Compare towns
Dover vs Exeter vs Keene vs Waterbury
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Dover has the most renters (47.3% rent).
Exeter has grown the fastest since 2010 (+12.2%).
Keene has the most affordable homes ($253k median).
Waterbury has the most people working from home (28.3%).
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 | Dover | Exeter | Keene | Waterbury |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 33,364Highest |
16,151 |
22,939 |
5,405Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +9.2% U.S.: +7.4% |
+12.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
-1.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+5.3% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 36.9±1.9Lowest 5% below U.S. |
45.8±2.3Highest 18% above U.S. |
37.6±2.3 3% below U.S. |
43.2±3.7 11% above U.S. |
| Exeter and Waterbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 16.9%±1.8 U.S.: 22% |
17%±2.7 U.S.: 22% |
14.1%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 22% |
21.9%±4.9Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Waterbury and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 16.8%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
24.4%±2.8Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
19.5%±1.8 U.S.: 17.2% |
19.8%±4.4 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Exeter and Waterbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 52% U.S.: 35.7% |
59.2%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
44.1%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
54.2% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.2%±1.2 U.S.: 6.4% |
6.1%±1.8 U.S.: 6.4% |
13.8%±1.4Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
3.4%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $94,829±$7k 17% above U.S. |
$110,346±$13kHighest 37% above U.S. |
$78,445±$8kLowest about the U.S. average |
$103,917±$23k 29% above U.S. |
| Exeter and Waterbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $436,700±$20k 31% above U.S. |
$456,600±$21kHighest 37% above U.S. |
$252,500±$12kLowest 24% below U.S. |
$447,200±$40k 34% above U.S. |
| Exeter and Waterbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,607±$100 14% above U.S. |
$1,856±$223Highest 31% above U.S. |
$1,342±$68 5% below U.S. |
$1,027±$535Lowest 27% below U.S. |
| Exeter and Dover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $8,249 164% above U.S. |
$8,814Highest 183% above U.S. |
$6,812 118% above U.S. |
$6,435Lowest 106% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 48.6%±6.3 U.S.: 51.1% |
59%±11.3Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
44.5%±6.1Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
46.8%±21.7 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Exeter and Dover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 8.3% U.S.: 12.5% |
4.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
10.1%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
7.9% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 52.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
69.1% U.S.: 65.2% |
55.1% U.S.: 65.2% |
70.6%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976 4 yrs older than U.S. |
1979 1 yr older than U.S. |
1961Lowest 19 yrs older than U.S. |
1983Highest 3 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 23 min 14% below U.S. |
25 min 6% below U.S. |
17 minLowest 35% below U.S. |
30 minHighest 14% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 18.6%±2.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
19.9%±3.7 U.S.: 15.1% |
15.6%±2.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
28.3%±6.8Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Waterbury 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 | #64 of 120 in NH | #22 of 120 in NH | #81 of 120 in NH | #20 of 70 in VT |
| School district | Dover School District | Exeter Region Cooperative School District · Exeter School District | Keene School District | Harwood Unified Union School District #60 |
| High school in town | Dover Senior High School | Exeter High School | Keene High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.7Highest |
12.1Lowest |
12.3 |
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| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | 59 photos → | 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.