Compare towns
Malden vs Exeter vs Salem
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Malden has the most renters (58.7% rent).
Exeter has the most homeowners (69.1%).
Salem has the most people working from home (21.6%).
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 | Malden | Exeter | Salem |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 65,906Highest |
16,151Lowest |
44,795 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +11.5% U.S.: +7.4% |
+12.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+7.6%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 35.8±1Lowest 8% below U.S. |
45.8±2.3Highest 18% above U.S. |
39.3±1.5 about the U.S. average |
| Kids under 18 | 18.2%±1.7Highest U.S.: 22% |
17%±2.7 U.S.: 22% |
15.7%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Malden and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 13%±1.2Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
24.4%±2.8Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
17.2%±1.7 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 45.1%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
59.2%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
47.8% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 9.1%±1.1Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
6.1%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
8.2%±1.1 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Malden and Salem are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $100,606±$6k 25% above U.S. |
$110,346±$13kHighest 37% above U.S. |
$85,153±$5kLowest 5% above U.S. |
| Exeter and Malden are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $633,500±$26kHighest 90% above U.S. |
$456,600±$21kLowest 37% above U.S. |
$542,800±$18k 63% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $2,204±$62Highest 56% above U.S. |
$1,856±$223 31% above U.S. |
$1,836±$84Lowest 30% above U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,995Lowest 60% above U.S. |
$8,814Highest 183% above U.S. |
$6,114 96% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 51.2%±4.6Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
59%±11.3Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
54.9%±4.8 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Exeter and Salem are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 11.4% U.S.: 12.5% |
4.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
12.1%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 41.3%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
69.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
49.7% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1950 30 yrs older than U.S. |
1979Highest 1 yr older than U.S. |
1938Lowest 42 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 34 minHighest 30% above U.S. |
25 minLowest 6% below U.S. |
29 min 8% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 19.8%±2.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
19.9%±3.7 U.S.: 15.1% |
21.6%±2.5Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Salem and Exeter 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 | #184 of 282 in MA | #22 of 120 in NH | #248 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Malden | Exeter Region Cooperative School District · Exeter School District | Salem |
| High school in town | Malden High | Exeter High School | Salem High |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 16.1Highest |
12.1 |
9.8Lowest |
| 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.