Compare towns
Lawrence vs Exeter vs Lowell
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Lawrence has grown the fastest since 2010 (+16.7%).
Exeter has the most people working from home (19.9%).
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 | Lawrence | Exeter | Lowell |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 88,736 |
16,151Lowest |
118,368Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +16.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+12.2% U.S.: +7.4% |
+8.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 32.6±0.9Lowest 16% below U.S. |
45.8±2.3Highest 18% above U.S. |
35.6±0.8 8% below U.S. |
| Kids under 18 | 26.3%±1.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
17%±2.7Lowest U.S.: 22% |
21.7%±1.3 U.S.: 22% |
| Age 65+ | 10.5%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
24.4%±2.8Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
12.6%±0.8 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 16.8%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
59.2%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
30% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.4%±0.8Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
6.1%±1.8 U.S.: 6.4% |
9.7%±0.6Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $60,433±$3kLowest 25% below U.S. |
$110,346±$13kHighest 37% above U.S. |
$78,658±$4k about the U.S. average |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $415,200±$23kLowest 25% above U.S. |
$456,600±$21kHighest 37% above U.S. |
$429,200±$11k 29% above U.S. |
| Exeter and Lowell are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,662±$50 18% above U.S. |
$1,856±$223Highest 31% above U.S. |
$1,625±$40Lowest 15% above U.S. |
| Exeter and Lawrence are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,422Lowest 10% above U.S. |
$8,814Highest 183% above U.S. |
$4,499 44% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 60.6%±3.6Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
59%±11.3 U.S.: 51.1% |
52.4%±3.8Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Lawrence and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 17.6%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
4.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
16.9% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 28.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
69.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
43.2% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1950Lowest 30 yrs older than U.S. |
1979Highest 1 yr older than U.S. |
1953 27 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 23 minLowest 13% below U.S. |
25 min 6% below U.S. |
28 minHighest 6% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 6.8%±1.2Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
19.9%±3.7Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
10.6%±1.3 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #278 of 282 in MA | #22 of 120 in NH | #255 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Lawrence | Exeter Region Cooperative School District · Exeter School District | Lowell |
| High school in town | Lawrence High School | Exeter High School | Lowell High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 13.6 |
12.1Lowest |
14.8Highest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 59 photos → | 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.