Compare towns
Mapleton vs Exeter vs Meredith vs Castle Hill
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Mapleton has the most kids (22.2% under 18).
Exeter has the highest household income ($110k).
Meredith has the most people working from home (23.7%).
Castle Hill has the most affordable homes ($145k 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 | Mapleton | Exeter | Meredith | Castle Hill |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,884 |
16,151Highest |
6,758 |
281Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -3.2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+12.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.7% U.S.: +7.4% |
— |
| Median age | 41.8±6Lowest 7% above U.S. |
45.8±2.3 18% above U.S. |
55.5±3.7 43% above U.S. |
57.8±15.8Highest 49% above U.S. |
| Castle Hill and Meredith are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 22.2%±5.1Highest U.S.: 22% |
17%±2.7 U.S.: 22% |
12.6%±3.3Lowest U.S.: 22% |
14.2%±5.8 U.S.: 22% |
| Mapleton and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 18.3%±3.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
24.4%±2.8 U.S.: 17.2% |
34.2%±5 U.S.: 17.2% |
44.8%±6.5Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Castle Hill and Meredith are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 34.3% U.S.: 35.7% |
59.2%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
45.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
26.7%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5%±2.9 U.S.: 6.4% |
6.1%±1.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.9%±1.2 U.S.: 6.4% |
2.1%±5.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Exeter and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $91,731±$25k 14% above U.S. |
$110,346±$13kHighest 37% above U.S. |
$87,019±$19k 8% above U.S. |
$54,250±$14kLowest 33% below U.S. |
| Exeter and Mapleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $191,800±$23k 42% below U.S. |
$456,600±$21k 37% above U.S. |
$480,100±$48kHighest 44% above U.S. |
$145,300±$18kLowest 56% below U.S. |
| Meredith and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $610±$277Lowest 57% below U.S. |
$1,856±$223Highest 31% above U.S. |
$1,149±$304 19% below U.S. |
$950±$574 33% below U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $1,789 43% below U.S. |
$8,814Highest 183% above U.S. |
$5,006 61% above U.S. |
$1,449Lowest 54% below U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 16.7%±10.5Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
59%±11.3 U.S.: 51.1% |
48.5%±9.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
75%±100Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Castle Hill and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 8.9%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
4.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
7.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
4.3%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 79.9% U.S.: 65.2% |
69.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
75.8% U.S.: 65.2% |
94.3%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1977 3 yrs older than U.S. |
1979 1 yr older than U.S. |
1975Lowest 5 yrs older than U.S. |
1982Highest 2 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 28 minHighest 5% above U.S. |
25 min 6% below U.S. |
26 min about the U.S. average |
19 minLowest 29% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 10.8%±3.8 U.S.: 15.1% |
19.9%±3.7 U.S.: 15.1% |
23.7%±4.9Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
10.3%±9.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Meredith 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 | — | #22 of 120 in NH | #62 of 120 in NH | — |
| School district | RSU 79/MSAD 01 | Exeter Region Cooperative School District · Exeter School District | Inter-Lakes Cooperative School District | — |
| High school in town | None in town | Exeter High School | Inter-Lakes High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.1Highest |
11.1Lowest |
— |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 59 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.