Compare towns
Manchester vs Nashua vs Rye
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against New Hampshire.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Manchester has the most renters (51.3% rent).
Nashua has the most kids (18.6% under 18).
Rye has the most expensive homes ($1028k 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 | Nashua | Rye |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 115,643Highest |
91,294 |
5,611Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.5% NH: +4.6% |
+5.6%Highest NH: +4.6% |
+4.6%Lowest NH: +4.6% |
| Median age | 38±1Lowest 12% below NH |
40±1.3 8% below NH |
55.1±3Highest 27% above NH |
| Kids under 18 | 18%±1Lowest NH: 18.2% |
18.6%±1.2Highest NH: 18.2% |
18.2%±4 NH: 18.2% |
| Nashua and Rye 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% |
16.9%±1 NH: 20.1% |
31.7%±5.3Highest NH: 20.1% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 34%Lowest NH: 40.6% |
41.2% NH: 40.6% |
61.5%Highest NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.4%±0.7Highest NH: 6% |
5%±0.6 NH: 6% |
2.2%±1.3Lowest NH: 6% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $81,007±$2kLowest 18% below NH |
$96,326±$5k about the NH average |
$140,655±$39kHighest 42% above NH |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $365,600±$7kLowest 9% below NH |
$403,900±$11k about the NH average |
$1,028,100±$89kHighest 155% above NH |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,564±$37Lowest 5% above NH |
$1,737±$41 16% above NH |
$1,781±$156Highest 19% above NH |
| Rye and Nashua 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 |
$6,799 about the NH average |
$7,519Highest 13% above NH |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 50%±3.6Highest NH: 48.2% |
45.8%±4.2 NH: 48.2% |
44.3%±16.1Lowest NH: 48.2% |
| Manchester and Nashua 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% |
7.8% NH: 7.2% |
6.9%Lowest NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 48.7%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
55.8% NH: 72.8% |
85.5%Highest NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1966Lowest 13 yrs older than NH |
1975Highest 4 yrs older than NH |
1972 7 yrs older than NH |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minLowest 10% below NH |
26 min about the NH average |
29 minHighest 8% above NH |
| Work from home | 14.1%±1.3Lowest NH: 16.8% |
17.4%±1.6 NH: 16.8% |
30.9%±7.6Highest NH: 16.8% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #115 of 120 in NH | #67 of 120 in NH | #2 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Spark Academy of Advanced Technologies · Manchester School District | Nashua School District | Rye School District |
| High school in town | Manchester Memorial High School | Nashua High School South | None in town |
| 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.