Compare towns
Dedham vs Meredith vs Otis
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 kids (23.8% under 18).
Meredith has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.7%).
Otis has the most affordable homes ($283k 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 | Dedham | Meredith | Otis |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,656 |
6,758Highest |
705Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+0.1% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 46.5±2.2Lowest 20% above U.S. |
55.5±3.7Highest 43% above U.S. |
54.7±3.1 41% above U.S. |
| Meredith and Otis 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% |
12.6%±3.3Lowest U.S.: 22% |
16.6%±7.8 U.S.: 22% |
| Dedham and Otis 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% |
20.9%±8 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 49.5%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
45.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
34.8%Lowest 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% |
0.6%±1.7Lowest 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±$19kLowest 8% above U.S. |
$101,250±$27k 25% above U.S. |
| Dedham and Otis 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. |
$480,100±$48kHighest 44% above U.S. |
$282,500±$23kLowest 15% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,422±$607 about the U.S. average |
$1,149±$304Lowest 19% below U.S. |
$1,563±$734Highest 11% above U.S. |
| Otis 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. |
$5,006Highest 61% above U.S. |
$2,263Lowest 27% below U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 13%±85.3Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
48.5%±9.2Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
35.7%±100 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Meredith and Otis 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%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
7.8% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 95.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
75.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
89.5% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 3 yrs newer than U.S. |
1975Lowest 5 yrs older than U.S. |
1990Highest 10 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 min 14% above U.S. |
26 minLowest about the U.S. average |
42 minHighest 58% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 9.3%±4.3 U.S.: 15.1% |
23.7%±4.9Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
5.1%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | — | #62 of 120 in NH | — |
| School district | Dedham Public Schools | Inter-Lakes Cooperative School District | Otis 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.