Compare towns
Mapleton vs Bow vs Eliot vs Castle Hill
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Mapleton has the oldest housing (typical home built 1977).
Bow has the highest household income ($173k).
Eliot has the most renters (20.2% rent).
Castle Hill has the most affordable homes ($145k 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.
| Measure | Mapleton | Bow | Eliot | Castle Hill |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,884 |
8,335Highest |
7,146 |
281Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+9.4%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+8.3% U.S.: +7.4% |
— |
| Median age | 41.8±6 7% above U.S. |
41.5±2Lowest 7% above U.S. |
50.8±5.9 31% above U.S. |
57.8±15.8Highest 49% above U.S. |
| Castle Hill and Eliot are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 22.2%±5.1 U.S.: 22% |
25%±3.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
16.3%±3.9 U.S.: 22% |
14.2%±5.8Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Bow and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 18.3%±3.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
17.6%±2.5Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
27.8%±6.2 U.S.: 17.2% |
44.8%±6.5Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 34.3% U.S.: 35.7% |
60.3%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
43.6% U.S.: 35.7% |
26.7%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5%±2.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
5.6%±1.9Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
2%±1.4Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.1%±5.3 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Bow and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $91,731±$25k 14% above U.S. |
$172,857±$16kHighest 114% above U.S. |
$101,522±$10k 26% above U.S. |
$54,250±$14kLowest 33% below U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $191,800±$23k 42% below U.S. |
$506,500±$34kHighest 52% above U.S. |
$498,900±$62k 50% above U.S. |
$145,300±$18kLowest 56% below U.S. |
| Bow and Eliot are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $610±$277Lowest 57% below U.S. |
$1,539±$178 9% above U.S. |
$1,948±$471Highest 38% above U.S. |
$950±$574 33% below U.S. |
| Eliot and Bow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,789 43% below U.S. |
$9,584Highest 207% above U.S. |
$4,549 46% above U.S. |
$1,449Lowest 54% below U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 16.7%±10.5Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
39%±13.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
55.1%±20.1 U.S.: 51.1% |
75%±100Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Castle Hill and Eliot are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 8.9%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
2.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
4.8% U.S.: 12.5% |
4.3% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.9% U.S.: 65.2% |
87.5% U.S.: 65.2% |
79.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
94.3%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977Lowest 3 yrs older than U.S. |
1985Highest 5 yrs newer than U.S. |
1979 1 yr older than U.S. |
1982 2 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 28 minHighest 5% above U.S. |
27 min about the U.S. average |
23 min 15% below U.S. |
19 minLowest 29% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 10.8%±3.8 U.S.: 15.1% |
22.7%±4.7Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
17.4%±4.7 U.S.: 15.1% |
10.3%±9.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Bow and Eliot 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 | — | #26 of 120 in NH | #19 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | Bow School District | RSU 35/MSAD 35 | — |
| High school in town | None in town | Bow High School | None in town | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.8 |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | 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.