What stands out worked out from the figures below

Exeter has the most affordable homes ($457k median).

Stowe has grown the fastest since 2010 (+21.1%).

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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Exeter	Stowe
People
Population	16,151Highest	5,285Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+12.2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+21.1%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	45.8±2.3Lowest 18% above U.S.	46.3±7.6Highest 19% above U.S.
	Stowe and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	17%±2.7Lowest U.S.: 22%	22.5%±4.6Highest U.S.: 22%
	Stowe and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	24.4%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	25.8%±6.2Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Stowe and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	59.2%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	66.7%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	6.1%±1.8Highest U.S.: 6.4%	1.6%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$110,346±$13kHighest 37% above U.S.	$93,618±$33kLowest 16% above U.S.
	Exeter and Stowe are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$456,600±$21kLowest 37% above U.S.	$647,800±$157kHighest 95% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,856±$223Highest 31% above U.S.	$1,458±$242Lowest 3% above U.S.
	Exeter and Stowe are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$8,814Highest 183% above U.S.	$7,161Lowest 130% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	59%±11.3Highest U.S.: 51.1%	24.5%±15.9Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
Below poverty line	4.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	9.9%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	69.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	78.6%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1979Lowest 1 yr older than U.S.	1982Highest 2 yrs newer than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	25 minHighest 6% below U.S.	19 minLowest 27% below U.S.
Work from home	19.9%±3.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	24.4%±8.9Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Stowe 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	#22 of 120 in NH	—
School district	Exeter Region Cooperative School District · Exeter School District	Stowe Town School District
High school in town	Exeter High School	Stowe High School
Students per teacherat that high school	12.1Highest	11.3Lowest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	59 photos →	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.