What stands out worked out from the figures below

Merrimack has the most homeowners (88.9%).

Manchester has the most renters (51.3% rent).

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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Merrimack	Manchester
People
Population	28,164Lowest	115,643Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+4.5%Lowest NH: +4.6%	+5.5%Highest NH: +4.6%
Median age	41.5±2.2Highest 4% below NH	38±1Lowest 12% below NH
Kids under 18	22%±2.5Highest NH: 18.2%	18%±1Lowest NH: 18.2%
Age 65+	16.8%±1.8Highest NH: 20.1%	15.5%±0.8Lowest NH: 20.1%
	Merrimack and Manchester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	50.2%Highest NH: 40.6%	34%Lowest NH: 40.6%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.1%±1.2Lowest NH: 6%	6.4%±0.7Highest NH: 6%
	Manchester and Merrimack are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$127,219±$16kHighest 28% above NH	$81,007±$2kLowest 18% below NH
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$458,600±$15kHighest 14% above NH	$365,600±$7kLowest 9% below NH
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,932±$147Highest 30% above NH	$1,564±$37Lowest 5% above NH
Property taxmedian, yearly	$7,345Highest 10% above NH	$5,922Lowest 11% below NH
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	34.9%±9.4Lowest NH: 48.2%	50%±3.6Highest NH: 48.2%
Below poverty line	3%Lowest NH: 7.2%	11.2%Highest NH: 7.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	88.9%Highest NH: 72.8%	48.7%Lowest NH: 72.8%
Typical home builtmedian year	1985Highest 6 yrs newer than NH	1966Lowest 13 yrs older than NH
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	27 minHighest about the NH average	24 minLowest 10% below NH
Work from home	21%±3.3Highest NH: 16.8%	14.1%±1.3Lowest NH: 16.8%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#58 of 120 in NH	#115 of 120 in NH
School district	Merrimack School District	Spark Academy of Advanced Technologies · Manchester School District
High school in town	Merrimack High School	Manchester Memorial High School
Students per teacherat that high school	12.5Lowest	14.3Highest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	None yet	6 photos →

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.