Compare towns
Deerfield vs Exeter vs Henniker
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against New Hampshire.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Deerfield has the most homeowners (91.3%).
Exeter has the most expensive homes ($457k median).
Henniker has grown the fastest since 2010 (+27.9%).
Henniker is a college town. 27% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
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 | Deerfield | Exeter | Henniker |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 4,932Lowest |
16,151Highest |
6,197 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +13.4% NH: +4.6% |
+12.2%Lowest NH: +4.6% |
+27.9%Highest NH: +4.6% |
| Median age | 42.8±4.2 about the NH average |
45.8±2.3Highest 6% above NH |
31.1±6.1Lowest 28% below NH |
| Exeter and Deerfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 20.9%±4.1Highest NH: 18.2% |
17%±2.7 NH: 18.2% |
15.3%±3.7Lowest NH: 18.2% |
| Deerfield and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 17.5%±3.5 NH: 20.1% |
24.4%±2.8Highest NH: 20.1% |
16.5%±6Lowest NH: 20.1% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 47.3% NH: 40.6% |
59.2%Highest NH: 40.6% |
41.4%Lowest NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.6%±1.8Lowest NH: 6% |
6.1%±1.8 NH: 6% |
27%±6.5Highest NH: 6% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $131,563±$10kHighest 33% above NH |
$110,346±$13k 11% above NH |
$95,206±$21kLowest 4% below NH |
| Deerfield and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $421,000±$33k 5% above NH |
$456,600±$21kHighest 13% above NH |
$356,700±$49kLowest 11% below NH |
| Exeter and Deerfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,593±$318 7% above NH |
$1,856±$223Highest 24% above NH |
$1,081±$164Lowest 27% below NH |
| Exeter and Deerfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $7,369Lowest 11% above NH |
$8,814 32% above NH |
$8,877Highest 33% above NH |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 17.4%±17.6Lowest NH: 48.2% |
59%±11.3Highest NH: 48.2% |
43.5%±22.6 NH: 48.2% |
| Exeter and Henniker are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 6.8% NH: 7.2% |
4.7%Lowest NH: 7.2% |
11.6%Highest NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 91.3%Highest NH: 72.8% |
69.1% NH: 72.8% |
64.5%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1985Highest 6 yrs newer than NH |
1979 same as NH |
1974Lowest 5 yrs older than NH |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 34 minHighest 28% above NH |
25 min 7% below NH |
20 minLowest 24% below NH |
| Work from home | 22.4%±6.3Highest NH: 16.8% |
19.9%±3.7 NH: 16.8% |
15.5%±5.6Lowest NH: 16.8% |
| Deerfield 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 | #61 of 120 in NH | #22 of 120 in NH | #56 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Deerfield School District | Exeter Region Cooperative School District · Exeter School District | Henniker School District |
| High school in town | None in town | Exeter High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.1 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | 59 photos → | 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.