Compare towns
Meredith vs Gray vs Laconia
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Meredith has the most people working from home (23.7%).
Gray has the highest household income ($95k).
Laconia has the shortest commute (17 min average).
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 | Meredith | Gray | Laconia |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 6,758Lowest |
8,429 |
17,085Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.5% U.S.: +7.4% |
+5.8%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 55.5±3.7Highest 43% above U.S. |
43.4±4.5Lowest 12% above U.S. |
45.3±3.9 16% above U.S. |
| Kids under 18 | 12.6%±3.3Lowest U.S.: 22% |
19%±4Highest U.S.: 22% |
18.4%±2.9 U.S.: 22% |
| Gray and Laconia are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 34.2%±5Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
19.3%±4Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
22.8%±2.7 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 45.9%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
44.8% U.S.: 35.7% |
27.2%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.9%±1.2Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
5.4%±2.2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
3.1%±1.1 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Gray and Laconia are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $87,019±$19k 8% above U.S. |
$95,236±$8kHighest 18% above U.S. |
$73,218±$12kLowest 9% below U.S. |
| Gray and Meredith are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $480,100±$48kHighest 44% above U.S. |
$363,700±$20k 9% above U.S. |
$340,300±$16kLowest about the U.S. average |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,149±$304Lowest 19% below U.S. |
$1,371±$89Highest about the U.S. average |
$1,224±$107 13% below U.S. |
| Gray and Laconia are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,006Highest 61% above U.S. |
$3,683Lowest 18% above U.S. |
$4,484 44% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 48.5%±9.2Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
56.4%±24Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
54.5%±10.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Gray and Laconia are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 7.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
3.5%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
12.6%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 75.8% U.S.: 65.2% |
82.4%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
64.2%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975 5 yrs older than U.S. |
1983Highest 3 yrs newer than U.S. |
1974Lowest 6 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 26 min about the U.S. average |
29 minHighest 8% above U.S. |
17 minLowest 36% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 23.7%±4.9Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
12.3%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
13.5%±3.8 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #62 of 120 in NH | #10 of 133 in ME | #105 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Inter-Lakes Cooperative School District | RSU 15/MSAD 15 · Fiddlehead School of Arts and Sciences | Laconia School District |
| High school in town | Inter-Lakes High School | Gray-New Gloucester High School | Laconia High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.1 |
12.5Highest |
10.0Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | 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.