Compare towns
Franconia vs Exeter vs Sugar Hill
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against New Hampshire.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Franconia has the shortest commute (20 min average).
Exeter has the most people working from home (19.9%).
Sugar Hill has the highest household income ($154k).
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 | Franconia | Exeter | Sugar Hill |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,060 |
16,151Highest |
658Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -1.9%Lowest NH: +4.6% |
+12.2% NH: +4.6% |
+14.9%Highest NH: +4.6% |
| Median age | 55.6±7 28% above NH |
45.8±2.3Lowest 6% above NH |
60.8±2.1Highest 40% above NH |
| Sugar Hill and Franconia are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 15.2%±5.5 NH: 18.2% |
17%±2.7Highest NH: 18.2% |
10.3%±3.5Lowest NH: 18.2% |
| Exeter and Franconia are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 36.6%±6.7 NH: 20.1% |
24.4%±2.8Lowest NH: 20.1% |
37.2%±12.7Highest NH: 20.1% |
| Sugar Hill and Franconia are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 57.9%Lowest NH: 40.6% |
59.2%Highest NH: 40.6% |
59% NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5%±5.4 NH: 6% |
6.1%±1.8Highest NH: 6% |
2%±3.1Lowest NH: 6% |
| Exeter and Franconia are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $87,292±$28kLowest 12% below NH |
$110,346±$13k 11% above NH |
$154,091±$32kHighest 56% above NH |
| Sugar Hill and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $530,300±$96k 32% above NH |
$456,600±$21kLowest 13% above NH |
$639,700±$50kHighest 59% above NH |
| Sugar Hill and Franconia are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,281±$278 14% below NH |
$1,856±$223Highest 24% above NH |
$1,208±$630Lowest 19% below NH |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $7,451 12% above NH |
$8,814Highest 32% above NH |
$7,340Lowest 10% above NH |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 73.2%±74.4Highest NH: 48.2% |
59%±11.3 NH: 48.2% |
40%±100Lowest NH: 48.2% |
| Franconia and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 11.4%Highest NH: 7.2% |
4.7% NH: 7.2% |
0.9%Lowest NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 83.1% NH: 72.8% |
69.1%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
95.4%Highest NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1981Highest 2 yrs newer than NH |
1979 same as NH |
1964Lowest 15 yrs older than NH |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 20 minLowest 25% below NH |
25 min 7% below NH |
26 minHighest about the NH average |
| Work from home | 11.9%±5.1Lowest NH: 16.8% |
19.9%±3.7Highest NH: 16.8% |
16.8%±4.8 NH: 16.8% |
| Exeter and Sugar Hill 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 | Lafayette Regional School District | Exeter Region Cooperative School District · Exeter School District | — |
| High school in town | None in town | Exeter High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.1 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | 59 photos → | 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.