Compare towns
Bow vs Weare vs Exeter vs Auburn
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).
Weare has the most affordable homes ($396k median).
Exeter has the most renters (30.9% rent).
Auburn has grown the fastest since 2010 (+20%).
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 | Weare | Exeter | Auburn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 8,335 |
9,170 |
16,151Highest |
6,119Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +9.4% NH: +4.6% |
+3.5%Lowest NH: +4.6% |
+12.2% NH: +4.6% |
+20%Highest NH: +4.6% |
| Median age | 41.5±2Lowest 4% below NH |
45.6±4 5% above NH |
45.8±2.3Highest 6% above NH |
44.3±5.9 about the NH average |
| Exeter and Weare 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% |
22.4%±4 NH: 18.2% |
17%±2.7Lowest NH: 18.2% |
19.3%±4.3 NH: 18.2% |
| Bow and Weare 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% |
13.5%±3 NH: 20.1% |
24.4%±2.8Highest NH: 20.1% |
13.4%±3.2Lowest NH: 20.1% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 60.3%Highest NH: 40.6% |
41.2%Lowest NH: 40.6% |
59.2% NH: 40.6% |
55.3% NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.6%±1.9 NH: 6% |
4.3%±1.4Lowest NH: 6% |
6.1%±1.8 NH: 6% |
7.2%±4.7Highest 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 |
$118,271±$17k 19% above NH |
$110,346±$13kLowest 11% above NH |
$153,253±$6k 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 |
$396,300±$26kLowest about the NH average |
$456,600±$21k 13% above NH |
$600,300±$29kHighest 49% above NH |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,539±$178Lowest 3% above NH |
$1,541±$214 3% above NH |
$1,856±$223 24% above NH |
$1,893±$822Highest 27% above NH |
| Auburn and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $9,584Highest 44% above NH |
$6,272Lowest 6% below NH |
$8,814 32% above NH |
$8,092 21% above NH |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 39%±13.2 NH: 48.2% |
62.2%±24.6Highest NH: 48.2% |
59%±11.3 NH: 48.2% |
27.6%±27Lowest NH: 48.2% |
| Weare and Exeter 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% |
1.4%Lowest NH: 7.2% |
4.7%Highest NH: 7.2% |
2.5% NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 87.5% NH: 72.8% |
93.5% NH: 72.8% |
69.1%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
93.9%Highest NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1985 6 yrs newer than NH |
1986Highest 7 yrs newer than NH |
1979Lowest same as NH |
1984 5 yrs newer than NH |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 27 min about the NH average |
36 minHighest 34% above NH |
25 minLowest 7% below NH |
28 min 4% above NH |
| Work from home | 22.7%±4.7 NH: 16.8% |
22.8%±4.9 NH: 16.8% |
19.9%±3.7Lowest NH: 16.8% |
26.5%±6.6Highest NH: 16.8% |
| Auburn and Weare 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 | #84 of 120 in NH | #22 of 120 in NH | #44 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Bow School District | John Stark Regional School District · Weare School District | Exeter Region Cooperative School District · Exeter School District | Auburn School District |
| High school in town | Bow High School | John Stark Regional High School | Exeter High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.8Highest |
11.4Lowest |
12.1 |
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| 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.