Compare towns
Chester vs Epping vs Jaffrey
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against New Hampshire.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Chester has the highest household income ($142k).
Epping has the most people working from home (24%).
Jaffrey has the most affordable homes ($246k 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 | Chester | Epping | Jaffrey |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 5,300Lowest |
7,430Highest |
5,448 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +9.7% NH: +4.6% |
+11.1%Highest NH: +4.6% |
-2.5%Lowest NH: +4.6% |
| Median age | 47.2±3.8Highest 9% above NH |
45.1±3.5 4% above NH |
42.9±3.9Lowest about the NH average |
| Chester and Epping are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 19.6%±3.7 NH: 18.2% |
18.7%±4.8Lowest NH: 18.2% |
23.1%±5.1Highest NH: 18.2% |
| Jaffrey and Chester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 17.4%±4Lowest NH: 20.1% |
22.6%±5.2Highest NH: 20.1% |
18.5%±3.8 NH: 20.1% |
| Epping and Jaffrey are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 41.1%Highest NH: 40.6% |
37% NH: 40.6% |
31.2%Lowest NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.4%±2.1 NH: 6% |
5.1%±3.3Highest NH: 6% |
3.1%±2.4Lowest NH: 6% |
| Epping and Chester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $142,212±$19kHighest 44% above NH |
$104,220±$7k 5% above NH |
$92,330±$18kLowest 7% below NH |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $552,300±$42kHighest 37% above NH |
$436,900±$35k 9% above NH |
$245,500±$27kLowest 39% below NH |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $1,742±$576Highest 17% above NH |
$962±$202Lowest 35% below NH |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $8,464Highest 27% above NH |
$6,936 4% above NH |
$6,196Lowest 7% below NH |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 19%±72.7Lowest NH: 48.2% |
67.8%±25.9Highest NH: 48.2% |
45.7%±23 NH: 48.2% |
| Epping and Jaffrey are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 4% NH: 7.2% |
4.7%Highest NH: 7.2% |
3.8%Lowest NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 97.7%Highest NH: 72.8% |
86.3% NH: 72.8% |
81.8%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1991Highest 12 yrs newer than NH |
1989 10 yrs newer than NH |
1973Lowest 6 yrs older than NH |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 35 minHighest 31% above NH |
32 min 21% above NH |
25 minLowest 8% below NH |
| Work from home | 16.4%±5.1 NH: 16.8% |
24%±6.9Highest NH: 16.8% |
7.5%±4.2Lowest NH: 16.8% |
| Epping and Chester 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 | #90 of 120 in NH | #77 of 120 in NH | #87 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Chester School District | Epping School District | Jaffrey-Rindge Cooperative School District |
| High school in town | None in town | Epping High School | Conant Middle High School (H) |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 9.3Lowest |
21.3Highest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | 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.