Compare towns
Sunapee vs Townsend vs Meredith
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).
Townsend has the most kids (21% under 18).
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 | Townsend | Meredith |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 3,416Lowest |
9,100Highest |
6,758 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -0.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+2.3% U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 56.7±1.4Highest 46% above U.S. |
40.9±3.3Lowest 5% above U.S. |
55.5±3.7 43% above U.S. |
| 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 U.S.: 22% |
21%±3.2Highest U.S.: 22% |
12.6%±3.3 U.S.: 22% |
| Age 65+ | 33.3%±7.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
17.1%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
34.2%±5Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| 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 U.S.: 35.7% |
35.5%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
45.9% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.5%±3.5 U.S.: 6.4% |
5.1%±2.4Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.9%±1.2Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Townsend 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 26% above U.S. |
$121,528±$23kHighest 51% above U.S. |
$87,019±$19kLowest 8% above U.S. |
| Townsend and Sunapee 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. |
$433,200±$22k 30% above U.S. |
$480,100±$48kHighest 44% above U.S. |
| Meredith and Townsend are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,713±$451Highest 21% above U.S. |
$1,469±$313 4% above U.S. |
$1,149±$304Lowest 19% below U.S. |
| Sunapee and Townsend 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. |
$6,031Highest 93% above U.S. |
$5,006 61% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 34.6%±10.5Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
50.6%±16.8Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
48.5%±9.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Townsend and Meredith 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% |
8.9% U.S.: 12.5% |
7.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 75.9% U.S.: 65.2% |
82%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
75.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975Lowest 5 yrs older than U.S. |
1976Highest 4 yrs older than U.S. |
1975Lowest 5 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 33 min 24% above U.S. |
37 minHighest 41% above U.S. |
26 minLowest about the U.S. average |
| Work from home | 9.5%±4.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
10.5%±2.8 U.S.: 15.1% |
23.7%±4.9Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Schools | |||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #14 of 120 in NH | #136 of 282 in MA | #62 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Sunapee School District | North Middlesex | Inter-Lakes Cooperative School District |
| High school in town | Sunapee Sr. High School | North Middlesex Regional | Inter-Lakes High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.9 |
13.1Highest |
11.1Lowest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | 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.