Compare towns
Bow vs Exeter vs Auburn vs Amherst
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 highest household income ($173k).
Exeter has the most renters (30.9% rent).
Auburn has grown the fastest since 2010 (+20%).
Amherst has the most people working from home (32.4%).
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 | Exeter | Auburn | Amherst |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,335 |
16,151Highest |
6,119Lowest |
11,861 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +9.4% NH: +4.6% |
+12.2% NH: +4.6% |
+20%Highest NH: +4.6% |
+4.9%Lowest NH: +4.6% |
| Median age | 41.5±2Lowest 4% below NH |
45.8±2.3 6% above NH |
44.3±5.9 about the NH average |
45.9±3.5Highest 6% above NH |
| Amherst and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 25%±3.6Highest NH: 18.2% |
17%±2.7Lowest NH: 18.2% |
19.3%±4.3 NH: 18.2% |
22.4%±3.3 NH: 18.2% |
| Bow and Amherst 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% |
24.4%±2.8Highest NH: 20.1% |
13.4%±3.2Lowest NH: 20.1% |
20.2%±3 NH: 20.1% |
| Exeter and Amherst 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% |
59.2% NH: 40.6% |
55.3%Lowest NH: 40.6% |
65.7%Highest NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.6%±1.9 NH: 6% |
6.1%±1.8 NH: 6% |
7.2%±4.7Highest NH: 6% |
3.7%±1.5Lowest NH: 6% |
| Auburn and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $172,857±$16kHighest 75% above NH |
$110,346±$13kLowest 11% above NH |
$153,253±$6k 55% above NH |
$153,196±$10k 55% above NH |
| Bow and Auburn 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 |
$456,600±$21kLowest 13% above NH |
$600,300±$29kHighest 49% above NH |
$537,600±$30k 34% above NH |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,539±$178 3% above NH |
$1,856±$223 24% above NH |
$1,893±$822Highest 27% above NH |
$1,462±$256Lowest about the NH average |
| Auburn and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $9,584 44% above NH |
$8,814 32% above NH |
$8,092Lowest 21% above NH |
$9,773Highest 47% above NH |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 39%±13.2 NH: 48.2% |
59%±11.3Highest NH: 48.2% |
27.6%±27Lowest NH: 48.2% |
31.4%±9 NH: 48.2% |
| Exeter and Bow 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% |
4.7%Highest NH: 7.2% |
2.5%Lowest NH: 7.2% |
4.4% NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 87.5% NH: 72.8% |
69.1%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
93.9%Highest NH: 72.8% |
91.9% NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1985Highest 6 yrs newer than NH |
1979 same as NH |
1984 5 yrs newer than NH |
1978Lowest 1 yr older than NH |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 27 min about the NH average |
25 minLowest 7% below NH |
28 min 4% above NH |
33 minHighest 22% above NH |
| Work from home | 22.7%±4.7 NH: 16.8% |
19.9%±3.7Lowest NH: 16.8% |
26.5%±6.6 NH: 16.8% |
32.4%±5.5Highest NH: 16.8% |
| Amherst and Auburn 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 | #22 of 120 in NH | #44 of 120 in NH | #20 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Bow School District | Exeter Region Cooperative School District · Exeter School District | Auburn School District | Amherst School District · Souhegan Cooperative School District |
| High school in town | Bow High School | Exeter High School | None in town | Souhegan Coop High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.8Highest |
12.1 |
— | 10.4Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | 59 photos → | None yet | 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.