Compare towns
Manchester vs Mason 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).
Mason has the most people working from home (20.7%).
Townsend has the most expensive homes ($433k median).
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 | Townsend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 115,643Highest |
1,451Lowest |
9,100 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.5%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+4.8% U.S.: +7.4% |
+2.3%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 38±1Lowest about the U.S. average |
43.7±2.3Highest 12% above U.S. |
40.9±3.3 5% above U.S. |
| Mason 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% |
28.8%±6.3Highest U.S.: 22% |
21%±3.2 U.S.: 22% |
| Mason 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% |
15.6%±2.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
17.1%±2.1Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Townsend 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 U.S.: 35.7% |
39.5%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
35.5% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.4%±0.7Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
1.8%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.1%±2.4 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Manchester and Townsend 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 |
$111,090±$3k 38% above U.S. |
$121,528±$23kHighest 51% above U.S. |
| Townsend 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 10% above U.S. |
$384,000±$21k 15% above U.S. |
$433,200±$22kHighest 30% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,564±$37 11% above U.S. |
$2,530±$852Highest 79% above U.S. |
$1,469±$313Lowest 4% above U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,922Lowest 90% above U.S. |
$7,049Highest 126% above U.S. |
$6,031 93% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 50%±3.6Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
87.2%±42.4Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
50.6%±16.8 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Mason and Townsend 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% |
4.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
8.9% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 48.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
90.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
82% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1966Lowest 14 yrs older than U.S. |
1988Highest 8 yrs newer than U.S. |
1976 4 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minLowest 9% below U.S. |
41 minHighest 55% above U.S. |
37 min 41% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 14.1%±1.3 U.S.: 15.1% |
20.7%±4.5Highest 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 | — | #136 of 282 in MA |
| School district | Spark Academy of Advanced Technologies · Manchester School District | Mason School District | North Middlesex |
| High school in town | Manchester Memorial High School | None in town | North Middlesex Regional |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.3Highest |
— | 13.1Lowest |
| 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.