Compare towns
Roxbury vs Exeter vs Orange vs Chatham
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against New Hampshire.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Roxbury has the shortest commute (21 min average).
Exeter has the most expensive homes ($457k median).
Orange has the highest household income ($119k).
Chatham has the oldest population (median age 48.3).
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 | Roxbury | Exeter | Orange | Chatham |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 299Lowest |
16,151Highest |
320 |
430 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | — | +12.2% NH: +4.6% |
— | — |
| Median age | 43.2±17.7 about the NH average |
45.8±2.3 6% above NH |
41.3±9.1Lowest 5% below NH |
48.3±8.6Highest 12% above NH |
| Chatham and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 14.7%±11.5Lowest NH: 18.2% |
17%±2.7 NH: 18.2% |
20.6%±5.6 NH: 18.2% |
21.4%±7.4Highest NH: 18.2% |
| Chatham and Orange are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 17.4%±10.8Lowest NH: 20.1% |
24.4%±2.8 NH: 20.1% |
20%±5 NH: 20.1% |
26.5%±10Highest NH: 20.1% |
| Chatham and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 30.6%Lowest NH: 40.6% |
59.2%Highest NH: 40.6% |
37.2% NH: 40.6% |
38.4% NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 13.4%±15.8Highest NH: 6% |
6.1%±1.8 NH: 6% |
4.7%±3.7Lowest NH: 6% |
5.8%±3.8 NH: 6% |
| Roxbury and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $69,226±$14k 30% below NH |
$110,346±$13k 11% above NH |
$118,750±$39kHighest 20% above NH |
$66,042±$19kLowest 33% below NH |
| Orange and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $323,100±$219k 20% below NH |
$456,600±$21kHighest 13% above NH |
$302,600±$35kLowest 25% below NH |
$362,900±$42k 10% below NH |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | $1,856±$223 24% above NH |
— | — |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,787 13% below NH |
$8,814Highest 32% above NH |
$5,132 23% below NH |
$3,690Lowest 45% below NH |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 0%±100Lowest NH: 48.2% |
59%±11.3Highest NH: 48.2% |
0%±100Lowest NH: 48.2% |
33.3%±100 NH: 48.2% |
| Exeter and Chatham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 3.7%Lowest NH: 7.2% |
4.7% NH: 7.2% |
9.4%Highest NH: 7.2% |
8.1% NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 95.5% NH: 72.8% |
69.1%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
97.5%Highest NH: 72.8% |
82.8% NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1969Lowest 10 yrs older than NH |
1979 same as NH |
1986Highest 7 yrs newer than NH |
1979 same as NH |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 21 minLowest 22% below NH |
25 min 7% below NH |
28 min 5% above NH |
36 minHighest 33% above NH |
| Work from home | 0.7%±1.4Lowest NH: 16.8% |
19.9%±3.7 NH: 16.8% |
20.8%±8.9Highest NH: 16.8% |
7.3%±5.4 NH: 16.8% |
| Orange and Exeter 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 | — | #22 of 120 in NH | — | — |
| School district | — | Exeter Region Cooperative School District · Exeter School District | — | — |
| High school in town | — | Exeter High School | — | — |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 12.1 |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | 59 photos → | 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.