Compare towns
Dedham vs Ellsworth vs Exeter
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Dedham has the most homeowners (95.5%).
Ellsworth has the most affordable homes ($242k median).
Exeter has the most people working from home (19.9%).
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 | Dedham | Ellsworth | Exeter |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,656Lowest |
8,657 |
16,151Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+8.5% U.S.: +7.4% |
+12.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 46.5±2.2Highest 20% above U.S. |
43±2.4Lowest 11% above U.S. |
45.8±2.3 18% above U.S. |
| Dedham and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 23.8%±3.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
18.4%±3.5 U.S.: 22% |
17%±2.7Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Dedham and Ellsworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 18.7%±2.9Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
22.1%±3.3 U.S.: 17.2% |
24.4%±2.8Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Exeter and Ellsworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 49.5% U.S.: 35.7% |
39.3%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
59.2%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.3%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.3%±2 U.S.: 6.4% |
6.1%±1.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Exeter and Ellsworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $111,442±$18kHighest 38% above U.S. |
$77,375±$18kLowest 4% below U.S. |
$110,346±$13k 37% above U.S. |
| Dedham and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $356,400±$33k 7% above U.S. |
$242,300±$22kLowest 27% below U.S. |
$456,600±$21kHighest 37% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,422±$607 about the U.S. average |
$1,017±$195Lowest 28% below U.S. |
$1,856±$223Highest 31% above U.S. |
| Exeter and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,942 26% above U.S. |
$3,262Lowest 5% above U.S. |
$8,814Highest 183% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 13%±85.3Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
62.1%±15.7Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
59%±11.3 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Ellsworth and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 9% U.S.: 12.5% |
9.3%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
4.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 95.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
66.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
69.1% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Highest 3 yrs newer than U.S. |
1980 same as U.S. |
1979Lowest 1 yr older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 minHighest 14% above U.S. |
25 minLowest 7% below U.S. |
25 min 6% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 9.3%±4.3 U.S.: 15.1% |
7.1%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
19.9%±3.7Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | #63 of 133 in ME | #22 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Dedham Public Schools | Ellsworth Public Schools | Exeter Region Cooperative School District · Exeter School District |
| High school in town | None in town | Ellsworth High School | Exeter High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.7Highest |
12.1Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 5 photos → | 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.