Compare towns
Peterborough vs Orange 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
Peterborough has the most renters (43.7% rent).
Orange has the most people working from home (20.8%).
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 | Peterborough | Orange | Sharon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 6,408Highest |
320Lowest |
442 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2.1% NH: +4.6% |
— | — |
| Median age | 52.1±1.9Highest 20% above NH |
41.3±9.1Lowest 5% below 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 | 16.3%±5.1Lowest NH: 18.2% |
20.6%±5.6 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+ | 30.6%±5.2 NH: 20.1% |
20%±5Lowest 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+ | 62.2%Highest NH: 40.6% |
37.2%Lowest NH: 40.6% |
41.2% NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2%±1.1 NH: 6% |
4.7%±3.7Highest 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 | $98,401±$8kLowest about the NH average |
$118,750±$39kHighest 20% above NH |
$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 | $404,500±$31k about the NH average |
$302,600±$35kLowest 25% below NH |
$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 | $8,655Highest 30% above NH |
$5,132Lowest 23% below NH |
$8,274 24% above NH |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 29.2%±7.4Highest NH: 48.2% |
0%±100Lowest 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 | 5.7%Lowest NH: 7.2% |
9.4%Highest NH: 7.2% |
6.2% NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 56.3%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
97.5%Highest NH: 72.8% |
93.1% NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1970Lowest 9 yrs older than NH |
1986Highest 7 yrs newer than NH |
1979 same as NH |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 23 minLowest 16% below NH |
28 min 5% above NH |
32 minHighest 20% above NH |
| Work from home | 15.8%±4.5 NH: 16.8% |
20.8%±8.9Highest 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.