What stands out worked out from the figures below

Swanzey has the most affordable homes ($259k median).

Nottingham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+9.3%).

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	Swanzey	Nottingham
People
Population	7,398Highest	5,357Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+0.6%Lowest NH: +4.6%	+9.3%Highest NH: +4.6%
Median age	50±3.1Highest 15% above NH	38.8±6.7Lowest 10% below NH
Kids under 18	18%±3.2Lowest NH: 18.2%	23.9%±5.4Highest NH: 18.2%
	Nottingham and Swanzey are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	24.2%±4.2Highest NH: 20.1%	18.4%±4.2Lowest NH: 20.1%
	Swanzey and Nottingham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	30.2%Lowest NH: 40.6%	40.9%Highest NH: 40.6%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3.4%±2Lowest NH: 6%	5.9%±2.6Highest NH: 6%
	Nottingham and Swanzey are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$81,595±$11kLowest 18% below NH	$122,201±$20kHighest 23% above NH
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$259,200±$15kLowest 36% below NH	$457,500±$26kHighest 14% above NH
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,508±$303Lowest about the NH average	$2,068±$1kHighest 39% above NH
	Nottingham and Swanzey are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,558Lowest 17% below NH	$7,319Highest 10% above NH
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	67.7%±19.4Lowest NH: 48.2%	92.1%±44.9Highest NH: 48.2%
	Nottingham and Swanzey are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	7.8%Highest NH: 7.2%	1.4%Lowest NH: 7.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	71.7%Lowest NH: 72.8%	94.3%Highest NH: 72.8%
Typical home builtmedian year	1978Lowest 1 yr older than NH	1992Highest 13 yrs newer than NH
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	24 minLowest 9% below NH	34 minHighest 27% above NH
Work from home	9.3%±4Lowest NH: 16.8%	22.2%±5.8Highest NH: 16.8%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#102 of 120 in NH	#15 of 120 in NH
School district	Monadnock Regional School District	Nottingham School District
High school in town	Monadnock Regional High School	None in town
Students per teacherat that high school	12.8	—
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.