What stands out worked out from the figures below

Dalton has the most affordable homes ($296k median).

Exeter has grown the fastest since 2010 (+12.2%).

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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Dalton	Exeter
People
Population	6,256Lowest	16,151Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-6.3%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+12.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	49.7±5.8Highest 28% above U.S.	45.8±2.3Lowest 18% above U.S.
	Dalton and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	20.6%±4.7Highest U.S.: 22%	17%±2.7Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Dalton and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	27.9%±5.7Highest U.S.: 17.2%	24.4%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
	Dalton and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	44.3%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	59.2%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	2.3%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	6.1%±1.8Highest U.S.: 6.4%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$79,438±$8kLowest about the U.S. average	$110,346±$13kHighest 37% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$295,700±$26kLowest 11% below U.S.	$456,600±$21kHighest 37% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$872±$70Lowest 38% below U.S.	$1,856±$223Highest 31% above U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,276Lowest 37% above U.S.	$8,814Highest 183% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	41.2%±19Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	59%±11.3Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Exeter and Dalton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	7.4%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	4.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	70.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	69.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1957Lowest 23 yrs older than U.S.	1979Highest 1 yr older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	22 minLowest 16% below U.S.	25 minHighest 6% below U.S.
Work from home	12.5%±7.1Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	19.9%±3.7Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Exeter and Dalton 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	#192 of 282 in MA	#22 of 120 in NH
School district	Central Berkshire	Exeter Region Cooperative School District · Exeter School District
High school in town	Wahconah Regional High	Exeter High School
Students per teacherat that high school	10.9Lowest	12.1Highest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	None yet	59 photos →

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.