Compare towns
Sunapee vs Auburn vs Meredith
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against New Hampshire.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Sunapee has the most affordable homes ($393k median).
Auburn has grown the fastest since 2010 (+20%).
Meredith has the shortest commute (26 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 | Sunapee | Auburn | Meredith |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 3,416Lowest |
6,119 |
6,758Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -0.7%Lowest NH: +4.6% |
+20%Highest NH: +4.6% |
+6.7% NH: +4.6% |
| Median age | 56.7±1.4Highest 31% above NH |
44.3±5.9Lowest about the NH average |
55.5±3.7 28% above NH |
| Sunapee and Meredith are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 9.9%±3.4Lowest NH: 18.2% |
19.3%±4.3Highest NH: 18.2% |
12.6%±3.3 NH: 18.2% |
| Auburn and Meredith are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 33.3%±7.1 NH: 20.1% |
13.4%±3.2Lowest NH: 20.1% |
34.2%±5Highest NH: 20.1% |
| Meredith and Sunapee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 50.6% NH: 40.6% |
55.3%Highest NH: 40.6% |
45.9%Lowest NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.5%±3.5 NH: 6% |
7.2%±4.7Highest NH: 6% |
2.9%±1.2Lowest NH: 6% |
| Auburn and Sunapee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $101,393±$20k about the NH average |
$153,253±$6kHighest 55% above NH |
$87,019±$19kLowest 12% below NH |
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $393,000±$51kLowest about the NH average |
$600,300±$29kHighest 49% above NH |
$480,100±$48k 19% above NH |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,713±$451 15% above NH |
$1,893±$822Highest 27% above NH |
$1,149±$304Lowest 23% below NH |
| Auburn and Sunapee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,400Lowest 34% below NH |
$8,092Highest 21% above NH |
$5,006 25% below NH |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 34.6%±10.5 NH: 48.2% |
27.6%±27Lowest NH: 48.2% |
48.5%±9.2Highest NH: 48.2% |
| Meredith and Sunapee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 12.4%Highest NH: 7.2% |
2.5%Lowest NH: 7.2% |
7.7% NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 75.9% NH: 72.8% |
93.9%Highest NH: 72.8% |
75.8%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975Lowest 4 yrs older than NH |
1984Highest 5 yrs newer than NH |
1975Lowest 4 yrs older than NH |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 33 minHighest 23% above NH |
28 min 4% above NH |
26 minLowest about the NH average |
| Work from home | 9.5%±4.5Lowest NH: 16.8% |
26.5%±6.6Highest NH: 16.8% |
23.7%±4.9 NH: 16.8% |
| Auburn and Meredith 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 | #14 of 120 in NH | #44 of 120 in NH | #62 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Sunapee School District | Auburn School District | Inter-Lakes Cooperative School District |
| High school in town | Sunapee Sr. High School | None in town | Inter-Lakes High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.9Highest |
— | 11.1Lowest |
| 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.