What stands out worked out from the figures below

Kensington has the most expensive homes ($658k median).

Strafford has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6%).

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	Kensington	Strafford
People
Population	2,009Lowest	4,306Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-1.4%Lowest NH: +4.6%	+6%Highest NH: +4.6%
Median age	43.3±5.9Lowest about the NH average	46.3±2.1Highest 7% above NH
	Strafford and Kensington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	17.1%±2.6Lowest NH: 18.2%	17.6%±3.5Highest NH: 18.2%
	Strafford and Kensington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	18.8%±2.9Lowest NH: 20.1%	19.4%±4.1Highest NH: 20.1%
	Strafford and Kensington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	48.5%Highest NH: 40.6%	40.2%Lowest NH: 40.6%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3.4%±1.3Lowest NH: 6%	5.4%±2.6Highest NH: 6%
	Strafford and Kensington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$165,083±$18kHighest 67% above NH	$122,105±$22kLowest 23% above NH
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$657,700±$47kHighest 63% above NH	$427,900±$29kLowest 6% above NH
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,813±$627Highest 22% above NH	$1,635±$246Lowest 10% above NH
	Kensington and Strafford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$9,637Highest 45% above NH	$6,086Lowest 9% below NH
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	24.4%±38.5Lowest NH: 48.2%	76.3%±30.3Highest NH: 48.2%
	Strafford and Kensington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	1.9%Lowest NH: 7.2%	8%Highest NH: 7.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	92.9%Lowest NH: 72.8%	93.5%Highest NH: 72.8%
Typical home builtmedian year	1987Highest 8 yrs newer than NH	1985Lowest 6 yrs newer than NH
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	29 minLowest 7% above NH	36 minHighest 34% above NH
Work from home	19.2%±3.9Highest NH: 16.8%	15.9%±5Lowest NH: 16.8%
	Kensington and Strafford 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	—	#73 of 120 in NH
School district	Kensington School District	Strafford School District
High school in town	None in town	None in town
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.