Compare towns
Hooksett vs Melrose vs Wakefield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Hooksett has the most affordable homes ($407k median).
Melrose has the most people working from home (29.6%).
Wakefield has the highest household income ($134k).
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 | Hooksett | Melrose | Wakefield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 15,057Lowest |
29,650Highest |
27,793 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +10.6%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+10.5% U.S.: +7.4% |
+8.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 41.3±1.5Lowest 6% above U.S. |
43.6±1.1Highest 12% above U.S. |
42.4±1.7 9% above U.S. |
| Melrose and Wakefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 17.4%±2.9Lowest U.S.: 22% |
20.2%±2.1Highest U.S.: 22% |
20%±2.2 U.S.: 22% |
| Melrose and Wakefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 17.3%±2.4Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
20.6%±2.2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
19%±1.9 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Melrose and Wakefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 39.6%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
62%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
59.7% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 8.9%±1.6Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.6%±1 U.S.: 6.4% |
4.4%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $117,962±$11kLowest 46% above U.S. |
$133,953±$14k 66% above U.S. |
$134,306±$14kHighest 66% above U.S. |
| Wakefield and Melrose are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $407,000±$26kLowest 22% above U.S. |
$822,900±$20kHighest 147% above U.S. |
$723,500±$24k 117% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,661±$206Lowest 18% above U.S. |
$1,970±$149Highest 39% above U.S. |
$1,958±$102 39% above U.S. |
| Melrose and Wakefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $6,554Lowest 110% above U.S. |
$7,578 143% above U.S. |
$7,779Highest 149% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 41.7%±16.4Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
50.3%±8.1Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
43.7%±7.9 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Melrose and Wakefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 3.3%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
3.8% U.S.: 12.5% |
4.9%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 80.6%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
67.2%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
70.7% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1988Highest 8 yrs newer than U.S. |
1938Lowest 42 yrs older than U.S. |
1956 24 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 27 minLowest about the U.S. average |
35 minHighest 31% above U.S. |
33 min 26% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 13.4%±3.1Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
29.6%±2.7Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
24.6%±3.1 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Melrose and Wakefield 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 | #30 of 120 in NH | #62 of 282 in MA | #179 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Hooksett School District | Melrose | Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational Technical · Wakefield |
| High school in town | None in town | Melrose High | Northeast Metro Regional Vocational |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.8Highest |
10.7Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.