Compare towns
Exeter vs Swanzey vs Windham
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 renters (30.9% rent).
Swanzey has the most affordable homes ($259k median).
Windham has the highest household income ($190k).
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 | Swanzey | Windham |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 16,151Highest |
7,398Lowest |
16,038 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +12.2% NH: +4.6% |
+0.6%Lowest NH: +4.6% |
+16.4%Highest NH: +4.6% |
| Median age | 45.8±2.3 6% above NH |
50±3.1Highest 15% above NH |
41.1±2.9Lowest 5% below NH |
| Swanzey 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 NH: 18.2% |
18%±3.2 NH: 18.2% |
27.4%±3.3Highest NH: 18.2% |
| Age 65+ | 24.4%±2.8Highest NH: 20.1% |
24.2%±4.2 NH: 20.1% |
15.5%±2.6Lowest NH: 20.1% |
| Exeter and Swanzey are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 59.2% NH: 40.6% |
30.2%Lowest NH: 40.6% |
62.7%Highest NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.1%±1.8Highest NH: 6% |
3.4%±2Lowest NH: 6% |
3.8%±1.8 NH: 6% |
| Exeter and Windham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $110,346±$13k 11% above NH |
$81,595±$11kLowest 18% below NH |
$189,583±$19kHighest 91% above NH |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $456,600±$21k 13% above NH |
$259,200±$15kLowest 36% below NH |
$723,300±$50kHighest 80% above NH |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,856±$223 24% above NH |
$1,508±$303Lowest about the NH average |
$3,218±$350Highest 116% above NH |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $8,814 32% above NH |
$5,558Lowest 17% below NH |
$10,000+Highest at least 50% above NH |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 59%±11.3 NH: 48.2% |
67.7%±19.4Highest NH: 48.2% |
52.2%±50.9Lowest NH: 48.2% |
| Swanzey and Exeter 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% |
7.8%Highest NH: 7.2% |
2%Lowest NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 69.1%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
71.7% NH: 72.8% |
93.9%Highest NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1979 same as NH |
1978Lowest 1 yr older than NH |
1996Highest 17 yrs newer than NH |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 25 min 7% below NH |
24 minLowest 9% below NH |
31 minHighest 15% above NH |
| Work from home | 19.9%±3.7 NH: 16.8% |
9.3%±4Lowest NH: 16.8% |
21.9%±4.4Highest NH: 16.8% |
| Windham 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 | #102 of 120 in NH | #13 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Exeter Region Cooperative School District · Exeter School District | Monadnock Regional School District | Windham School District |
| High school in town | Exeter High School | Monadnock Regional High School | Windham High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.1Lowest |
12.8Highest |
12.8Highest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 59 photos → | None yet | 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.