and Eliot 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 | #81 of 120 in NH | #19 of 133 in ME | #26 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Keene School District | RSU 35/MSAD 35 | Bow School District |
| High school in town | Keene High School | None in town | Bow High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.3Lowest |
— | 12.8Highest |
| 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.