Compare towns
Manchester vs Mason vs Lee
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).
Mason has the most kids (28.8% under 18).
Lee has the most people working from home (27.6%).
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 | Manchester | Mason | Lee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 115,643Highest |
1,451Lowest |
4,576 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.5%Highest NH: +4.6% |
+4.8% NH: +4.6% |
+4.4%Lowest NH: +4.6% |
| Median age | 38±1Lowest 12% below NH |
43.7±2.3Highest about the NH average |
42.9±1.9 about the NH average |
| Mason and Lee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 18%±1Lowest NH: 18.2% |
28.8%±6.3Highest NH: 18.2% |
21.9%±5.6 NH: 18.2% |
| Mason and Lee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 15.5%±0.8Lowest NH: 20.1% |
15.6%±2.1 NH: 20.1% |
22.6%±6.8Highest NH: 20.1% |
| Lee and Mason 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% |
39.5% NH: 40.6% |
50.6%Highest NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.4%±0.7Highest NH: 6% |
1.8%±1.1Lowest NH: 6% |
5.4%±2.6 NH: 6% |
| Manchester and Lee 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 18% below NH |
$111,090±$3k 12% above NH |
$131,579±$54kHighest 33% above NH |
| Lee and Mason are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $365,600±$7kLowest 9% below NH |
$384,000±$21k 5% below NH |
$480,600±$61kHighest 19% above NH |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,564±$37Lowest 5% above NH |
$2,530±$852Highest 70% above NH |
— |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,922Lowest 11% below NH |
$7,049 6% above NH |
$9,661Highest 45% above NH |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 50%±3.6 NH: 48.2% |
87.2%±42.4Highest NH: 48.2% |
38.3%±53.3Lowest NH: 48.2% |
| Mason 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 NH: 7.2% |
4.7% NH: 7.2% |
2.6%Lowest NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 48.7%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
90.7% NH: 72.8% |
95.8%Highest NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1966Lowest 13 yrs older than NH |
1988Highest 9 yrs newer than NH |
1987 8 yrs newer than NH |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minLowest 10% below NH |
41 minHighest 53% above NH |
28 min about the NH average |
| Work from home | 14.1%±1.3Lowest NH: 16.8% |
20.7%±4.5 NH: 16.8% |
27.6%±8.8Highest NH: 16.8% |
| Lee and Mason 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 | #115 of 120 in NH | — | #3 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Spark Academy of Advanced Technologies · Manchester School District | Mason School District | Oyster River Coop School District |
| High school in town | Manchester Memorial High School | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.3 |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | 6 photos → | None yet | 10 photos → |
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.