What stands out worked out from the figures below

Kingston has grown the fastest since 2010 (+2.9%).

Orford has the most affordable homes ($272k median).

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	Orford
People
Population	6,275Highest	1,295Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+2.9%Highest NH: +4.6%	0%Lowest NH: +4.6%
Median age	55.5±5.7Highest 28% above NH	48.9±3.3Lowest 13% above NH
	Kingston and Orford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	13.5%±3.9Highest NH: 18.2%	12.3%±3.1Lowest NH: 18.2%
	Kingston and Orford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	24.7%±6Lowest NH: 20.1%	25.5%±4.2Highest NH: 20.1%
	Orford and Kingston 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 NH: 40.6%	44%Highest NH: 40.6%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3.6%±2.1Lowest NH: 6%	5%±2.1Highest NH: 6%
	Orford and Kingston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$105,330±$12kHighest 6% above NH	$92,571±$24kLowest 7% below NH
	Kingston and Orford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$492,900±$58kHighest 22% above NH	$271,900±$25kLowest 32% below NH
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,393±$156Highest 7% below NH	$1,263±$686Lowest 15% below NH
	Kingston and Orford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$7,906Highest 19% above NH	$5,836Lowest 12% below NH
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	46.9%±46.4Highest NH: 48.2%	37.8%±10.7Lowest NH: 48.2%
	Kingston and Orford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	2.1%Lowest NH: 7.2%	5.8%Highest NH: 7.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	74.4%Lowest NH: 72.8%	75.5%Highest NH: 72.8%
Typical home builtmedian year	1982Highest 3 yrs newer than NH	1971Lowest 8 yrs older than NH
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	34 minHighest 27% above NH	26 minLowest 4% below NH
Work from home	15.7%±4.3Highest NH: 16.8%	10.8%±4.7Lowest NH: 16.8%
	Kingston and Orford 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	—
School district	Sanborn Regional School District	Rivendell Interstate School District
High school in town	Sanborn Regional High School	Rivendell Academy
Students per teacherat that high school	12.9Highest	9.5Lowest
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.