What stands out worked out from the figures below

Orford has the most affordable homes ($272k median).

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

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	Hancock
People
Population	1,295Lowest	1,791Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	0%Lowest NH: +4.6%	+4.7%Highest NH: +4.6%
Median age	48.9±3.3Lowest 13% above NH	53.8±4.5Highest 24% above NH
	Hancock and Orford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	12.3%±3.1Lowest NH: 18.2%	15.4%±2.2Highest NH: 18.2%
	Hancock and Orford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	25.5%±4.2Lowest NH: 20.1%	30.2%±2.7Highest NH: 20.1%
	Hancock and Orford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	44%Lowest NH: 40.6%	53.9%Highest NH: 40.6%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5%±2.1Highest NH: 6%	4%±1.6Lowest NH: 6%
	Orford and Hancock are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$92,571±$24kLowest 7% below NH	$95,208±$15kHighest 4% below NH
	Hancock 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	$436,700±$22kHighest 8% above NH
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,263±$686Highest 15% below NH	$1,208±$650Lowest 19% below NH
	Orford and Hancock 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	$6,884Highest 3% above NH
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	37.8%±10.7Highest NH: 48.2%	32.4%±55.6Lowest NH: 48.2%
	Orford and Hancock are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	5.8%Highest NH: 7.2%	4.1%Lowest NH: 7.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	75.5%Lowest NH: 72.8%	85.6%Highest NH: 72.8%
Typical home builtmedian year	1971Highest 8 yrs older than NH	1969Lowest 10 yrs older than NH
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	26 minLowest 4% below NH	33 minHighest 24% above NH
Work from home	10.8%±4.7Lowest NH: 16.8%	14.9%±3.2Highest NH: 16.8%
	Hancock and Orford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	Rivendell Interstate School District	Contoocook Valley School District
High school in town	Rivendell Academy	None in town
Students per teacherat that high school	9.5	—
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.