What stands out worked out from the figures below

Strafford has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6%).

Andover has the most affordable homes ($367k 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	Strafford	Andover
People
Population	4,306Highest	2,135Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+6%Highest NH: +4.6%	+1.5%Lowest NH: +4.6%
Median age	46.3±2.1Highest 7% above NH	46±11.6Lowest 6% above NH
	Strafford and Andover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	17.6%±3.5Highest NH: 18.2%	13.3%±3.3Lowest NH: 18.2%
	Strafford and Andover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	19.4%±4.1Lowest NH: 20.1%	28.1%±7.7Highest NH: 20.1%
	Andover and Strafford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	40.2%Highest NH: 40.6%	29.7%Lowest NH: 40.6%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.4%±2.6Highest NH: 6%	2.7%±2.2Lowest NH: 6%
	Strafford and Andover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$122,105±$22kHighest 23% above NH	$88,514±$27kLowest 11% below NH
	Strafford and Andover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$427,900±$29kHighest 6% above NH	$366,500±$44kLowest 9% below NH
	Strafford and Andover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,635±$246Highest 10% above NH	$1,211±$190Lowest 19% below NH
	Strafford and Andover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$6,086Highest 9% below NH	$5,962Lowest 11% below NH
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	76.3%±30.3Highest NH: 48.2%	45.1%±8.3Lowest NH: 48.2%
	Strafford and Andover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	8%Lowest NH: 7.2%	10.5%Highest NH: 7.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	93.5%Highest NH: 72.8%	88.4%Lowest NH: 72.8%
Typical home builtmedian year	1985Highest 6 yrs newer than NH	1978Lowest 1 yr older than NH
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	36 minHighest 34% above NH	34 minLowest 28% above NH
Work from home	15.9%±5Highest NH: 16.8%	11.7%±5Lowest NH: 16.8%
	Strafford and Andover 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	#73 of 120 in NH	—
School district	Strafford School District	Andover 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.