Compare towns
Manchester vs Brookline 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).
Brookline has the most people working from home (24.7%).
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 | Brookline | South Hooksett |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 115,643Highest |
5,736Lowest |
5,902 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.5%Lowest NH: +4.6% |
+13%Highest NH: +4.6% |
+8.7% NH: +4.6% |
| Median age | 38±1 12% below NH |
41.2±1.5Highest 5% below NH |
35.2±3.6Lowest 19% below NH |
| Kids under 18 | 18%±1 NH: 18.2% |
26.7%±4Highest NH: 18.2% |
16.3%±3.9Lowest NH: 18.2% |
| Age 65+ | 15.5%±0.8Highest NH: 20.1% |
11.4%±2.1Lowest NH: 20.1% |
13.5%±2.6 NH: 20.1% |
| Manchester and South Hooksett 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% |
57.7%Highest NH: 40.6% |
37.9% NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.4%±0.7 NH: 6% |
6.3%±3.2Lowest NH: 6% |
14.3%±0.8Highest NH: 6% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $81,007±$2kLowest 18% below NH |
$171,046±$4kHighest 73% above NH |
$130,000±$15k 31% above NH |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $365,600±$7kLowest 9% below NH |
$544,400±$38kHighest 35% above NH |
$433,200±$40k 8% above NH |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,564±$37 5% above NH |
$2,500±$1kHighest 68% above NH |
$1,471±$217Lowest about the NH average |
| Brookline and Manchester 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 |
$10,000+Highest at least 50% above NH |
$6,801 about the NH average |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 50%±3.6Highest NH: 48.2% |
23.8%±43.5Lowest NH: 48.2% |
36.1%±25 NH: 48.2% |
| Manchester and South Hooksett 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% |
0.6%Lowest NH: 7.2% |
4% NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 48.7%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
95.1%Highest NH: 72.8% |
82.9% NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1966Lowest 13 yrs older than NH |
1993Highest 14 yrs newer than NH |
1985 6 yrs newer than NH |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minLowest 10% below NH |
33 minHighest 25% above NH |
26 min about the NH average |
| Work from home | 14.1%±1.3 NH: 16.8% |
24.7%±5.8Highest NH: 16.8% |
7.1%±2.4Lowest NH: 16.8% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #115 of 120 in NH | #23 of 120 in NH | — |
| School district | Spark Academy of Advanced Technologies · Manchester School District | Brookline School District | — |
| High school in town | Manchester Memorial High School | None in town | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.3 |
— | — |
| 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.