What stands out worked out from the figures below

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

South Hampton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+9.8%).

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	South Hampton
People
Population	1,295Highest	984Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	0%Lowest NH: +4.6%	+9.8%Highest NH: +4.6%
Median age	48.9±3.3Highest 13% above NH	45.1±5.3Lowest 4% above NH
	Orford and South Hampton 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%	23.3%±5.8Highest NH: 18.2%
Age 65+	25.5%±4.2Highest NH: 20.1%	16.5%±1.4Lowest NH: 20.1%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	44%Lowest NH: 40.6%	52.4%Highest NH: 40.6%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5%±2.1Highest NH: 6%	2.7%±1.6Lowest NH: 6%
	Orford and South Hampton 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	$152,500±$44kHighest 54% above NH
	South Hampton 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	$661,100±$45kHighest 64% above NH
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,263±$686Lowest 15% below NH	$1,889±$489Highest 27% above NH
	South Hampton 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	$9,109Highest 37% above NH
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	37.8%±10.7Highest NH: 48.2%	30%±40.8Lowest NH: 48.2%
	Orford and South Hampton 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%	3.3%Lowest NH: 7.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	75.5%Lowest NH: 72.8%	88.6%Highest NH: 72.8%
Typical home builtmedian year	1971Lowest 8 yrs older than NH	1976Highest 3 yrs older than NH
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	26 minLowest 4% below NH	28 minHighest 6% above NH
Work from home	10.8%±4.7Lowest NH: 16.8%	17%±3.9Highest NH: 16.8%
	South Hampton 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	South Hampton 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.