Compare towns
Portsmouth vs New Castle vs Exeter vs South Eliot
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).
New Castle has the most expensive homes ($1701k median).
Exeter has grown the fastest since 2010 (+12.2%).
South Eliot has the shortest commute (21 min average).
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 | New Castle | Exeter | South Eliot |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 22,545Highest |
827Lowest |
16,151 |
4,203 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.7% U.S.: +7.4% |
+3.3%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+12.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+4.8% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 42.9±2Lowest 10% above U.S. |
62.8±6Highest 61% above U.S. |
45.8±2.3 18% above U.S. |
55.5±8 43% above U.S. |
| New Castle and South Eliot are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 14%±1.9 U.S.: 22% |
12.9%±7.1Lowest U.S.: 22% |
17%±2.7Highest U.S.: 22% |
15.2%±4.7 U.S.: 22% |
| Exeter and South 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% |
44.3%±16.1Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
24.4%±2.8 U.S.: 17.2% |
32.8%±6.8 U.S.: 17.2% |
| New Castle and South 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% |
68.8%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
59.2% U.S.: 35.7% |
49.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.8%±1.2 U.S.: 6.4% |
0.6%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
6.1%±1.8Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
1.2%±1.3 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Exeter and Portsmouth 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. |
$176,953±$29kHighest 119% above U.S. |
$110,346±$13k 37% above U.S. |
$99,299±$9kLowest 23% above U.S. |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $688,500±$39k 107% above U.S. |
$1,701,300±$267kHighest 411% above U.S. |
$456,600±$21kLowest 37% above U.S. |
$475,600±$52k 43% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,869±$111 32% above U.S. |
$3,501Highest 148% above U.S. |
$1,856±$223Lowest 31% above U.S. |
$2,155±$292 53% above U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $8,018 157% above U.S. |
$8,509 173% above U.S. |
$8,814Highest 183% above U.S. |
$4,442Lowest 42% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 50.4%±7.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
0%±85.7Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
59%±11.3 U.S.: 51.1% |
64.3%±29.1Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| South Eliot and Exeter 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% |
4.6%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
4.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
5.5% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 51.9%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
93%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
69.1% U.S.: 65.2% |
79.9% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1959Lowest 21 yrs older than U.S. |
1975 5 yrs older than U.S. |
1979Highest 1 yr older than U.S. |
1973 7 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 22 min 16% below U.S. |
33 minHighest 23% above U.S. |
25 min 6% below U.S. |
21 minLowest 22% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 21.9%±4 U.S.: 15.1% |
40.1%±19.4Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
19.9%±3.7 U.S.: 15.1% |
14.2%±4.5Lowest 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 | — | #22 of 120 in NH | — |
| School district | Portsmouth School District | New Castle School District | Exeter Region Cooperative School District · Exeter School District | — |
| High school in town | Portsmouth High School | None in town | Exeter High School | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.4Lowest |
— | 12.1Highest |
— |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | None yet | 59 photos → | 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.