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.

MeasureMarlboroughDurham
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.