Compare towns
Exeter vs South Hooksett vs Manchester
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against New Hampshire.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Exeter has the most people working from home (19.9%).
South Hooksett has the most homeowners (82.9%).
Manchester has the most renters (51.3% rent).
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 | Exeter | South Hooksett | Manchester |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 16,151 |
5,902Lowest |
115,643Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +12.2%Highest NH: +4.6% |
+8.7% NH: +4.6% |
+5.5%Lowest NH: +4.6% |
| Median age | 45.8±2.3Highest 6% above NH |
35.2±3.6Lowest 19% below NH |
38±1 12% below NH |
| Kids under 18 | 17%±2.7 NH: 18.2% |
16.3%±3.9Lowest NH: 18.2% |
18%±1Highest NH: 18.2% |
| Manchester and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 24.4%±2.8Highest NH: 20.1% |
13.5%±2.6Lowest NH: 20.1% |
15.5%±0.8 NH: 20.1% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 59.2%Highest NH: 40.6% |
37.9% NH: 40.6% |
34%Lowest NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.1%±1.8Lowest NH: 6% |
14.3%±0.8Highest NH: 6% |
6.4%±0.7 NH: 6% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $110,346±$13k 11% above NH |
$130,000±$15kHighest 31% above NH |
$81,007±$2kLowest 18% below NH |
| South Hooksett and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $456,600±$21kHighest 13% above NH |
$433,200±$40k 8% above NH |
$365,600±$7kLowest 9% below NH |
| Exeter and South Hooksett are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,856±$223Highest 24% above NH |
$1,471±$217Lowest about the NH average |
$1,564±$37 5% above NH |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $8,814Highest 32% above NH |
$6,801 about the NH average |
$5,922Lowest 11% below NH |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 59%±11.3Highest NH: 48.2% |
36.1%±25Lowest NH: 48.2% |
50%±3.6 NH: 48.2% |
| Exeter and Manchester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 4.7% NH: 7.2% |
4%Lowest NH: 7.2% |
11.2%Highest NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 69.1% NH: 72.8% |
82.9%Highest NH: 72.8% |
48.7%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1979 same as NH |
1985Highest 6 yrs newer than NH |
1966Lowest 13 yrs older than NH |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 25 min 7% below NH |
26 minHighest about the NH average |
24 minLowest 10% below NH |
| Work from home | 19.9%±3.7Highest NH: 16.8% |
7.1%±2.4Lowest NH: 16.8% |
14.1%±1.3 NH: 16.8% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #22 of 120 in NH | — | #115 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Exeter Region Cooperative School District · Exeter School District | — | Spark Academy of Advanced Technologies · Manchester School District |
| High school in town | Exeter High School | — | Manchester Memorial High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.1Lowest |
— | 14.3Highest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 59 photos → | None yet | 6 photos → |
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.