Compare towns
Orange vs Peterborough 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 people working from home (20.8%).
Peterborough has the most renters (43.7% rent).
Sharon has the most expensive homes ($476k 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.
| Measure | Orange | Peterborough | Sharon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 320Lowest |
6,408Highest |
442 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +2.1% NH: +4.6% |
— |
| Median age | 41.3±9.1Lowest 5% below NH |
52.1±1.9Highest 20% above NH |
49.4±11.2 14% above NH |
| Peterborough and Sharon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 20.6%±5.6 NH: 18.2% |
16.3%±5.1Lowest NH: 18.2% |
22.4%±8.6Highest NH: 18.2% |
| Sharon and Orange are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 20%±5Lowest NH: 20.1% |
30.6%±5.2 NH: 20.1% |
31.4%±6.8Highest NH: 20.1% |
| Sharon and Peterborough 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% |
62.2%Highest NH: 40.6% |
41.2% NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.7%±3.7Highest NH: 6% |
2%±1.1 NH: 6% |
1.6%±3Lowest NH: 6% |
| Orange and Peterborough are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $118,750±$39kHighest 20% above NH |
$98,401±$8kLowest about the NH average |
$113,125±$19k 14% above NH |
| Orange and Sharon 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 |
$404,500±$31k about the NH average |
$475,900±$38kHighest 18% above NH |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $1,395±$209Lowest 6% below NH |
$1,458±$1kHighest about the NH average |
| Sharon and Peterborough 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 |
$8,655Highest 30% above NH |
$8,274 24% above NH |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 0%±100Lowest NH: 48.2% |
29.2%±7.4Highest NH: 48.2% |
28.6%±100 NH: 48.2% |
| Peterborough 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% |
5.7%Lowest NH: 7.2% |
6.2% NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 97.5%Highest NH: 72.8% |
56.3%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
93.1% NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1986Highest 7 yrs newer than NH |
1970Lowest 9 yrs older than NH |
1979 same as NH |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 min 5% above NH |
23 minLowest 16% below NH |
32 minHighest 20% above NH |
| Work from home | 20.8%±8.9Highest NH: 16.8% |
15.8%±4.5 NH: 16.8% |
11.2%±4.5Lowest NH: 16.8% |
| Orange and Peterborough 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 | — | #59 of 120 in NH | — |
| School district | — | Contoocook Valley School District | — |
| High school in town | — | Conval Regional High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.0 |
— |
| 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.