What stands out worked out from the figures below

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

Belmont has the shortest commute (25 min average).

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	Belmont
People
Population	4,306Lowest	7,392Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+6%Highest NH: +4.6%	-0.6%Lowest NH: +4.6%
Median age	46.3±2.1Lowest 7% above NH	47.2±3.5Highest 9% above NH
	Belmont and Strafford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	17.6%±3.5Lowest NH: 18.2%	18.4%±3.7Highest NH: 18.2%
	Belmont and Strafford 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%	22.4%±4.1Highest NH: 20.1%
	Belmont 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%	19.1%Lowest NH: 40.6%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.4%±2.6Highest NH: 6%	3%±1.8Lowest NH: 6%
	Strafford and Belmont 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	$69,063±$21kLowest 30% below NH
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$427,900±$29kHighest 6% above NH	$316,300±$31kLowest 21% below NH
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,635±$246Highest 10% above NH	$996±$129Lowest 33% below NH
Property taxmedian, yearly	$6,086Highest 9% below NH	$5,585Lowest 16% below NH
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	76.3%±30.3Highest NH: 48.2%	46.8%±10.9Lowest NH: 48.2%
	Strafford and Belmont 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%	10.3%Highest NH: 7.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	93.5%Highest NH: 72.8%	82.1%Lowest NH: 72.8%
Typical home builtmedian year	1985Highest 6 yrs newer than NH	1983Lowest 4 yrs newer than NH
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	36 minHighest 34% above NH	25 minLowest 6% below NH
Work from home	15.9%±5Highest NH: 16.8%	9.6%±3.6Lowest NH: 16.8%
	Strafford and Belmont 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	#92 of 120 in NH
School district	Strafford School District	Shaker Regional School District
High school in town	None in town	Belmont High School
Students per teacherat that high school	—	12.0
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.