Compare towns
Cornish vs Exeter vs Plainfield vs Windham
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 the most renters (30.9% rent).
Plainfield has the shortest commute (22 min average).
Windham has the most expensive homes ($723k 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 | Cornish | Exeter | Plainfield | Windham |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,816Lowest |
16,151Highest |
2,522 |
16,038 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -1.5%Lowest NH: +4.6% |
+12.2% NH: +4.6% |
+4% NH: +4.6% |
+16.4%Highest NH: +4.6% |
| Median age | 54±8.3Highest 25% above NH |
45.8±2.3 6% above NH |
38.9±6.5Lowest 10% below NH |
41.1±2.9 5% below NH |
| Cornish and Exeter 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% |
23.4%±5.8 NH: 18.2% |
27.4%±3.3Highest NH: 18.2% |
| Windham and Plainfield 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% |
19.8%±4.5 NH: 20.1% |
15.5%±2.6Lowest NH: 20.1% |
| Cornish and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 40.6%Lowest NH: 40.6% |
59.2% NH: 40.6% |
46.7% NH: 40.6% |
62.7%Highest NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 1.4%±0.9Lowest NH: 6% |
6.1%±1.8Highest NH: 6% |
4.8%±2.3 NH: 6% |
3.8%±1.8 NH: 6% |
| Exeter and Plainfield 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 |
$122,656±$13k 24% above NH |
$189,583±$19kHighest 91% above NH |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $296,000±$69kLowest 26% below NH |
$456,600±$21k 13% above NH |
$442,400±$47k 10% above NH |
$723,300±$50kHighest 80% above NH |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,221±$227Lowest 18% below NH |
$1,856±$223 24% above NH |
$1,674±$181 12% above NH |
$3,218±$350Highest 116% above NH |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,796Lowest 13% below NH |
$8,814 32% above NH |
$7,904 19% above NH |
$10,000+Highest at least 50% above NH |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 40.5%±38.1 NH: 48.2% |
59%±11.3Highest NH: 48.2% |
31.8%±23.1Lowest NH: 48.2% |
52.2%±50.9 NH: 48.2% |
| Exeter and Windham 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% |
5.2%Highest NH: 7.2% |
2%Lowest NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 94.1%Highest NH: 72.8% |
69.1%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
87.3% NH: 72.8% |
93.9% NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1980 1 yr newer than NH |
1979 same as NH |
1977Lowest 2 yrs older than NH |
1996Highest 17 yrs newer than NH |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 min 9% below NH |
25 min 7% below NH |
22 minLowest 18% below NH |
31 minHighest 15% above NH |
| Work from home | 12%±4.1Lowest NH: 16.8% |
19.9%±3.7 NH: 16.8% |
18.1%±8.5 NH: 16.8% |
21.9%±4.4Highest NH: 16.8% |
| Windham and Exeter 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 | #19 of 120 in NH | #13 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Cornish School District | Exeter Region Cooperative School District · Exeter School District | Plainfield School District | Windham School District |
| High school in town | None in town | Exeter High School | None in town | Windham High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.1Lowest |
— | 12.8Highest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | 59 photos → | 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.