Compare towns
Manchester vs Bow vs Townsend
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
Towns like ManchesterNashua
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Manchester has the most renters (51.3% rent).
Bow has grown the fastest since 2010 (+9.4%).
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 | Townsend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 115,643Highest |
8,335Lowest |
9,100 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.5% U.S.: +7.4% |
+9.4%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+2.3%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 38±1Lowest about the U.S. average |
41.5±2Highest 7% above U.S. |
40.9±3.3 5% above U.S. |
| Bow and Townsend are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 18%±1Lowest U.S.: 22% |
25%±3.6Highest U.S.: 22% |
21%±3.2 U.S.: 22% |
| Bow and Townsend are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 15.5%±0.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
17.6%±2.5Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
17.1%±2.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bow and Townsend are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 34%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
60.3%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
35.5% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.4%±0.7Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.6%±1.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
5.1%±2.4Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Manchester and Bow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $81,007±$2kLowest about the U.S. average |
$172,857±$16kHighest 114% above U.S. |
$121,528±$23k 51% above U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $365,600±$7kLowest 10% above U.S. |
$506,500±$34kHighest 52% above U.S. |
$433,200±$22k 30% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,564±$37Highest 11% above U.S. |
$1,539±$178 9% above U.S. |
$1,469±$313Lowest 4% above U.S. |
| 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 90% above U.S. |
$9,584Highest 207% above U.S. |
$6,031 93% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 50%±3.6 U.S.: 51.1% |
39%±13.2Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
50.6%±16.8Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Townsend and Manchester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 11.2%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
2.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
8.9% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 48.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
87.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
82% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1966Lowest 14 yrs older than U.S. |
1985Highest 5 yrs newer than U.S. |
1976 4 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minLowest 9% below U.S. |
27 min about the U.S. average |
37 minHighest 41% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 14.1%±1.3 U.S.: 15.1% |
22.7%±4.7Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
10.5%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #115 of 120 in NH | #26 of 120 in NH | #136 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Spark Academy of Advanced Technologies · Manchester School District | Bow School District | North Middlesex |
| High school in town | Manchester Memorial High School | Bow High School | North Middlesex Regional |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.3Highest |
12.8Lowest |
13.1 |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 6 photos → | None yet | 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.