Compare towns
Marlborough vs Durham
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against New Hampshire.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Marlborough has the most kids (23.5% under 18).
Durham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.8%).
Durham is a college town. 70.2% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
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 | Marlborough | Durham |
|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||
| People | ||
| Population | 2,207Lowest |
10,681Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +1.6%Lowest NH: +4.6% |
+7.8%Highest NH: +4.6% |
| Median age | 46±9.2Highest 6% above NH |
20.1±0.2Lowest 54% below NH |
| Kids under 18 | 23.5%±5.7Highest NH: 18.2% |
6.5%±2Lowest NH: 18.2% |
| Age 65+ | 23.7%±1.7Highest NH: 20.1% |
7.5%±1.4Lowest NH: 20.1% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 39.5%Lowest NH: 40.6% |
75.4%Highest NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.5%±1.7Lowest NH: 6% |
70.2%±1.6Highest NH: 6% |
| Cost of living | ||
| Household incomemedian | $69,032±$9kLowest 30% below NH |
$112,070±$25kHighest 13% above NH |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $267,200±$35kLowest 34% below NH |
$498,000±$45kHighest 24% above NH |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,133±$323Lowest 24% below NH |
$1,302±$211Highest 13% below NH |
| Durham and Marlborough are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $6,362Lowest 5% below NH |
$10,000+Highest at least 50% above NH |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 50.4%±25.3Lowest NH: 48.2% |
55.4%±19.2Highest NH: 48.2% |
| Durham and Marlborough are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||
| Below poverty line | 13.2%Highest NH: 7.2% |
12.4%Lowest NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | ||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 68.1%Highest NH: 72.8% |
53.6%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976Highest 3 yrs older than NH |
1973Lowest 6 yrs older than NH |
| Getting to work | ||
| Average commuteone way | 21 minHighest 21% below NH |
17 minLowest 36% below NH |
| Work from home | 12.3%±6.7Lowest NH: 16.8% |
15.6%±3.3Highest NH: 16.8% |
| Durham and Marlborough 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 | — | #9 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Marlborough School District | — |
| High school 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.

