What stands out worked out from the figures below

Madbury has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.3%).

Marlborough has the most affordable homes ($267k 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	Madbury	Marlborough
People
Population	2,203Lowest	2,207Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+8.3%Highest NH: +4.6%	+1.6%Lowest NH: +4.6%
Median age	37.7±2.1Lowest 13% below NH	46±9.2Highest 6% above NH
	Marlborough and Madbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	29%±5.9Highest NH: 18.2%	23.5%±5.7Lowest NH: 18.2%
	Madbury and Marlborough are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	14.3%±2.6Lowest NH: 20.1%	23.7%±1.7Highest NH: 20.1%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	52.6%Highest NH: 40.6%	39.5%Lowest NH: 40.6%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3.4%±1.8Highest NH: 6%	1.5%±1.7Lowest NH: 6%
	Madbury and Marlborough are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$148,365±$30kHighest 50% above NH	$69,032±$9kLowest 30% below NH
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$476,900±$31kHighest 18% above NH	$267,200±$35kLowest 34% below NH
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,574±$759Highest 6% above NH	$1,133±$323Lowest 24% below NH
	Madbury and Marlborough are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$10,000+Highest at least 50% above NH	$6,362Lowest 5% below NH
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	16.7%±15.2Lowest NH: 48.2%	50.4%±25.3Highest NH: 48.2%
	Marlborough and Madbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	4.9%Lowest NH: 7.2%	13.2%Highest NH: 7.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	82.9%Highest NH: 72.8%	68.1%Lowest NH: 72.8%
Typical home builtmedian year	1984Highest 5 yrs newer than NH	1976Lowest 3 yrs older than NH
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	25 minHighest 5% below NH	21 minLowest 21% below NH
Work from home	14%±3.6Highest NH: 16.8%	12.3%±6.7Lowest NH: 16.8%
	Madbury and Marlborough are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	Oyster River Coop School District	Marlborough 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.