Compare towns
Manchester vs Windham vs Exeter vs Hooksett
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).
Windham has the highest household income ($190k).
Exeter has the oldest population (median age 45.8).
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 | Windham | Exeter | Hooksett |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 115,643Highest |
16,038 |
16,151 |
15,057Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.5%Lowest NH: +4.6% |
+16.4%Highest NH: +4.6% |
+12.2% NH: +4.6% |
+10.6% NH: +4.6% |
| Median age | 38±1Lowest 12% below NH |
41.1±2.9 5% below NH |
45.8±2.3Highest 6% above NH |
41.3±1.5 5% below NH |
| Kids under 18 | 18%±1 NH: 18.2% |
27.4%±3.3Highest NH: 18.2% |
17%±2.7Lowest NH: 18.2% |
17.4%±2.9 NH: 18.2% |
| Age 65+ | 15.5%±0.8Lowest NH: 20.1% |
15.5%±2.6Lowest NH: 20.1% |
24.4%±2.8Highest NH: 20.1% |
17.3%±2.4 NH: 20.1% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 34%Lowest NH: 40.6% |
62.7%Highest NH: 40.6% |
59.2% NH: 40.6% |
39.6% NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.4%±0.7 NH: 6% |
3.8%±1.8Lowest NH: 6% |
6.1%±1.8 NH: 6% |
8.9%±1.6Highest NH: 6% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $81,007±$2kLowest 18% below NH |
$189,583±$19kHighest 91% above NH |
$110,346±$13k 11% above NH |
$117,962±$11k 19% above NH |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $365,600±$7kLowest 9% below NH |
$723,300±$50kHighest 80% above NH |
$456,600±$21k 13% above NH |
$407,000±$26k about the NH average |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,564±$37Lowest 5% above NH |
$3,218±$350Highest 116% above NH |
$1,856±$223 24% above NH |
$1,661±$206 11% above NH |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,922Lowest 11% below NH |
$10,000+Highest at least 50% above NH |
$8,814 32% above NH |
$6,554 about the NH average |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 50%±3.6 NH: 48.2% |
52.2%±50.9 NH: 48.2% |
59%±11.3Highest NH: 48.2% |
41.7%±16.4Lowest NH: 48.2% |
| Exeter and Windham 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% |
2%Lowest NH: 7.2% |
4.7% NH: 7.2% |
3.3% NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 48.7%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
93.9%Highest NH: 72.8% |
69.1% NH: 72.8% |
80.6% NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1966Lowest 13 yrs older than NH |
1996Highest 17 yrs newer than NH |
1979 same as NH |
1988 9 yrs newer than NH |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 24 minLowest 10% below NH |
31 minHighest 15% above NH |
25 min 7% below NH |
27 min about the NH average |
| Work from home | 14.1%±1.3 NH: 16.8% |
21.9%±4.4Highest NH: 16.8% |
19.9%±3.7 NH: 16.8% |
13.4%±3.1Lowest NH: 16.8% |
| Windham and Exeter 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 | #13 of 120 in NH | #22 of 120 in NH | #30 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Spark Academy of Advanced Technologies · Manchester School District | Windham School District | Exeter Region Cooperative School District · Exeter School District | Hooksett School District |
| High school in town | Manchester Memorial High School | Windham High School | Exeter High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 14.3Highest |
12.8 |
12.1Lowest |
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| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | 6 photos → | None yet | 59 photos → | 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.