Compare towns
Barrington vs Methuen vs Nottingham
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Barrington has the most affordable homes ($399k median).
Methuen has the most renters (27.7% rent).
Nottingham has the most people working from home (22.2%).
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 | Barrington | Methuen | Nottingham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 9,489 |
53,475Highest |
5,357Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +8.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
— | +9.3%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 38.7±2.3Lowest about the U.S. average |
39.9±1.7Highest about the U.S. average |
38.8±6.7 about the U.S. average |
| Methuen and Nottingham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 23.7%±4 U.S.: 22% |
21.3%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 22% |
23.9%±5.4Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Nottingham and Barrington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 15.6%±2.7Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
17.2%±1.3 U.S.: 17.2% |
18.4%±4.2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Nottingham and Methuen are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 42.4%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
31%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
40.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.3%±1.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
6.7%±1Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.9%±2.6 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Methuen and Nottingham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $110,323±$14kLowest 37% above U.S. |
$113,310±$7k 40% above U.S. |
$122,201±$20kHighest 51% above U.S. |
| Nottingham and Methuen are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $399,100±$30kLowest 20% above U.S. |
$499,700±$17kHighest 50% above U.S. |
$457,500±$26k 38% above U.S. |
| Methuen and Nottingham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,867±$194 32% above U.S. |
$1,749±$91Lowest 24% above U.S. |
$2,068±$1kHighest 46% above U.S. |
| Nottingham and Barrington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $7,121 128% above U.S. |
$5,061Lowest 62% above U.S. |
$7,319Highest 135% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 63.1%±25.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
48.4%±6.5Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
92.1%±44.9Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Nottingham and Barrington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 7.1% U.S.: 12.5% |
7.9%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
1.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 87% U.S.: 65.2% |
72.3%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
94.3%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1987 7 yrs newer than U.S. |
1968Lowest 12 yrs older than U.S. |
1992Highest 12 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 min 14% above U.S. |
28 minLowest 5% above U.S. |
34 minHighest 28% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 18.7%±4.1 U.S.: 15.1% |
12.2%±2.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
22.2%±5.8Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Nottingham and Barrington 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 | #65 of 120 in NH | #236 of 282 in MA | #15 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Barrington School District | Methuen | Nottingham School District |
| High school in town | None in town | Methuen High | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 13.1 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | None yet | None yet |
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.