Compare towns
Auburn vs Bow vs Eliot vs Manchester
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Auburn has grown the fastest since 2010 (+20%).
Bow has the most kids (25% under 18).
Eliot has the oldest population (median age 50.8).
Manchester has the most renters (51.3% rent).
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.
| Measure | Auburn | Bow | Eliot | Manchester |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 6,119Lowest |
8,335 |
7,146 |
115,643Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +20%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+9.4% U.S.: +7.4% |
+8.3% U.S.: +7.4% |
+5.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 44.3±5.9 14% above U.S. |
41.5±2 7% above U.S. |
50.8±5.9Highest 31% above U.S. |
38±1Lowest about the U.S. average |
| Eliot and Auburn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 19.3%±4.3 U.S.: 22% |
25%±3.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
16.3%±3.9Lowest U.S.: 22% |
18%±1 U.S.: 22% |
| Bow and Auburn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 13.4%±3.2Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
17.6%±2.5 U.S.: 17.2% |
27.8%±6.2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
15.5%±0.8 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 55.3% U.S.: 35.7% |
60.3%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
43.6% U.S.: 35.7% |
34%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 7.2%±4.7Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.6%±1.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
2%±1.4Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
6.4%±0.7 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Auburn and Manchester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $153,253±$6k 90% above U.S. |
$172,857±$16kHighest 114% above U.S. |
$101,522±$10k 26% above U.S. |
$81,007±$2kLowest about the U.S. average |
| Bow and Auburn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $600,300±$29kHighest 80% above U.S. |
$506,500±$34k 52% above U.S. |
$498,900±$62k 50% above U.S. |
$365,600±$7kLowest 10% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,893±$822 34% above U.S. |
$1,539±$178Lowest 9% above U.S. |
$1,948±$471Highest 38% above U.S. |
$1,564±$37 11% above U.S. |
| Eliot and Auburn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $8,092 159% above U.S. |
$9,584Highest 207% above U.S. |
$4,549Lowest 46% above U.S. |
$5,922 90% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 27.6%±27Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
39%±13.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
55.1%±20.1Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
50%±3.6 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Eliot and Manchester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 2.5%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
2.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
4.8% U.S.: 12.5% |
11.2%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 93.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
87.5% U.S.: 65.2% |
79.8% U.S.: 65.2% |
48.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1984 4 yrs newer than U.S. |
1985Highest 5 yrs newer than U.S. |
1979 1 yr older than U.S. |
1966Lowest 14 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 28 minHighest 6% above U.S. |
27 min about the U.S. average |
23 minLowest 15% below U.S. |
24 min 9% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 26.5%±6.6Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
22.7%±4.7 U.S.: 15.1% |
17.4%±4.7 U.S.: 15.1% |
14.1%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Auburn and Bow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #44 of 120 in NH | #26 of 120 in NH | #19 of 133 in ME | #115 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Auburn School District | Bow School District | RSU 35/MSAD 35 | Spark Academy of Advanced Technologies · Manchester School District |
| High school in town | None in town | Bow High School | None in town | Manchester Memorial High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.8Lowest |
— | 14.3Highest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | None yet | None yet | 6 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.