What stands out worked out from the figures below

North Hampton has the most people working from home (25.9%).

Hardwick has the most affordable homes ($347k 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	North Hampton	Hardwick
People
Population	4,543Highest	2,684Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+5.5%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	-10.8%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	50.5±3.3Highest 30% above U.S.	45.3±9.8Lowest 16% above U.S.
	North Hampton and Hardwick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	19.2%±5.4Lowest U.S.: 22%	20.5%±5.6Highest U.S.: 22%
	Hardwick and North Hampton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	26%±4.9Highest U.S.: 17.2%	22.7%±5Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
	North Hampton and Hardwick are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	54.5%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	30.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	2.5%±1.5Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	6.2%±4.4Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Hardwick and North Hampton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$146,458±$29kHighest 81% above U.S.	$75,000±$22kLowest 7% below U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$670,400±$61kHighest 102% above U.S.	$346,700±$67kLowest 4% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,805±$106Highest 28% above U.S.	$1,108±$119Lowest 22% below U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$8,529Highest 173% above U.S.	$4,400Lowest 41% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	23.5%±21Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	59%±13.8Highest U.S.: 51.1%
Below poverty line	2.9%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	11%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	91.3%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	68.2%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1984Highest 4 yrs newer than U.S.	1968Lowest 12 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	25 minLowest 7% below U.S.	31 minHighest 18% above U.S.
Work from home	25.9%±6.9Highest U.S.: 15.1%	8.7%±4.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#12 of 120 in NH	#163 of 282 in MA
School district	North Hampton School District	Quabbin
High school in town	None in town	None in town
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.