Compare towns
Portsmouth vs Lyme vs Kittery vs Exeter
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).
Lyme has the highest household income ($134k).
Kittery has the shortest commute (20 min average).
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 | Lyme | Kittery | Exeter |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 22,545Highest |
1,710Lowest |
10,473 |
16,151 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.7% U.S.: +7.4% |
+1.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.1% U.S.: +7.4% |
+12.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 42.9±2Lowest 10% above U.S. |
48.6±7.8Highest 25% above U.S. |
46.8±2.3 20% above U.S. |
45.8±2.3 18% above U.S. |
| Lyme and Kittery are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 14%±1.9Lowest U.S.: 22% |
19.5%±3.4Highest U.S.: 22% |
14.7%±2.9 U.S.: 22% |
17%±2.7 U.S.: 22% |
| Lyme and Exeter 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% |
26.5%±2.8 U.S.: 17.2% |
26.9%±4.9Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
24.4%±2.8 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Kittery and Lyme 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% |
70.1%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
46%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
59.2% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.8%±1.2 U.S.: 6.4% |
3.3%±1.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.5%±1.5 U.S.: 6.4% |
6.1%±1.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Exeter and Kittery 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. |
$133,906±$15kHighest 66% above U.S. |
$93,728±$14kLowest 16% above U.S. |
$110,346±$13k 37% above U.S. |
| Lyme and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $688,500±$39kHighest 107% above U.S. |
$645,000±$64k 94% above U.S. |
$468,500±$31k 41% above U.S. |
$456,600±$21kLowest 37% above U.S. |
| 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 32% above U.S. |
$1,418±$130Lowest about the U.S. average |
$1,716±$224 21% above U.S. |
$1,856±$223 31% above U.S. |
| Portsmouth and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $8,018 157% above U.S. |
$10,000+Highest at least 221% above U.S. |
$4,518Lowest 45% above U.S. |
$8,814 183% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 50.4%±7.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
52.8%±29.8 U.S.: 51.1% |
38.8%±14.9Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
59%±11.3Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| 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 U.S.: 12.5% |
4.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
6.4% U.S.: 12.5% |
4.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 51.9%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
80.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
67.2% U.S.: 65.2% |
69.1% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1959Lowest 21 yrs older than U.S. |
1977 3 yrs older than U.S. |
1965 15 yrs older than U.S. |
1979Highest 1 yr older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 22 min 16% below U.S. |
21 min 21% below U.S. |
20 minLowest 24% below U.S. |
25 minHighest 6% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 21.9%±4 U.S.: 15.1% |
27.2%±5.4Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
22.7%±7.2 U.S.: 15.1% |
19.9%±3.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Lyme and Kittery 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 | — | #17 of 133 in ME | #22 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Portsmouth School District | Lyme School District | Kittery Public Schools | Exeter Region Cooperative School District · Exeter School District |
| High school in town | Portsmouth High School | None in town | Robert W Traip Academy | Exeter High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.4 |
— | 9.9Lowest |
12.1Highest |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | None yet | None yet | 59 photos → |
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.