What stands out worked out from the figures below

Madison has the most affordable homes ($188k median).

Dover has grown the fastest since 2010 (+9.2%).

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	Madison	Dover
People
Population	4,782Lowest	33,364Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-2.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+9.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	49.6±3.4Highest 28% above U.S.	36.9±1.9Lowest 5% below U.S.
Kids under 18	14.9%±4.3Lowest U.S.: 22%	16.9%±1.8Highest U.S.: 22%
	Dover and Madison are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	25.1%±5.8Highest U.S.: 17.2%	16.8%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	21.4%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	52%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4.1%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	6.2%±1.2Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Dover and Madison are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$61,747±$11kLowest 24% below U.S.	$94,829±$7kHighest 17% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$187,600±$40kLowest 44% below U.S.	$436,700±$20kHighest 31% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$906±$247Lowest 36% below U.S.	$1,607±$100Highest 14% above U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$1,983Lowest 36% below U.S.	$8,249Highest 164% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	30.9%±11.7Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	48.6%±6.3Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Dover and Madison are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	15%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	8.3%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	54.6%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	52.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1964Lowest 16 yrs older than U.S.	1976Highest 4 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	27 minHighest about the U.S. average	23 minLowest 14% below U.S.
Work from home	19.3%±10.7Highest U.S.: 15.1%	18.6%±2.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
	Madison and Dover 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	—	#64 of 120 in NH
School district	RSU 59/MSAD 59	Dover School District
High school in town	Madison Jr/Sr High School	Dover Senior High School
Students per teacherat that high school	10.0Lowest	12.7Highest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	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.