Rochester and Concord receive effectively the same standardized Area Score. Which fits you better depends on which dimensions you weight — the differences below are where they actually diverge.
Signals
Rochester
Concord
Opportunity
77 · Top 11%
vs79 · Top 9%
Growth
56 · Top 40%
vs67 · Top 21%
Climate
60 · Bottom 13%
vs58 · Bottom 10%
Physical resilience
63 · Top 45%
vs50 · Bottom 42%
Housing affordability
90 · Top 32%
vs82 · Top 48%
Schools
44 · Bottom 40%
vs52 · Top 49%
Access
79 · Bottom 21%
vs89 · Bottom 41%
Economic stability
68 · Top 33%
vs62 · Top 47%
Measured values
| Metric | Rochester | Concord | Source period |
|---|---|---|---|
| Population | 33,144 | 44,375 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median household income | $80,836 | $84,902 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Per capita income | $42,462 | $47,090 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Population density | 736/sq mi | 694/sq mi | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median home value | $279,100 | $350,900 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median gross rent | $1,369 | $1,441 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Homeownership rate | 66.0% | 56.8% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Unemployment rate | 2.2% | 2.2% | June 2026 |
| Employment change (year over year) | -0.0% | 0.4% | June 2026 |
| Bachelor's degree or higher | 27.1% | 42.3% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Poverty rate | 8.3% | 8.9% | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Housing units permitted (12 months) | 146 | 176 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permits per 1,000 residents | 4.4 | 4.0 | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Permit change (year over year) | -23.6% | 300.0% | 12 months ending July 2026 |
| Average July high | 82°F | 83°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Average January low | 15°F | 13°F | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Annual precipitation | 41.2" | 42.0" | 1991-2020 Normals |
| Distance to major airport | 34 mi | 22 mi | NASR current cycle |
| Average commute | 28.0 min | 25.1 min | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Median age | 43.0 | 40.7 | 2024 ACS 5-Year |
| Public schools | 10 | 14 | 2024-25 school year |
| Students per teacher | 11.59 | 12.13 | 2024-25 school year |
| Math proficiency | 26.2% | 27.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Reading proficiency | 29.5% | 38.8% | 2019-20 school year |
| Free or reduced-price lunch eligibility | 33.9% | 31.6% | 2024-25 school year |
A bolded value is the more favorable of the two where the metric has a clear direction. Metrics like population and density have no inherent better or worse and are shown unweighted.
Physical risk tradeoff
Rochester
Elevated or high exposure: ice storm, earthquake.
Concord
Elevated or high exposure: inland flooding, hurricane.
Full profiles: Rochester, NH · Concord, NH · How this is calculated: methodology