Compare towns
Manchester vs Bow vs South Hooksett
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against New Hampshire.
Towns like ManchesterNashua
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Manchester has the most renters (51.3% rent).
Bow has the most people working from home (22.7%).
South Hooksett has the youngest population (median age 35.2).
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 | Manchester | Bow | South Hooksett |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 115,643Highest |
8,335 |
5,902Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.5%Lowest NH: +4.6% |
+9.4%Highest NH: +4.6% |
+8.7% NH: +4.6% |
| Median age | 38±1 12% below NH |
41.5±2Highest 4% below NH |
35.2±3.6Lowest 19% below NH |
| Kids under 18 | 18%±1 NH: 18.2% |
25%±3.6Highest NH: 18.2% |
16.3%±3.9Lowest NH: 18.2% |
| Age 65+ | 15.5%±0.8 NH: 20.1% |
17.6%±2.5Highest NH: 20.1% |
13.5%±2.6Lowest NH: 20.1% |
| Bow and Manchester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 34%Lowest NH: 40.6% |
60.3%Highest NH: 40.6% |
37.9% NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.4%±0.7 NH: 6% |
5.6%±1.9Lowest NH: 6% |
14.3%±0.8Highest NH: 6% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $81,007±$2kLowest 18% below NH |
$172,857±$16kHighest 75% above NH |
$130,000±$15k 31% above NH |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $365,600±$7kLowest 9% below NH |
$506,500±$34kHighest 26% above NH |
$433,200±$40k 8% above NH |
| Bow and South Hooksett are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,564±$37Highest 5% above NH |
$1,539±$178 3% above NH |
$1,471±$217Lowest about the NH average |
| Manchester and Bow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,922Lowest 11% below NH |
$9,584Highest 44% above NH |
$6,801 about the NH average |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 50%±3.6Highest NH: 48.2% |
39%±13.2 NH: 48.2% |
36.1%±25Lowest NH: 48.2% |
| Manchester and Bow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 11.2%Highest NH: 7.2% |
2.7%Lowest NH: 7.2% |
4% NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 48.7%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
87.5%Highest NH: 72.8% |
82.9% NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1966Lowest 13 yrs older than NH |
1985Highest 6 yrs newer than NH |
1985Highest 6 yrs newer than NH |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minLowest 10% below NH |
27 minHighest about the NH average |
26 min about the NH average |
| Work from home | 14.1%±1.3 NH: 16.8% |
22.7%±4.7Highest NH: 16.8% |
7.1%±2.4Lowest NH: 16.8% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #115 of 120 in NH | #26 of 120 in NH | — |
| School district | Spark Academy of Advanced Technologies · Manchester School District | Bow School District | — |
| High school in town | Manchester Memorial High School | Bow High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.3Highest |
12.8Lowest |
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| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 6 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.