Compare towns
Orange vs Bow vs Sharon
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against New Hampshire.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Orange has the most affordable homes ($303k median).
Bow has the highest household income ($173k).
Sharon has the oldest population (median age 49.4).
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 | Orange | Bow | Sharon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 320Lowest |
8,335Highest |
442 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +9.4% NH: +4.6% |
— |
| Median age | 41.3±9.1Lowest 5% below NH |
41.5±2 4% below NH |
49.4±11.2Highest 14% above NH |
| Sharon and Bow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 20.6%±5.6Lowest NH: 18.2% |
25%±3.6Highest NH: 18.2% |
22.4%±8.6 NH: 18.2% |
| Bow and Sharon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 20%±5 NH: 20.1% |
17.6%±2.5Lowest NH: 20.1% |
31.4%±6.8Highest NH: 20.1% |
| Sharon and Orange are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 37.2%Lowest NH: 40.6% |
60.3%Highest NH: 40.6% |
41.2% NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.7%±3.7 NH: 6% |
5.6%±1.9Highest NH: 6% |
1.6%±3Lowest NH: 6% |
| Bow and Orange are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $118,750±$39k 20% above NH |
$172,857±$16kHighest 75% above NH |
$113,125±$19kLowest 14% above NH |
| Bow and Orange are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $302,600±$35kLowest 25% below NH |
$506,500±$34kHighest 26% above NH |
$475,900±$38k 18% above NH |
| Bow and Sharon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $1,539±$178Highest 3% above NH |
$1,458±$1kLowest about the NH average |
| Bow and Sharon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,132Lowest 23% below NH |
$9,584Highest 44% above NH |
$8,274 24% above NH |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 0%±100Lowest NH: 48.2% |
39%±13.2Highest NH: 48.2% |
28.6%±100 NH: 48.2% |
| Bow and Sharon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 9.4%Highest NH: 7.2% |
2.7%Lowest NH: 7.2% |
6.2% NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 97.5%Highest NH: 72.8% |
87.5%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
93.1% NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1986Highest 7 yrs newer than NH |
1985 6 yrs newer than NH |
1979Lowest same as NH |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 min 5% above NH |
27 minLowest about the NH average |
32 minHighest 20% above NH |
| Work from home | 20.8%±8.9 NH: 16.8% |
22.7%±4.7Highest NH: 16.8% |
11.2%±4.5Lowest NH: 16.8% |
| Bow and Orange 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 | — |
| School district | — | Bow School District | — |
| High school in town | — | Bow High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.8 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | 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.