What stands out worked out from the figures below

Rochester has grown the fastest since 2010 (+9.2%).

Townsend has the most expensive homes ($433k 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.

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

Measure	Rochester	Townsend
People
Population	33,144Highest	9,100Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+9.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	+2.3%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	43±1.8Highest 11% above U.S.	40.9±3.3Lowest 5% above U.S.
	Rochester and Townsend are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	18.2%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 22%	21%±3.2Highest U.S.: 22%
	Townsend and Rochester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	19.6%±1.9Highest U.S.: 17.2%	17.1%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
	Rochester and Townsend are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	27.1%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	35.5%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4.3%±1Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	5.1%±2.4Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Townsend and Rochester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$80,836±$3kLowest about the U.S. average	$121,528±$23kHighest 51% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$279,100±$10kLowest 16% below U.S.	$433,200±$22kHighest 30% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,369±$72Lowest 3% below U.S.	$1,469±$313Highest 4% above U.S.
	Townsend and Rochester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,334Lowest 71% above U.S.	$6,031Highest 93% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	46.3%±7Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	50.6%±16.8Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Townsend and Rochester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	8.3%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	8.9%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	66%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	82%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1978Highest 2 yrs older than U.S.	1976Lowest 4 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	26 minLowest about the U.S. average	37 minHighest 41% above U.S.
Work from home	11.8%±2.1Highest U.S.: 15.1%	10.5%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
	Rochester and Townsend 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	#98 of 120 in NH	#136 of 282 in MA
School district	Rochester School District	North Middlesex
High school in town	Spaulding High School	North Middlesex Regional
Students per teacherat that high school	13.2Highest	13.1Lowest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	None yet	None yet

U.S. 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.