Compare towns
Keene vs Lee vs Auburn vs Roxbury
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against New Hampshire.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Keene has the most renters (44.9% rent).
Lee has the most kids (21.9% under 18).
Auburn has the most expensive homes ($600k median).
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 | Lee | Auburn | Roxbury |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 22,939Highest |
4,576 |
6,119 |
299Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -1.5%Lowest NH: +4.6% |
+4.4% NH: +4.6% |
+20%Highest NH: +4.6% |
— |
| Median age | 37.6±2.3Lowest 13% below NH |
42.9±1.9 about the NH average |
44.3±5.9Highest about the NH average |
43.2±17.7 about the NH average |
| Auburn and Roxbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 14.1%±1.6Lowest NH: 18.2% |
21.9%±5.6Highest NH: 18.2% |
19.3%±4.3 NH: 18.2% |
14.7%±11.5 NH: 18.2% |
| Lee and Auburn are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 19.5%±1.8 NH: 20.1% |
22.6%±6.8Highest NH: 20.1% |
13.4%±3.2Lowest NH: 20.1% |
17.4%±10.8 NH: 20.1% |
| Lee 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% NH: 40.6% |
50.6% NH: 40.6% |
55.3%Highest NH: 40.6% |
30.6%Lowest NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 13.8%±1.4Highest NH: 6% |
5.4%±2.6Lowest NH: 6% |
7.2%±4.7 NH: 6% |
13.4%±15.8 NH: 6% |
| 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 21% below NH |
$131,579±$54k 33% above NH |
$153,253±$6kHighest 55% above NH |
$69,226±$14kLowest 30% below NH |
| Auburn and Lee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $252,500±$12kLowest 37% below NH |
$480,600±$61k 19% above NH |
$600,300±$29kHighest 49% above NH |
$323,100±$219k 20% below NH |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,342±$68Lowest 10% below NH |
— | $1,893±$822Highest 27% above NH |
— |
| Auburn and Keene are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $6,812 about the NH average |
$9,661Highest 45% above NH |
$8,092 21% above NH |
$5,787Lowest 13% below NH |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 44.5%±6.1Highest NH: 48.2% |
38.3%±53.3 NH: 48.2% |
27.6%±27 NH: 48.2% |
0%±100Lowest NH: 48.2% |
| Keene and Lee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 10.1%Highest NH: 7.2% |
2.6% NH: 7.2% |
2.5%Lowest NH: 7.2% |
3.7% NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 55.1%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
95.8%Highest NH: 72.8% |
93.9% NH: 72.8% |
95.5% NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1961Lowest 18 yrs older than NH |
1987Highest 8 yrs newer than NH |
1984 5 yrs newer than NH |
1969 10 yrs older than NH |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 17 minLowest 36% below NH |
28 min about the NH average |
28 minHighest 4% above NH |
21 min 22% below NH |
| Work from home | 15.6%±2.7 NH: 16.8% |
27.6%±8.8Highest NH: 16.8% |
26.5%±6.6 NH: 16.8% |
0.7%±1.4Lowest NH: 16.8% |
| Lee and Auburn 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 | #81 of 120 in NH | #3 of 120 in NH | #44 of 120 in NH | — |
| School district | Keene School District | Oyster River Coop School District | Auburn School District | — |
| High school in town | Keene High School | None in town | None in town | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.3 |
— | — | — |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | 10 photos → | None yet | 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.