Compare towns
Haverhill vs Meredith vs Methuen
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Haverhill has the most renters (37.2% rent).
Meredith has the most people working from home (23.7%).
Methuen has the highest household income ($113k).
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 | Haverhill | Meredith | Methuen |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 67,698Highest |
6,758Lowest |
53,475 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +11.3%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
— |
| Median age | 39.4±1.1Lowest about the U.S. average |
55.5±3.7Highest 43% above U.S. |
39.9±1.7 about the U.S. average |
| Kids under 18 | 21.3%±1.5Highest U.S.: 22% |
12.6%±3.3Lowest U.S.: 22% |
21.3%±1.7Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Age 65+ | 15.5%±1.2Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
34.2%±5Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
17.2%±1.3 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 32.6% U.S.: 35.7% |
45.9%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
31%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.5%±0.6 U.S.: 6.4% |
2.9%±1.2Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
6.7%±1Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $88,326±$4k 9% above U.S. |
$87,019±$19kLowest 8% above U.S. |
$113,310±$7kHighest 40% above U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $453,900±$9kLowest 36% above U.S. |
$480,100±$48k 44% above U.S. |
$499,700±$17kHighest 50% above U.S. |
| Methuen and Meredith are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,668±$49 18% above U.S. |
$1,149±$304Lowest 19% below U.S. |
$1,749±$91Highest 24% above U.S. |
| Methuen and Haverhill are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,772Lowest 53% above U.S. |
$5,006 61% above U.S. |
$5,061Highest 62% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 60.2%±5.3Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
48.5%±9.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
48.4%±6.5Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Haverhill and Meredith are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 11.3%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
7.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
7.9% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 62.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
75.8%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
72.3% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1964Lowest 16 yrs older than U.S. |
1975Highest 5 yrs older than U.S. |
1968 12 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 27 min 4% above U.S. |
26 minLowest about the U.S. average |
28 minHighest 5% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 12.5%±1.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
23.7%±4.9Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
12.2%±2.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #243 of 282 in MA | #62 of 120 in NH | #236 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Haverhill · Whittier Regional Vocational Technical | Inter-Lakes Cooperative School District | Methuen |
| High school in town | Haverhill High | Inter-Lakes High School | Methuen High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.5 |
11.1Lowest |
13.1Highest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 6 photos → | 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.