What stands out worked out from the figures below

South Hampton has the most kids (23.3% under 18).

Bridgewater has the most affordable homes ($399k 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	South Hampton	Bridgewater
People
Population	984Lowest	1,169Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+9.8%Highest NH: +4.6%	+7.1%Lowest NH: +4.6%
Median age	45.1±5.3Lowest 4% above NH	58.3±6.3Highest 35% above NH
Kids under 18	23.3%±5.8Highest NH: 18.2%	10.8%±3.5Lowest NH: 18.2%
Age 65+	16.5%±1.4Lowest NH: 20.1%	33.1%±1.8Highest NH: 20.1%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	52.4%Highest NH: 40.6%	32.8%Lowest NH: 40.6%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	2.7%±1.6Highest NH: 6%	1.3%±1.2Lowest NH: 6%
	South Hampton and Bridgewater are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$152,500±$44kHighest 54% above NH	$82,361±$9kLowest 17% below NH
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$661,100±$45kHighest 64% above NH	$398,600±$65kLowest about the NH average
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,889±$489Highest 27% above NH	$1,125±$201Lowest 25% below NH
Property taxmedian, yearly	$9,109Highest 37% above NH	$2,823Lowest 58% below NH
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	30%±40.8Lowest NH: 48.2%	32.1%±13.6Highest NH: 48.2%
	Bridgewater and South Hampton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	3.3%Lowest NH: 7.2%	11.9%Highest NH: 7.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	88.6%Highest NH: 72.8%	79.7%Lowest NH: 72.8%
Typical home builtmedian year	1976Lowest 3 yrs older than NH	1979Highest same as NH
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	28 minLowest 6% above NH	30 minHighest 13% above NH
Work from home	17%±3.9Highest NH: 16.8%	8%±3.3Lowest NH: 16.8%
Schools
School district	South Hampton School District	Newfound Area School District
High school in town	None in town	None in town
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.