Compare towns
Roxbury vs Nelson vs Marlborough
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against New Hampshire.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Roxbury has the most homeowners (95.5%).
Nelson has the most people working from home (31.5%).
Marlborough has the most renters (31.9% rent).
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 | Roxbury | Nelson | Marlborough |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 299Lowest |
648 |
2,207Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | -13.7%Lowest NH: +4.6% |
+1.6%Highest NH: +4.6% |
| Median age | 43.2±17.7 about the NH average |
42.3±11.7Lowest about the NH average |
46±9.2Highest 6% above NH |
| Marlborough and Roxbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 14.7%±11.5Lowest NH: 18.2% |
27.5%±6.6Highest NH: 18.2% |
23.5%±5.7 NH: 18.2% |
| Nelson and Marlborough are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 17.4%±10.8Lowest NH: 20.1% |
24.8%±2Highest NH: 20.1% |
23.7%±1.7 NH: 20.1% |
| Nelson and Marlborough are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 30.6%Lowest NH: 40.6% |
61.1%Highest NH: 40.6% |
39.5% NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 13.4%±15.8Highest NH: 6% |
0.9%±2.1Lowest NH: 6% |
1.5%±1.7 NH: 6% |
| Roxbury and Marlborough are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $69,226±$14k 30% below NH |
$99,792±$23kHighest about the NH average |
$69,032±$9kLowest 30% below NH |
| Nelson and Roxbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $323,100±$219k 20% below NH |
$340,900±$49kHighest 15% below NH |
$267,200±$35kLowest 34% below NH |
| Nelson and Roxbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $1,203±$243Highest 19% below NH |
$1,133±$323Lowest 24% below NH |
| Nelson and Marlborough are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,787 13% below NH |
$5,575Lowest 16% below NH |
$6,362Highest 5% below NH |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 0%±100Lowest NH: 48.2% |
40%±68.8 NH: 48.2% |
50.4%±25.3Highest NH: 48.2% |
| Marlborough and Nelson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 3.7% NH: 7.2% |
1.4%Lowest NH: 7.2% |
13.2%Highest NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 95.5%Highest NH: 72.8% |
90.2% NH: 72.8% |
68.1%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1969Lowest 10 yrs older than NH |
1975 4 yrs older than NH |
1976Highest 3 yrs older than NH |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 21 minLowest 22% below NH |
24 minHighest 9% below NH |
21 min 21% below NH |
| Work from home | 0.7%±1.4Lowest NH: 16.8% |
31.5%±8Highest NH: 16.8% |
12.3%±6.7 NH: 16.8% |
| Schools | |||
| School district | — | Nelson School District | Marlborough School District |
| High school in town | — | None in town | None in town |
| 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.