Compare towns
Center Harbor vs Eliot vs Meredith
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Center Harbor has the most homeowners (91%).
Eliot has the most kids (16.3% under 18).
Meredith has the most people working from home (23.7%).
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 | Center Harbor | Eliot | Meredith |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 955Lowest |
7,146Highest |
6,758 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -5.1%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+8.3%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.7% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 60.4±4.8Highest 55% above U.S. |
50.8±5.9Lowest 31% above U.S. |
55.5±3.7 43% above U.S. |
| Center Harbor and Meredith are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 11.9%±5.4Lowest U.S.: 22% |
16.3%±3.9Highest U.S.: 22% |
12.6%±3.3 U.S.: 22% |
| Eliot and Meredith are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 39.5%±13.2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
27.8%±6.2Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
34.2%±5 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Center Harbor and Meredith are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 47.1%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
43.6%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
45.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 0.9%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
2%±1.4 U.S.: 6.4% |
2.9%±1.2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Meredith and Eliot are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $104,313±$16kHighest 29% above U.S. |
$101,522±$10k 26% above U.S. |
$87,019±$19kLowest 8% above U.S. |
| Center Harbor and Eliot are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $463,800±$74kLowest 39% above U.S. |
$498,900±$62kHighest 50% above U.S. |
$480,100±$48k 44% above U.S. |
| Eliot and Meredith are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $1,948±$471Highest 38% above U.S. |
$1,149±$304Lowest 19% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,667 50% above U.S. |
$4,549Lowest 46% above U.S. |
$5,006Highest 61% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 14.3%±59.4Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
55.1%±20.1Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
48.5%±9.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Eliot and Meredith are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
4.8% U.S.: 12.5% |
7.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 91%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
79.8% U.S.: 65.2% |
75.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1982Highest 2 yrs newer than U.S. |
1979 1 yr older than U.S. |
1975Lowest 5 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 25 min 7% below U.S. |
23 minLowest 15% below U.S. |
26 minHighest about the U.S. average |
| Work from home | 8.9%±5Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
17.4%±4.7 U.S.: 15.1% |
23.7%±4.9Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Meredith and Eliot 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 | — | #19 of 133 in ME | #62 of 120 in NH |
| School district | — | RSU 35/MSAD 35 | Inter-Lakes Cooperative School District |
| High school in town | — | None in town | Inter-Lakes High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 11.1 |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | None yet | None yet |
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.