Compare towns
Exeter vs Wilder vs Hanover vs Portsmouth
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Exeter has the most kids (17% under 18).
Wilder has grown the fastest since 2010 (+81.7%).
Hanover has the highest household income ($170k).
Portsmouth has the most renters (48.1% rent).
Hanover is a college town. 36.9% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
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 | Wilder | Hanover | Portsmouth |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 16,151 |
3,087Lowest |
11,685 |
22,545Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +12.2% U.S.: +7.4% |
+81.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+5.4%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+5.7% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 45.8±2.3Highest 18% above U.S. |
45.5±8.9 17% above U.S. |
28.7±5.1Lowest 26% below U.S. |
42.9±2 10% above U.S. |
| Exeter and Wilder are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 17%±2.7Highest U.S.: 22% |
11.8%±4.1Lowest U.S.: 22% |
14.4%±2.4 U.S.: 22% |
14%±1.9 U.S.: 22% |
| Exeter and Hanover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 24.4%±2.8 U.S.: 17.2% |
27.3%±4.4Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
19.7%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
21.9%±2.4 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Wilder 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% |
60.2% U.S.: 35.7% |
88.2%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
64% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.1%±1.8 U.S.: 6.4% |
8.1%±3.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
36.9%±2.4Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
3.8%±1.2Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $110,346±$13k 37% above U.S. |
$75,143±$9kLowest 7% below U.S. |
$169,583±$36kHighest 110% above U.S. |
$106,219±$7k 32% above U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $456,600±$21k 37% above U.S. |
$273,200±$18kLowest 18% below U.S. |
$824,900±$61kHighest 148% above U.S. |
$688,500±$39k 107% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,856±$223 31% above U.S. |
$1,142±$451Lowest 19% below U.S. |
$2,253±$217Highest 59% above U.S. |
$1,869±$111 32% above U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $8,814 183% above U.S. |
$5,505Lowest 76% above U.S. |
$10,000+Highest at least 221% above U.S. |
$8,018 157% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 59%±11.3 U.S.: 51.1% |
39.9%±17.2Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
66.4%±17.5Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
50.4%±7.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Hanover and Exeter 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% |
9.3%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
5.6% U.S.: 12.5% |
6.8% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 69.1% U.S.: 65.2% |
62.9% U.S.: 65.2% |
73.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
51.9%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1979 1 yr older than U.S. |
1983Highest 3 yrs newer than U.S. |
1976 4 yrs older than U.S. |
1959Lowest 21 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 25 minHighest 6% below U.S. |
17 minLowest 37% below U.S. |
20 min 26% below U.S. |
22 min 16% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 19.9%±3.7 U.S.: 15.1% |
12.6%±6.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
26.4%±5Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
21.9%±4 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Hanover and Portsmouth 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 | — | #1 of 120 in NH | #11 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Exeter Region Cooperative School District · Exeter School District | — | Dresden School District · Hanover School District | Portsmouth School District |
| High school in town | Exeter High School | — | Hanover High School | Portsmouth High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.1Highest |
— | 10.7Lowest |
11.4 |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | 59 photos → | None yet | 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.