Compare towns
Peterborough vs Orange vs Meredith
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against New Hampshire.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Peterborough has the most renters (43.7% rent).
Orange has the most homeowners (97.5%).
Meredith has the most expensive homes ($480k 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 | Peterborough | Orange | Meredith |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 6,408 |
320Lowest |
6,758Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2.1%Lowest NH: +4.6% |
— | +6.7%Highest NH: +4.6% |
| Median age | 52.1±1.9 20% above NH |
41.3±9.1Lowest 5% below NH |
55.5±3.7Highest 28% above NH |
| Meredith and Peterborough are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.3%±5.1 NH: 18.2% |
20.6%±5.6Highest NH: 18.2% |
12.6%±3.3Lowest NH: 18.2% |
| Orange and Peterborough are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 30.6%±5.2 NH: 20.1% |
20%±5Lowest NH: 20.1% |
34.2%±5Highest NH: 20.1% |
| Meredith and Peterborough are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 62.2%Highest NH: 40.6% |
37.2%Lowest NH: 40.6% |
45.9% NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2%±1.1Lowest NH: 6% |
4.7%±3.7Highest NH: 6% |
2.9%±1.2 NH: 6% |
| Orange and Meredith are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $98,401±$8k about the NH average |
$118,750±$39kHighest 20% above NH |
$87,019±$19kLowest 12% below NH |
| Orange and Peterborough are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $404,500±$31k about the NH average |
$302,600±$35kLowest 25% below NH |
$480,100±$48kHighest 19% above NH |
| Meredith and Peterborough are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,395±$209Highest 6% below NH |
— | $1,149±$304Lowest 23% below NH |
| Peterborough and Meredith are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $8,655Highest 30% above NH |
$5,132 23% below NH |
$5,006Lowest 25% below NH |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 29.2%±7.4 NH: 48.2% |
0%±100Lowest NH: 48.2% |
48.5%±9.2Highest NH: 48.2% |
| Below poverty line | 5.7%Lowest NH: 7.2% |
9.4%Highest NH: 7.2% |
7.7% NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 56.3%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
97.5%Highest NH: 72.8% |
75.8% NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1970Lowest 9 yrs older than NH |
1986Highest 7 yrs newer than NH |
1975 4 yrs older than NH |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 23 minLowest 16% below NH |
28 minHighest 5% above NH |
26 min about the NH average |
| Work from home | 15.8%±4.5Lowest NH: 16.8% |
20.8%±8.9 NH: 16.8% |
23.7%±4.9Highest NH: 16.8% |
| Meredith and Orange 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 | #59 of 120 in NH | — | #62 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Contoocook Valley School District | — | Inter-Lakes Cooperative School District |
| High school in town | Conval Regional High School | — | Inter-Lakes High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.0Highest |
— | 11.1Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | 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.