What stands out worked out from the figures below

Exeter has grown the fastest since 2010 (+12.2%).

Waterville has the most affordable homes ($185k median).

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	Waterville
People
Population	16,151Lowest	17,077Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+12.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	+0.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	45.8±2.3Highest 18% above U.S.	35.5±2.5Lowest 9% below U.S.
Kids under 18	17%±2.7Highest U.S.: 22%	14.4%±2.4Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Exeter and Waterville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	24.4%±2.8Highest U.S.: 17.2%	18.3%±2.5Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	59.2%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	30.8%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	6.1%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	18.1%±1.5Highest U.S.: 6.4%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$110,346±$13kHighest 37% above U.S.	$53,580±$4kLowest 34% below U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$456,600±$21kHighest 37% above U.S.	$184,600±$21kLowest 45% below U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,856±$223Highest 31% above U.S.	$978±$72Lowest 31% below U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$8,814Highest 183% above U.S.	$2,755Lowest 12% below U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	59%±11.3Highest U.S.: 51.1%	50.5%±8.7Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Exeter and Waterville are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	4.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	20.6%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	69.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	48.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1979Highest 1 yr older than U.S.	1959Lowest 21 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	25 minHighest 6% below U.S.	18 minLowest 32% below U.S.
Work from home	19.9%±3.7Highest U.S.: 15.1%	16.6%±5.6Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
	Exeter and Waterville 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	#105 of 133 in ME
School district	Exeter Region Cooperative School District · Exeter School District	Waterville Public Schools
High school in town	Exeter High School	Waterville Senior High School
Students per teacherat that high school	12.1Lowest	12.8Highest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	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.