My wife and I went through that exact same situation about 9 years ago.

I highly recommend looking around at a large number of towns. We looked at everywhere from Nashua, Hollis, Merrimack, Hudson, Windham, Amherst, Salem, Manch. I wish we had looked a bit more east of 93 into Derry, Atkinson, Sanbornton.

Ultimately, we settled into Windham. One thing to note about schools is that there are _charter_ schools in the state and are open to all residents of the state. Buses are only for in-town kids, but parents drop from surrounding towns.

Also note that the character of the towns can vary a bit within the towns. It's a quirk I've found in Southern NH. Neighborhoods matter I guess is how I'd say it.