Compare towns
Portsmouth vs Eliot vs Wilmot vs New Castle
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Portsmouth has the most renters (48.1% rent).
Eliot has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.3%).
Wilmot has the most affordable homes ($400k median).
New Castle has the most expensive homes ($1701k 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 | Portsmouth | Eliot | Wilmot | New Castle |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 22,545Highest |
7,146 |
1,487 |
827Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.7% U.S.: +7.4% |
+8.3%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+3.6% U.S.: +7.4% |
+3.3%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 42.9±2Lowest 10% above U.S. |
50.8±5.9 31% above U.S. |
53±2.4 36% above U.S. |
62.8±6Highest 61% above U.S. |
| Kids under 18 | 14%±1.9 U.S.: 22% |
16.3%±3.9 U.S.: 22% |
17.1%±3.2Highest U.S.: 22% |
12.9%±7.1Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Wilmot and Eliot are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 21.9%±2.4Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
27.8%±6.2 U.S.: 17.2% |
24.3%±4.6 U.S.: 17.2% |
44.3%±16.1Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| New Castle and Eliot are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 64% U.S.: 35.7% |
43.6%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
58.7% U.S.: 35.7% |
68.8%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.8%±1.2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
2%±1.4 U.S.: 6.4% |
3%±3.4 U.S.: 6.4% |
0.6%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Portsmouth and Wilmot are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $106,219±$7k 32% above U.S. |
$101,522±$10kLowest 26% above U.S. |
$117,759±$15k 46% above U.S. |
$176,953±$29kHighest 119% above U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $688,500±$39k 107% above U.S. |
$498,900±$62k 50% above U.S. |
$399,600±$43kLowest 20% above U.S. |
$1,701,300±$267kHighest 411% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,869±$111 32% above U.S. |
$1,948±$471 38% above U.S. |
$1,125±$289Lowest 20% below U.S. |
$3,501Highest 148% above U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $8,018 157% above U.S. |
$4,549Lowest 46% above U.S. |
$6,651 113% above U.S. |
$8,509Highest 173% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 50.4%±7.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
55.1%±20.1Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
41.1%±41.8 U.S.: 51.1% |
0%±85.7Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Eliot and Portsmouth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 6.8%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
4.8% U.S.: 12.5% |
2.3%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
4.6% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 51.9%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
79.8% U.S.: 65.2% |
83.4% U.S.: 65.2% |
93%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1959Lowest 21 yrs older than U.S. |
1979 1 yr older than U.S. |
1988Highest 8 yrs newer than U.S. |
1975 5 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 22 minLowest 16% below U.S. |
23 min 15% below U.S. |
33 min 23% above U.S. |
33 minHighest 23% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 21.9%±4 U.S.: 15.1% |
17.4%±4.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
18.9%±3.8 U.S.: 15.1% |
40.1%±19.4Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| New Castle and Portsmouth 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 | #19 of 133 in ME | — | — |
| School district | Portsmouth School District | RSU 35/MSAD 35 | — | New Castle School District |
| High school in town | Portsmouth High School | None in town | — | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.4 |
— | — | — |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | 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.