Compare towns
Cornish vs Exeter vs Lee vs Salisbury
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 most affordable homes ($296k median).
Exeter has grown the fastest since 2010 (+12.2%).
Lee has the most people working from home (27.6%).
Salisbury has the most homeowners (96.9%).
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 | Exeter | Lee | Salisbury |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,816 |
16,151Highest |
4,576 |
1,609Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -1.5%Lowest NH: +4.6% |
+12.2%Highest NH: +4.6% |
+4.4% NH: +4.6% |
+2.9% NH: +4.6% |
| Median age | 54±8.3Highest 25% above NH |
45.8±2.3 6% above NH |
42.9±1.9Lowest about the NH average |
51.5±4.5 19% above NH |
| Cornish and Salisbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 14.4%±3.2Lowest NH: 18.2% |
17%±2.7 NH: 18.2% |
21.9%±5.6Highest NH: 18.2% |
20.1%±9.6 NH: 18.2% |
| Lee and Salisbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 27.3%±4.1Highest NH: 20.1% |
24.4%±2.8 NH: 20.1% |
22.6%±6.8Lowest NH: 20.1% |
24.9%±4 NH: 20.1% |
| Cornish and Salisbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 40.6% NH: 40.6% |
59.2%Highest NH: 40.6% |
50.6% NH: 40.6% |
37.3%Lowest NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.4%±0.9Lowest NH: 6% |
6.1%±1.8Highest NH: 6% |
5.4%±2.6 NH: 6% |
2%±1.1 NH: 6% |
| Exeter and Lee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $91,821±$2kLowest 7% below NH |
$110,346±$13k 11% above NH |
$131,579±$54kHighest 33% above NH |
$111,591±$17k 13% above NH |
| Lee and Salisbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $296,000±$69kLowest 26% below NH |
$456,600±$21k 13% above NH |
$480,600±$61kHighest 19% above NH |
$363,400±$47k 10% below NH |
| Lee and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,221±$227Lowest 18% below NH |
$1,856±$223 24% above NH |
— | $1,917±$632Highest 29% above NH |
| Salisbury and Exeter 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 |
$8,814 32% above NH |
$9,661Highest 45% above NH |
$5,859 12% below NH |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 40.5%±38.1 NH: 48.2% |
59%±11.3Highest NH: 48.2% |
38.3%±53.3 NH: 48.2% |
0%±100Lowest NH: 48.2% |
| Exeter 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% |
4.7% NH: 7.2% |
2.6%Lowest NH: 7.2% |
7.1%Highest NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 94.1% NH: 72.8% |
69.1%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
95.8% NH: 72.8% |
96.9%Highest NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1980 1 yr newer than NH |
1979Lowest same as NH |
1987Highest 8 yrs newer than NH |
1982 3 yrs newer than NH |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minLowest 9% below NH |
25 min 7% below NH |
28 min about the NH average |
32 minHighest 20% above NH |
| Work from home | 12%±4.1Lowest NH: 16.8% |
19.9%±3.7 NH: 16.8% |
27.6%±8.8Highest NH: 16.8% |
23.3%±10.6 NH: 16.8% |
| Lee and Salisbury 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 | — | #22 of 120 in NH | #3 of 120 in NH | — |
| School district | Cornish School District | Exeter Region Cooperative School District · Exeter School District | Oyster River Coop School District | Merrimack Valley School District |
| High school in town | None in town | Exeter High School | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.1 |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 59 photos → | 10 photos → | 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.