What stands out worked out from the figures below

Newton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+4.7%).

Swanzey has the most affordable homes ($259k 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	Newton	Swanzey
People
Population	4,836Lowest	7,398Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+4.7%Highest NH: +4.6%	+0.6%Lowest NH: +4.6%
Median age	47.8±5.7Lowest 10% above NH	50±3.1Highest 15% above NH
	Swanzey and Newton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	17.1%±4.3Lowest NH: 18.2%	18%±3.2Highest NH: 18.2%
	Swanzey and Newton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	16%±3Lowest NH: 20.1%	24.2%±4.2Highest NH: 20.1%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	37.9%Highest NH: 40.6%	30.2%Lowest NH: 40.6%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4.7%±2.5Highest NH: 6%	3.4%±2Lowest NH: 6%
	Newton and Swanzey are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$138,487±$29kHighest 40% above NH	$81,595±$11kLowest 18% below NH
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$459,500±$18kHighest 14% above NH	$259,200±$15kLowest 36% below NH
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,683±$96Highest 13% above NH	$1,508±$303Lowest about the NH average
	Newton and Swanzey are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$8,124Highest 22% above NH	$5,558Lowest 17% below NH
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	62%±41.8Lowest NH: 48.2%	67.7%±19.4Highest NH: 48.2%
	Swanzey and Newton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	7.5%Lowest NH: 7.2%	7.8%Highest NH: 7.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	90.1%Highest NH: 72.8%	71.7%Lowest NH: 72.8%
Typical home builtmedian year	1983Highest 4 yrs newer than NH	1978Lowest 1 yr older than NH
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	30 minHighest 13% above NH	24 minLowest 9% below NH
Work from home	18.1%±5.2Highest NH: 16.8%	9.3%±4Lowest NH: 16.8%
	Newton and Swanzey 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	#70 of 120 in NH	#102 of 120 in NH
School district	Sanborn Regional School District	Monadnock Regional School District
High school in town	None in town	Monadnock Regional High School
Students per teacherat that high school	—	12.8
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.