Compare towns
Peterborough vs Sunapee vs Wolfeboro
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).
Sunapee has the highest household income ($101k).
Wolfeboro has the most people working from home (22.9%).
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 | Sunapee | Wolfeboro |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 6,408 |
3,416Lowest |
6,571Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +2.1% NH: +4.6% |
-0.7%Lowest NH: +4.6% |
+2.3%Highest NH: +4.6% |
| Median age | 52.1±1.9Lowest 20% above NH |
56.7±1.4 31% above NH |
57±1.8Highest 32% above NH |
| Wolfeboro and Sunapee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 16.3%±5.1Highest NH: 18.2% |
9.9%±3.4Lowest NH: 18.2% |
13.7%±3.3 NH: 18.2% |
| Peterborough and Wolfeboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 30.6%±5.2Lowest NH: 20.1% |
33.3%±7.1 NH: 20.1% |
34.6%±5.2Highest NH: 20.1% |
| Wolfeboro and Sunapee 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% |
50.6% NH: 40.6% |
45%Lowest NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2%±1.1Lowest NH: 6% |
4.5%±3.5Highest NH: 6% |
2.8%±1.8 NH: 6% |
| Sunapee and Wolfeboro 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 |
$101,393±$20kHighest about the NH average |
$94,375±$22kLowest 5% below NH |
| Sunapee 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 |
$393,000±$51kLowest about the NH average |
$546,500±$60kHighest 36% above NH |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,395±$209 6% below NH |
$1,713±$451Highest 15% above NH |
$1,103±$76Lowest 26% below NH |
| Sunapee and Peterborough 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 |
$4,400Lowest 34% below NH |
$4,531 32% below NH |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 29.2%±7.4 NH: 48.2% |
34.6%±10.5Highest NH: 48.2% |
12%±11.6Lowest NH: 48.2% |
| Sunapee and Peterborough are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 5.7%Lowest NH: 7.2% |
12.4%Highest NH: 7.2% |
8.2% NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 56.3%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
75.9% NH: 72.8% |
78.1%Highest NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1970Lowest 9 yrs older than NH |
1975 4 yrs older than NH |
1982Highest 3 yrs newer than NH |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 23 minLowest 16% below NH |
33 minHighest 23% above NH |
24 min 11% below NH |
| Work from home | 15.8%±4.5 NH: 16.8% |
9.5%±4.5Lowest NH: 16.8% |
22.9%±6.6Highest NH: 16.8% |
| Wolfeboro and Peterborough 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 | #14 of 120 in NH | #46 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Contoocook Valley School District | Sunapee School District | Governor Wentworth Regional School District |
| High school in town | Conval Regional High School | Sunapee Sr. High School | Kingswood Regional High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.0Highest |
11.9 |
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.