Compare towns
Boothbay vs Exeter vs West Bath
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Boothbay has the shortest commute (13 min average).
Exeter has grown the fastest since 2010 (+12.2%).
West Bath has the most homeowners (82.3%).
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 | Boothbay | Exeter | West Bath |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 3,102 |
16,151Highest |
1,863Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.8%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+12.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+1.8% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 56.8±3.9Highest 46% above U.S. |
45.8±2.3Lowest 18% above U.S. |
54.2±5.6 39% above U.S. |
| Boothbay and West Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 11.5%±3.8Lowest U.S.: 22% |
17%±2.7Highest U.S.: 22% |
14.7%±4.2 U.S.: 22% |
| Exeter and West Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 35.4%±7.8Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
24.4%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
29.4%±4.2 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Boothbay and West Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 51.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
59.2%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
50.7%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6%±3.2 U.S.: 6.4% |
6.1%±1.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.8%±2.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Exeter and Boothbay are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $60,320±$17kLowest 25% below U.S. |
$110,346±$13kHighest 37% above U.S. |
$103,333±$27k 28% above U.S. |
| Exeter and West Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $342,100±$43kLowest about the U.S. average |
$456,600±$21kHighest 37% above U.S. |
$422,800±$102k 27% above U.S. |
| Exeter and West Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,147±$121 19% below U.S. |
$1,856±$223Highest 31% above U.S. |
$1,112±$327Lowest 21% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $2,202Lowest 29% below U.S. |
$8,814Highest 183% above U.S. |
$3,516 13% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 30.4%±31Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
59%±11.3Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
41.1%±26.3 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Exeter and West Bath are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 6.8%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
4.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
3.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 78.4% U.S.: 65.2% |
69.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
82.3%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976Lowest 4 yrs older than U.S. |
1979 1 yr older than U.S. |
1983Highest 3 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 13 minLowest 50% below U.S. |
25 minHighest 6% below U.S. |
21 min 22% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 5.7%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
19.9%±3.7Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
17.1%±6.9 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Exeter and West Bath 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 | — | #22 of 120 in NH | — |
| School district | — | Exeter Region Cooperative School District · Exeter School District | West Bath Public Schools |
| High school in town | — | Exeter High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.1 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 59 photos → | 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.