What stands out worked out from the figures below

Kingston has the most expensive homes ($493k median).

Ashby has grown the fastest since 2010 (+3.9%).

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	Kingston	Ashby
People
Population	6,275Highest	3,211Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+2.9%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+3.9%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	55.5±5.7Highest 43% above U.S.	50.5±3Lowest 30% above U.S.
	Kingston and Ashby are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	13.5%±3.9Lowest U.S.: 22%	17%±3.5Highest U.S.: 22%
	Ashby and Kingston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	24.7%±6Highest U.S.: 17.2%	21.5%±4.3Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
	Kingston and Ashby are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	35.1%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	43.7%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3.6%±2.1Highest U.S.: 6.4%	3%±1.2Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
	Kingston and Ashby are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$105,330±$12kLowest 30% above U.S.	$115,598±$9kHighest 43% above U.S.
	Ashby and Kingston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$492,900±$58kHighest 48% above U.S.	$390,500±$30kLowest 17% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,393±$156Highest about the U.S. average	$1,200±$484Lowest 15% below U.S.
	Kingston and Ashby are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$7,906Highest 153% above U.S.	$6,034Lowest 93% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	46.9%±46.4Highest U.S.: 51.1%	36.4%±53.5Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Kingston and Ashby are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	2.1%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	2.6%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	74.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	95.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1982Highest 2 yrs newer than U.S.	1970Lowest 10 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	34 minHighest 29% above U.S.	33 minLowest 25% above U.S.
Work from home	15.7%±4.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	17.8%±5.8Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Ashby and Kingston 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	#78 of 120 in NH	#200 of 282 in MA
School district	Sanborn Regional School District	North Middlesex
High school in town	Sanborn Regional High School	None in town
Students per teacherat that high school	12.9	—
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.