Compare towns
Portsmouth vs Bow vs Lyme vs Exeter
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against New Hampshire.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Portsmouth has the most renters (48.1% rent).
Bow has the highest household income ($173k).
Lyme has the most people working from home (27.2%).
Exeter has grown the fastest since 2010 (+12.2%).
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 | Portsmouth | Bow | Lyme | Exeter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 22,545Highest |
8,335 |
1,710Lowest |
16,151 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.7% NH: +4.6% |
+9.4% NH: +4.6% |
+1.7%Lowest NH: +4.6% |
+12.2%Highest NH: +4.6% |
| Median age | 42.9±2 about the NH average |
41.5±2Lowest 4% below NH |
48.6±7.8Highest 12% above NH |
45.8±2.3 6% above NH |
| Lyme and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 14%±1.9Lowest NH: 18.2% |
25%±3.6Highest NH: 18.2% |
19.5%±3.4 NH: 18.2% |
17%±2.7 NH: 18.2% |
| Bow and Lyme are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 21.9%±2.4 NH: 20.1% |
17.6%±2.5Lowest NH: 20.1% |
26.5%±2.8Highest NH: 20.1% |
24.4%±2.8 NH: 20.1% |
| Lyme and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 64% NH: 40.6% |
60.3% NH: 40.6% |
70.1%Highest NH: 40.6% |
59.2%Lowest NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.8%±1.2 NH: 6% |
5.6%±1.9 NH: 6% |
3.3%±1.9Lowest NH: 6% |
6.1%±1.8Highest NH: 6% |
| Exeter and Bow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $106,219±$7kLowest 7% above NH |
$172,857±$16kHighest 75% above NH |
$133,906±$15k 35% above NH |
$110,346±$13k 11% above NH |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $688,500±$39kHighest 71% above NH |
$506,500±$34k 26% above NH |
$645,000±$64k 60% above NH |
$456,600±$21kLowest 13% above NH |
| Portsmouth and Lyme are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,869±$111Highest 25% above NH |
$1,539±$178 3% above NH |
$1,418±$130Lowest 5% below NH |
$1,856±$223 24% above NH |
| Portsmouth and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $8,018Lowest 20% above NH |
$9,584 44% above NH |
$10,000+Highest at least 50% above NH |
$8,814 32% above NH |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 50.4%±7.2 NH: 48.2% |
39%±13.2Lowest NH: 48.2% |
52.8%±29.8 NH: 48.2% |
59%±11.3Highest NH: 48.2% |
| Exeter and Lyme are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 6.8%Highest NH: 7.2% |
2.7%Lowest NH: 7.2% |
4.4% NH: 7.2% |
4.7% NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 51.9%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
87.5%Highest NH: 72.8% |
80.5% NH: 72.8% |
69.1% NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1959Lowest 20 yrs older than NH |
1985Highest 6 yrs newer than NH |
1977 2 yrs older than NH |
1979 same as NH |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 22 min 17% below NH |
27 minHighest about the NH average |
21 minLowest 22% below NH |
25 min 7% below NH |
| Work from home | 21.9%±4 NH: 16.8% |
22.7%±4.7 NH: 16.8% |
27.2%±5.4Highest NH: 16.8% |
19.9%±3.7Lowest NH: 16.8% |
| Lyme and Bow 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 | #11 of 120 in NH | #26 of 120 in NH | — | #22 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Portsmouth School District | Bow School District | Lyme School District | Exeter Region Cooperative School District · Exeter School District |
| High school in town | Portsmouth High School | Bow High School | None in town | Exeter High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.4Lowest |
12.8Highest |
— | 12.1 |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | None yet | None yet | 59 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.