Compare towns
Keene vs Manchester 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 affordable homes ($253k median).
Manchester has the most kids (18% under 18).
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 | Manchester | Roxbury |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 22,939 |
115,643Highest |
299Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -1.5%Lowest NH: +4.6% |
+5.5%Highest NH: +4.6% |
— |
| Median age | 37.6±2.3Lowest 13% below NH |
38±1 12% below NH |
43.2±17.7Highest about the NH average |
| Roxbury and Manchester 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% |
18%±1Highest NH: 18.2% |
14.7%±11.5 NH: 18.2% |
| Manchester and Roxbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 19.5%±1.8Highest NH: 20.1% |
15.5%±0.8Lowest NH: 20.1% |
17.4%±10.8 NH: 20.1% |
| Keene and Roxbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 44.1%Highest NH: 40.6% |
34% NH: 40.6% |
30.6%Lowest NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 13.8%±1.4Highest NH: 6% |
6.4%±0.7Lowest 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 |
$81,007±$2kHighest 18% below NH |
$69,226±$14kLowest 30% below NH |
| Manchester and Keene 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 |
$365,600±$7kHighest 9% below NH |
$323,100±$219k 20% below NH |
| Manchester 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 10% below NH |
$1,564±$37Highest 5% above NH |
— |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $6,812Highest about the NH average |
$5,922 11% below NH |
$5,787Lowest 13% below NH |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 44.5%±6.1 NH: 48.2% |
50%±3.6Highest NH: 48.2% |
0%±100Lowest NH: 48.2% |
| Manchester and Keene are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 10.1% NH: 7.2% |
11.2%Highest NH: 7.2% |
3.7%Lowest NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 55.1% NH: 72.8% |
48.7%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
95.5%Highest NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1961Lowest 18 yrs older than NH |
1966 13 yrs older than NH |
1969Highest 10 yrs older than NH |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 17 minLowest 36% below NH |
24 minHighest 10% below NH |
21 min 22% below NH |
| Work from home | 15.6%±2.7Highest NH: 16.8% |
14.1%±1.3 NH: 16.8% |
0.7%±1.4Lowest NH: 16.8% |
| Keene and Manchester 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 | #115 of 120 in NH | — |
| School district | Keene School District | Spark Academy of Advanced Technologies · Manchester School District | — |
| High school in town | Keene High School | Manchester Memorial High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.3Lowest |
14.3Highest |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | 6 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.