What stands out worked out from the figures below

Orford has the oldest population (median age 48.9).

Durham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+5.8%).

Durham is a college town. 55.1% 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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Orford	Durham
People
Population	1,295Lowest	15,080Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	0%Lowest NH: +4.6%	+5.8%Highest NH: +4.6%
Median age	48.9±3.3Highest 13% above NH	20.8±0.3Lowest 52% below NH
Kids under 18	12.3%±3.1Highest NH: 18.2%	10.3%±2.1Lowest NH: 18.2%
	Orford and Durham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	25.5%±4.2Highest NH: 20.1%	11.5%±1.6Lowest NH: 20.1%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	44%Lowest NH: 40.6%	75.4%Highest NH: 40.6%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5%±2.1Lowest NH: 6%	55.1%±3.2Highest NH: 6%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$92,571±$24kLowest 7% below NH	$124,056±$21kHighest 25% above NH
	Durham and Orford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$271,900±$25kLowest 32% below NH	$504,300±$41kHighest 25% above NH
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,263±$686Lowest 15% below NH	$1,429±$143Highest 4% below NH
	Durham and Orford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,836Lowest 12% below NH	$10,000+Highest at least 50% above NH
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	37.8%±10.7Lowest NH: 48.2%	66.4%±16Highest NH: 48.2%
Below poverty line	5.8%Lowest NH: 7.2%	15.1%Highest NH: 7.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	75.5%Highest NH: 72.8%	64.4%Lowest NH: 72.8%
Typical home builtmedian year	1971Lowest 8 yrs older than NH	1981Highest 2 yrs newer than NH
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	26 minHighest 4% below NH	19 minLowest 27% below NH
Work from home	10.8%±4.7Lowest NH: 16.8%	19.4%±3.5Highest NH: 16.8%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	—	#9 of 120 in NH
School district	Rivendell Interstate School District	Oyster River Coop School District
High school in town	Rivendell Academy	Oyster River High School
Students per teacherat that high school	9.5Lowest	12.3Highest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	None yet	51 photos →

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.