What stands out worked out from the figures below

Stratford has the most affordable homes ($161k median).

Bath has grown the fastest since 2010 (0%).

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	Stratford	Bath
People
Population	950Lowest	1,097Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-11.3%Lowest NH: +4.6%	0%Highest NH: +4.6%
Median age	49.8±16.8Highest 15% above NH	48.6±8.6Lowest 12% above NH
	Stratford and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	21.4%±7.6Highest NH: 18.2%	21.3%±5.8Lowest NH: 18.2%
	Stratford and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	25.1%±9.3Lowest NH: 20.1%	26.1%±2.5Highest NH: 20.1%
	Bath and Stratford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	16.1%Lowest NH: 40.6%	26.8%Highest NH: 40.6%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3.2%±2.7Highest NH: 6%	2.4%±2Lowest NH: 6%
	Stratford and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$49,583±$14kLowest 50% below NH	$67,813±$22kHighest 32% below NH
	Bath and Stratford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$161,100±$48kLowest 60% below NH	$234,400±$23kHighest 42% below NH
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$775±$264Lowest 48% below NH	$1,438±$309Highest 4% below NH
Property taxmedian, yearly	$2,512Lowest 62% below NH	$4,413Highest 34% below NH
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	64%±53.6Highest NH: 48.2%	5.9%±61.3Lowest NH: 48.2%
	Stratford and Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	23.3%Highest NH: 7.2%	8.1%Lowest NH: 7.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	83.6%Lowest NH: 72.8%	90.9%Highest NH: 72.8%
Typical home builtmedian year	1972Lowest 7 yrs older than NH	1978Highest 1 yr older than NH
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	23 minLowest 16% below NH	26 minHighest 4% below NH
Work from home	8.4%±4.1Lowest NH: 16.8%	11.1%±3.2Highest NH: 16.8%
	Bath and Stratford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	Stratford School District	Bath 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.