Compare towns
Brookline vs Exeter vs Bow vs Lee
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against New Hampshire.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Brookline has the most expensive homes ($544k median).
Exeter has the most renters (30.9% rent).
Bow has the highest household income ($173k).
Lee has the most people working from home (27.6%).
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 | Brookline | Exeter | Bow | Lee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 5,736 |
16,151Highest |
8,335 |
4,576Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +13%Highest NH: +4.6% |
+12.2% NH: +4.6% |
+9.4% NH: +4.6% |
+4.4%Lowest NH: +4.6% |
| Median age | 41.2±1.5Lowest 5% below NH |
45.8±2.3Highest 6% above NH |
41.5±2 4% below NH |
42.9±1.9 about the NH average |
| Exeter and Lee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 26.7%±4Highest NH: 18.2% |
17%±2.7Lowest NH: 18.2% |
25%±3.6 NH: 18.2% |
21.9%±5.6 NH: 18.2% |
| Brookline and Bow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 11.4%±2.1Lowest NH: 20.1% |
24.4%±2.8Highest NH: 20.1% |
17.6%±2.5 NH: 20.1% |
22.6%±6.8 NH: 20.1% |
| Exeter and Lee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 57.7% NH: 40.6% |
59.2% NH: 40.6% |
60.3%Highest NH: 40.6% |
50.6%Lowest NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.3%±3.2Highest NH: 6% |
6.1%±1.8 NH: 6% |
5.6%±1.9 NH: 6% |
5.4%±2.6Lowest NH: 6% |
| Brookline and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $171,046±$4k 73% above NH |
$110,346±$13kLowest 11% above NH |
$172,857±$16kHighest 75% above NH |
$131,579±$54k 33% above NH |
| Bow and Brookline are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $544,400±$38kHighest 35% above NH |
$456,600±$21kLowest 13% above NH |
$506,500±$34k 26% above NH |
$480,600±$61k 19% above NH |
| Brookline and Bow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $2,500±$1kHighest 68% above NH |
$1,856±$223 24% above NH |
$1,539±$178Lowest 3% above NH |
— |
| Brookline and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $10,000+Highest at least 50% above NH |
$8,814Lowest 32% above NH |
$9,584 44% above NH |
$9,661 45% above NH |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 23.8%±43.5Lowest NH: 48.2% |
59%±11.3Highest NH: 48.2% |
39%±13.2 NH: 48.2% |
38.3%±53.3 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 | 0.6%Lowest NH: 7.2% |
4.7%Highest NH: 7.2% |
2.7% NH: 7.2% |
2.6% NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 95.1% NH: 72.8% |
69.1%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
87.5% NH: 72.8% |
95.8%Highest NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1993Highest 14 yrs newer than NH |
1979Lowest same as NH |
1985 6 yrs newer than NH |
1987 8 yrs newer than NH |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 33 minHighest 25% above NH |
25 minLowest 7% below NH |
27 min about the NH average |
28 min about the NH average |
| Work from home | 24.7%±5.8 NH: 16.8% |
19.9%±3.7Lowest NH: 16.8% |
22.7%±4.7 NH: 16.8% |
27.6%±8.8Highest NH: 16.8% |
| Lee and Brookline 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 | #23 of 120 in NH | #22 of 120 in NH | #26 of 120 in NH | #3 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Brookline School District | Exeter Region Cooperative School District · Exeter School District | Bow School District | Oyster River Coop School District |
| High school in town | None in town | Exeter High School | Bow High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.1Lowest |
12.8Highest |
— |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | 59 photos → | None yet | 10 photos → |
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.