Compare towns
Cornish vs Brookline vs Manchester
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against New Hampshire.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Cornish has the oldest population (median age 54).
Brookline has grown the fastest since 2010 (+13%).
Manchester has the most renters (51.3% rent).
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 | Cornish | Brookline | Manchester |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,816Lowest |
5,736 |
115,643Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -1.5%Lowest NH: +4.6% |
+13%Highest NH: +4.6% |
+5.5% NH: +4.6% |
| Median age | 54±8.3Highest 25% above NH |
41.2±1.5 5% below NH |
38±1Lowest 12% below NH |
| Kids under 18 | 14.4%±3.2Lowest NH: 18.2% |
26.7%±4Highest NH: 18.2% |
18%±1 NH: 18.2% |
| Age 65+ | 27.3%±4.1Highest NH: 20.1% |
11.4%±2.1Lowest NH: 20.1% |
15.5%±0.8 NH: 20.1% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 40.6% NH: 40.6% |
57.7%Highest NH: 40.6% |
34%Lowest NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.4%±0.9Lowest NH: 6% |
6.3%±3.2 NH: 6% |
6.4%±0.7Highest NH: 6% |
| Manchester and Brookline are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $91,821±$2k 7% below NH |
$171,046±$4kHighest 73% above NH |
$81,007±$2kLowest 18% below NH |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $296,000±$69kLowest 26% below NH |
$544,400±$38kHighest 35% above NH |
$365,600±$7k 9% below NH |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,221±$227Lowest 18% below NH |
$2,500±$1kHighest 68% above NH |
$1,564±$37 5% above NH |
| Brookline and Manchester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,796Lowest 13% below NH |
$10,000+Highest at least 50% above NH |
$5,922 11% below NH |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 40.5%±38.1 NH: 48.2% |
23.8%±43.5Lowest NH: 48.2% |
50%±3.6Highest NH: 48.2% |
| Manchester and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 4.7% NH: 7.2% |
0.6%Lowest NH: 7.2% |
11.2%Highest NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 94.1% NH: 72.8% |
95.1%Highest NH: 72.8% |
48.7%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1980 1 yr newer than NH |
1993Highest 14 yrs newer than NH |
1966Lowest 13 yrs older than NH |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min 9% below NH |
33 minHighest 25% above NH |
24 minLowest 10% below NH |
| Work from home | 12%±4.1Lowest NH: 16.8% |
24.7%±5.8Highest NH: 16.8% |
14.1%±1.3 NH: 16.8% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | #23 of 120 in NH | #115 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Cornish School District | Brookline School District | Spark Academy of Advanced Technologies · Manchester School District |
| High school in town | None in town | None in town | Manchester Memorial High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | — | 14.3 |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | None yet | 6 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.