What stands out worked out from the figures below

Boston has the most expensive homes ($732k median).

Exeter has the most homeowners (69.1%).

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	Boston	Exeter
People
Population	666,442Highest	16,151Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+9.4%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+12.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	33.3±0.2Lowest 14% below U.S.	45.8±2.3Highest 18% above U.S.
Kids under 18	15.1%±0.3Lowest U.S.: 22%	17%±2.7Highest U.S.: 22%
	Exeter and Boston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	13%±0.3Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	24.4%±2.8Highest U.S.: 17.2%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	54.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	59.2%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	15%±0.3Highest U.S.: 6.4%	6.1%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$97,344±$2kLowest 21% above U.S.	$110,346±$13kHighest 37% above U.S.
	Exeter and Boston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$731,700±$10kHighest 120% above U.S.	$456,600±$21kLowest 37% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$2,147±$25Highest 52% above U.S.	$1,856±$223Lowest 31% above U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,456Lowest 43% above U.S.	$8,814Highest 183% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	51.2%±1.2Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	59%±11.3Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Exeter and Boston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	16.6%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	4.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	35.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	69.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1947Lowest 33 yrs older than U.S.	1979Highest 1 yr older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	30 minHighest 15% above U.S.	25 minLowest 6% below U.S.
Work from home	21.3%±0.5Highest U.S.: 15.1%	19.9%±3.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
	Boston and Exeter 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	#258 of 282 in MA	#22 of 120 in NH
School district	Edward M. Kennedy Academy for Health Careers: A Horace Mann · Boston	Exeter Region Cooperative School District · Exeter School District
High school in town	Boston Latin School	Exeter High School
Students per teacherat that high school	18.7Highest	12.1Lowest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	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.