Compare towns
Bow vs Dunbarton vs Exeter vs Windham
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against New Hampshire.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Bow has the most people working from home (22.7%).
Dunbarton has the oldest population (median age 48).
Exeter has the most renters (30.9% rent).
Windham has the most expensive homes ($723k median).
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 | Bow | Dunbarton | Exeter | Windham |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,335 |
3,097Lowest |
16,151Highest |
16,038 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +9.4% NH: +4.6% |
+9%Lowest NH: +4.6% |
+12.2% NH: +4.6% |
+16.4%Highest NH: +4.6% |
| Median age | 41.5±2 4% below NH |
48±3.7Highest 11% above NH |
45.8±2.3 6% above NH |
41.1±2.9Lowest 5% below NH |
| Dunbarton and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 25%±3.6 NH: 18.2% |
19.8%±3.8 NH: 18.2% |
17%±2.7Lowest NH: 18.2% |
27.4%±3.3Highest NH: 18.2% |
| Windham and Bow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 17.6%±2.5 NH: 20.1% |
20.4%±4.3 NH: 20.1% |
24.4%±2.8Highest NH: 20.1% |
15.5%±2.6Lowest NH: 20.1% |
| Exeter and Dunbarton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 60.3% NH: 40.6% |
39.6%Lowest NH: 40.6% |
59.2% NH: 40.6% |
62.7%Highest NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.6%±1.9 NH: 6% |
3.8%±2Lowest NH: 6% |
6.1%±1.8Highest NH: 6% |
3.8%±1.8Lowest NH: 6% |
| Exeter and Bow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $172,857±$16k 75% above NH |
$124,348±$21k 26% above NH |
$110,346±$13kLowest 11% above NH |
$189,583±$19kHighest 91% above NH |
| Windham and Bow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $506,500±$34k 26% above NH |
$484,100±$33k 20% above NH |
$456,600±$21kLowest 13% above NH |
$723,300±$50kHighest 80% above NH |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,539±$178 3% above NH |
$1,166±$70Lowest 22% below NH |
$1,856±$223 24% above NH |
$3,218±$350Highest 116% above NH |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $9,584 44% above NH |
$8,233Lowest 23% above NH |
$8,814 32% above NH |
$10,000+Highest at least 50% above NH |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 39%±13.2Lowest NH: 48.2% |
54.7%±60.7 NH: 48.2% |
59%±11.3Highest NH: 48.2% |
52.2%±50.9 NH: 48.2% |
| Exeter and Dunbarton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 2.7% NH: 7.2% |
3% NH: 7.2% |
4.7%Highest NH: 7.2% |
2%Lowest NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 87.5% NH: 72.8% |
95.1%Highest NH: 72.8% |
69.1%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
93.9% NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1985 6 yrs newer than NH |
1990 11 yrs newer than NH |
1979Lowest same as NH |
1996Highest 17 yrs newer than NH |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 27 min about the NH average |
34 minHighest 25% above NH |
25 minLowest 7% below NH |
31 min 15% above NH |
| Work from home | 22.7%±4.7Highest NH: 16.8% |
12.6%±5.4Lowest NH: 16.8% |
19.9%±3.7 NH: 16.8% |
21.9%±4.4 NH: 16.8% |
| Bow and Windham 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 | #26 of 120 in NH | #33 of 120 in NH | #22 of 120 in NH | #13 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Bow School District | Dunbarton School District | Exeter Region Cooperative School District · Exeter School District | Windham School District |
| High school in town | Bow High School | None in town | Exeter High School | Windham High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.8Highest |
— | 12.1Lowest |
12.8Highest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | None yet | 59 photos → | None yet |
NH 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.