What stands out worked out from the figures below

Andover has the most expensive homes ($856k median).

Exeter has the most affordable homes ($457k median).

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	Andover	Exeter
People
Population	36,652Highest	16,151Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+10.1%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+12.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	42.9±1Lowest 10% above U.S.	45.8±2.3Highest 18% above U.S.
	Exeter and Andover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	23.6%±1.8Highest U.S.: 22%	17%±2.7Lowest U.S.: 22%
Age 65+	16%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	24.4%±2.8Highest U.S.: 17.2%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	75.6%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	59.2%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	8.1%±0.8Highest U.S.: 6.4%	6.1%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
	Andover and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$172,606±$16kHighest 114% above U.S.	$110,346±$13kLowest 37% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$855,600±$22kHighest 157% above U.S.	$456,600±$21kLowest 37% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$2,201±$129Highest 56% above U.S.	$1,856±$223Lowest 31% above U.S.
	Andover and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$10,000+Highest at least 221% above U.S.	$8,814Lowest 183% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	39.7%±7.7Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	59%±11.3Highest U.S.: 51.1%
Below poverty line	2.9%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	4.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	79.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	69.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1973Lowest 7 yrs older than U.S.	1979Highest 1 yr older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	29 minHighest 10% above U.S.	25 minLowest 6% below U.S.
Work from home	30.4%±2.1Highest U.S.: 15.1%	19.9%±3.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#68 of 282 in MA	#22 of 120 in NH
School district	Andover · Greater Lawrence Regional Vocational Technical	Exeter Region Cooperative School District · Exeter School District
High school in town	Gr Lawrence Regional Vocational Technical	Exeter High School
Students per teacherat that high school	12.8Highest	12.1Lowest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	None yet	59 photos →

U.S. 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.