Compare towns
Sunapee vs Kingston vs 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
Sunapee has the most affordable homes ($393k median).
Kingston has the highest household income ($105k).
Eliot has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.3%).
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 | Sunapee | Kingston | Eliot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 3,416Lowest |
6,275 |
7,146Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -0.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+2.9% U.S.: +7.4% |
+8.3%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 56.7±1.4Highest 46% above U.S. |
55.5±5.7 43% above U.S. |
50.8±5.9Lowest 31% above U.S. |
| Sunapee and Kingston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 9.9%±3.4Lowest U.S.: 22% |
13.5%±3.9 U.S.: 22% |
16.3%±3.9Highest U.S.: 22% |
| Eliot and Kingston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 33.3%±7.1Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
24.7%±6Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
27.8%±6.2 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Sunapee and Eliot 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 U.S.: 35.7% |
35.1%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
43.6% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.5%±3.5Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
3.6%±2.1 U.S.: 6.4% |
2%±1.4Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Sunapee and Kingston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $101,393±$20kLowest 26% above U.S. |
$105,330±$12kHighest 30% above U.S. |
$101,522±$10k 26% above U.S. |
| Kingston and Eliot are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $393,000±$51kLowest 18% above U.S. |
$492,900±$58k 48% above U.S. |
$498,900±$62kHighest 50% above U.S. |
| Eliot and Kingston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,713±$451 21% above U.S. |
$1,393±$156Lowest about the U.S. average |
$1,948±$471Highest 38% above U.S. |
| Eliot and Sunapee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $4,400Lowest 41% above U.S. |
$7,906Highest 153% above U.S. |
$4,549 46% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 34.6%±10.5Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
46.9%±46.4 U.S.: 51.1% |
55.1%±20.1Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Eliot and Kingston are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 12.4%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
2.1%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
4.8% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 75.9% U.S.: 65.2% |
74.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
79.8%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975Lowest 5 yrs older than U.S. |
1982Highest 2 yrs newer than U.S. |
1979 1 yr older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 33 min 24% above U.S. |
34 minHighest 29% above U.S. |
23 minLowest 15% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 9.5%±4.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
15.7%±4.3 U.S.: 15.1% |
17.4%±4.7Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Eliot and Kingston 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 | #78 of 120 in NH | #19 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Sunapee School District | Sanborn Regional School District | RSU 35/MSAD 35 |
| High school in town | Sunapee Sr. High School | Sanborn Regional High School | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.9Lowest |
12.9Highest |
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| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | None yet | 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.