Compare towns
Bellows Falls vs Eliot vs Exeter
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bellows Falls has the most affordable homes ($196k median).
Eliot has the most homeowners (79.8%).
Exeter has grown the fastest since 2010 (+12.2%).
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 | Bellows Falls | Eliot | Exeter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 2,891Lowest |
7,146 |
16,151Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -12.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+8.3% U.S.: +7.4% |
+12.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 41.3±6.7Lowest 6% above U.S. |
50.8±5.9Highest 31% above U.S. |
45.8±2.3 18% above U.S. |
| Eliot and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 22.6%±6.4Highest U.S.: 22% |
16.3%±3.9Lowest U.S.: 22% |
17%±2.7 U.S.: 22% |
| Bellows Falls and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 23.7%±5.7Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
27.8%±6.2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
24.4%±2.8 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Eliot and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 27.5%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
43.6% U.S.: 35.7% |
59.2%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 8.2%±4.3Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
2%±1.4Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
6.1%±1.8 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Bellows Falls and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $56,086±$2kLowest 31% below U.S. |
$101,522±$10k 26% above U.S. |
$110,346±$13kHighest 37% above U.S. |
| Exeter and Eliot are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $195,600±$35kLowest 41% below U.S. |
$498,900±$62kHighest 50% above U.S. |
$456,600±$21k 37% above U.S. |
| Eliot and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,038±$109Lowest 27% below U.S. |
$1,948±$471Highest 38% above U.S. |
$1,856±$223 31% above U.S. |
| Eliot and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,448Lowest 43% above U.S. |
$4,549 46% above U.S. |
$8,814Highest 183% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 43.9%±16.8Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
55.1%±20.1 U.S.: 51.1% |
59%±11.3Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Exeter and Eliot are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 25.1%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
4.8% U.S.: 12.5% |
4.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 50.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
79.8%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
69.1% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1938Lowest 42 yrs older than U.S. |
1979Highest 1 yr older than U.S. |
1979Highest 1 yr older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 20 minLowest 24% below U.S. |
23 min 15% below U.S. |
25 minHighest 6% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 6.9%±5.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
17.4%±4.7 U.S.: 15.1% |
19.9%±3.7Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Exeter and Eliot 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 | — | #19 of 133 in ME | #22 of 120 in NH |
| School district | — | RSU 35/MSAD 35 | Exeter Region Cooperative School District · Exeter School District |
| High school in town | — | None in town | Exeter High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 12.1 |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | 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.