Compare towns
Sunapee vs Dalton vs Cornish 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 highest household income ($101k).
Dalton has the most kids (20.6% under 18).
Cornish has the most homeowners (94.1%).
Meredith has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.7%).
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 | Dalton | Cornish | Meredith |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 3,416 |
916Lowest |
1,816 |
6,758Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -0.7% NH: +4.6% |
-4.7%Lowest NH: +4.6% |
-1.5% NH: +4.6% |
+6.7%Highest NH: +4.6% |
| Median age | 56.7±1.4Highest 31% above NH |
44.5±12.9Lowest about the NH average |
54±8.3 25% above NH |
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% |
20.6%±11.3Highest NH: 18.2% |
14.4%±3.2 NH: 18.2% |
12.6%±3.3 NH: 18.2% |
| Dalton and Cornish 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% |
17.8%±1.3Lowest NH: 20.1% |
27.3%±4.1 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%Highest NH: 40.6% |
20.6%Lowest NH: 40.6% |
40.6% NH: 40.6% |
45.9% NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.5%±3.5 NH: 6% |
5.1%±4.3Highest NH: 6% |
1.4%±0.9Lowest NH: 6% |
2.9%±1.2 NH: 6% |
| Dalton 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±$20kHighest about the NH average |
$81,429±$36kLowest 18% below NH |
$91,821±$2k 7% below NH |
$87,019±$19k 12% below NH |
| Sunapee and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $393,000±$51k about the NH average |
$191,400±$68kLowest 52% below NH |
$296,000±$69k 26% below NH |
$480,100±$48kHighest 19% above NH |
| Meredith and Sunapee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,713±$451Highest 15% above NH |
$900±$825Lowest 40% below NH |
$1,221±$227 18% below NH |
$1,149±$304 23% below NH |
| Sunapee and Cornish are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,400 34% below NH |
$3,561Lowest 47% below NH |
$5,796Highest 13% below NH |
$5,006 25% below NH |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 34.6%±10.5Lowest NH: 48.2% |
57.7%±83.7Highest NH: 48.2% |
40.5%±38.1 NH: 48.2% |
48.5%±9.2 NH: 48.2% |
| Dalton and Meredith are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 12.4% NH: 7.2% |
19.7%Highest NH: 7.2% |
4.7%Lowest NH: 7.2% |
7.7% NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 75.9% NH: 72.8% |
82.7% NH: 72.8% |
94.1%Highest NH: 72.8% |
75.8%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975Lowest 4 yrs older than NH |
1985Highest 6 yrs newer than NH |
1980 1 yr newer than NH |
1975Lowest 4 yrs older than NH |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 33 minHighest 23% above NH |
20 minLowest 26% below NH |
24 min 9% below NH |
26 min about the NH average |
| Work from home | 9.5%±4.5 NH: 16.8% |
5.9%±2.7Lowest NH: 16.8% |
12%±4.1 NH: 16.8% |
23.7%±4.9Highest NH: 16.8% |
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #14 of 120 in NH | — | — | #62 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Sunapee School District | — | Cornish 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 | 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.