Compare towns
Dedham vs Meredith vs Hope
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 highest household income ($111k).
Meredith has the most people working from home (23.7%).
Hope has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10.5%).
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 | Meredith | Hope |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,656Lowest |
6,758Highest |
1,748 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.7% U.S.: +7.4% |
+10.5%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 46.5±2.2 20% above U.S. |
55.5±3.7Highest 43% above U.S. |
44.6±3.1Lowest 15% above U.S. |
| Kids under 18 | 23.8%±3.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
12.6%±3.3Lowest U.S.: 22% |
23.3%±5.4 U.S.: 22% |
| Dedham and Hope 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% |
34.2%±5Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
21.1%±1.3 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 49.5%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
45.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
47.4% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.3%±1.7Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.9%±1.2 U.S.: 6.4% |
2.1%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Dedham and Meredith 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. |
$87,019±$19k 8% above U.S. |
$86,766±$6kLowest 7% above U.S. |
| Dedham and Meredith are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $356,400±$33kLowest 7% above U.S. |
$480,100±$48kHighest 44% above U.S. |
$373,400±$33k 12% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,422±$607Highest about the U.S. average |
$1,149±$304Lowest 19% below U.S. |
$1,219±$182 14% below U.S. |
| Dedham and Hope 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. |
$5,006Highest 61% above U.S. |
$3,842Lowest 23% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 13%±85.3Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
48.5%±9.2Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
37.8%±38.7 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Meredith and Hope are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 9%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
7.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
5.3%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 95.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
75.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
92.9% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 3 yrs newer than U.S. |
1975Lowest 5 yrs older than U.S. |
1991Highest 11 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 minHighest 14% above U.S. |
26 min about the U.S. average |
20 minLowest 25% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 9.3%±4.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
23.7%±4.9Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
18.3%±10.2 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Meredith and Hope 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 | — | #62 of 120 in NH | — |
| School district | Dedham Public Schools | Inter-Lakes Cooperative School District | Hope Public Schools |
| High school in town | None in town | Inter-Lakes High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 11.1 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | None yet | None yet |
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.