Compare towns
Portsmouth vs Plymouth vs New Castle
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 kids (14% under 18).
Plymouth has the most affordable homes ($294k median).
New Castle has the most expensive homes ($1701k median).
Plymouth is a college town. 42.5% of residents are enrolled in college, which pulls its median age, poverty rate and renter figures away from what a year-round family would see.
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 | Plymouth | New Castle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 22,545Highest |
4,969 |
827Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +5.7% NH: +4.6% |
+6.1%Highest NH: +4.6% |
+3.3%Lowest NH: +4.6% |
| Median age | 42.9±2 about the NH average |
22.8±0.9Lowest 47% below NH |
62.8±6Highest 45% above NH |
| Kids under 18 | 14%±1.9Highest NH: 18.2% |
13.3%±4.1 NH: 18.2% |
12.9%±7.1Lowest NH: 18.2% |
| Portsmouth and Plymouth 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% |
9.4%±2.8Lowest NH: 20.1% |
44.3%±16.1Highest NH: 20.1% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 64% NH: 40.6% |
63.7%Lowest NH: 40.6% |
68.8%Highest NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.8%±1.2 NH: 6% |
42.5%±2.1Highest NH: 6% |
0.6%±1.8Lowest NH: 6% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $106,219±$7k 7% above NH |
$89,500±$32kLowest 10% below NH |
$176,953±$29kHighest 79% above NH |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $688,500±$39k 71% above NH |
$294,400±$28kLowest 27% below NH |
$1,701,300±$267kHighest 323% above NH |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,869±$111 25% above NH |
$1,296±$295Lowest 13% below NH |
$3,501Highest 135% above NH |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $8,018 20% above NH |
$6,483Lowest about the NH average |
$8,509Highest 28% above NH |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 50.4%±7.2Highest NH: 48.2% |
31.8%±10.7 NH: 48.2% |
0%±85.7Lowest NH: 48.2% |
| Below poverty line | 6.8% NH: 7.2% |
17%Highest NH: 7.2% |
4.6%Lowest NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 51.9% NH: 72.8% |
50.7%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
93%Highest NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1959Lowest 20 yrs older than NH |
1971 8 yrs older than NH |
1975Highest 4 yrs older than NH |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 22 min 17% below NH |
16 minLowest 39% below NH |
33 minHighest 22% above NH |
| Work from home | 21.9%±4 NH: 16.8% |
10.5%±4Lowest NH: 16.8% |
40.1%±19.4Highest NH: 16.8% |
| 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 | #47 of 120 in NH | — |
| School district | Portsmouth School District | — | New Castle School District |
| High school in town | Portsmouth High School | — | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.4 |
— | — |
| 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.