Compare towns
Keene vs Lancaster vs Roxbury
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Keene has the most renters (44.9% rent).
Lancaster has the most people working from home (33.6%).
Roxbury has the most homeowners (95.5%).
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 | Keene | Lancaster | Roxbury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 22,939Highest |
8,606 |
299Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -1.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+4.8%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
— |
| Median age | 37.6±2.3Lowest 3% below U.S. |
43.1±4.9 11% above U.S. |
43.2±17.7Highest 11% above U.S. |
| Roxbury and Lancaster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 14.1%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 22% |
19.2%±4Highest U.S.: 22% |
14.7%±11.5 U.S.: 22% |
| Lancaster and Roxbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.5%±1.8 U.S.: 17.2% |
19.9%±4.2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
17.4%±10.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Lancaster and Keene are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.1% U.S.: 35.7% |
50.3%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
30.6%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 13.8%±1.4Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
3%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
13.4%±15.8 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Keene and Roxbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $78,445±$8k about the U.S. average |
$134,833±$27kHighest 67% above U.S. |
$69,226±$14kLowest 14% below U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $252,500±$12kLowest 24% below U.S. |
$519,100±$60kHighest 56% above U.S. |
$323,100±$219k about the U.S. average |
| Lancaster and Roxbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,342±$68Lowest 5% below U.S. |
$2,338±$539Highest 65% above U.S. |
— |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $6,812 118% above U.S. |
$7,235Highest 132% above U.S. |
$5,787Lowest 86% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 44.5%±6.1 U.S.: 51.1% |
68.3%±36.7Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
0%±100Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Lancaster and Keene are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 10.1%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
1.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
3.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 55.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
85.1% U.S.: 65.2% |
95.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1961Lowest 19 yrs older than U.S. |
1971Highest 9 yrs older than U.S. |
1969 11 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 17 minLowest 35% below U.S. |
32 minHighest 20% above U.S. |
21 min 21% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 15.6%±2.7 U.S.: 15.1% |
33.6%±9.1Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
0.7%±1.4Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #81 of 120 in NH | #145 of 282 in MA | — |
| School district | Keene School District | Nashoba | — |
| High school in town | Keene High School | None in town | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.3 |
— | — |
| 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.