Compare towns
Wells vs Hampton Beach 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
Wells has the most kids (18% under 18).
Hampton Beach has the most renters (37.1% rent).
Meredith has the most affordable homes ($480k median).
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 | Wells | Hampton Beach | Meredith |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 11,713Highest |
2,605Lowest |
6,758 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +18%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+14.2% U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 53.6±3.8Lowest 38% above U.S. |
60.4±2.4Highest 55% above U.S. |
55.5±3.7 43% above U.S. |
| Hampton Beach and Meredith are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 18%±3.4Highest U.S.: 22% |
3.1%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 22% |
12.6%±3.3 U.S.: 22% |
| Wells and Meredith are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 31%±3.3Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
33.7%±4.1 U.S.: 17.2% |
34.2%±5Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Meredith and Hampton Beach are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 43.3% U.S.: 35.7% |
34%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
45.9%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 4.5%±1.5Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
0.6%±0.7Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.9%±1.2 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Wells and Meredith are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $88,024±$11kHighest 9% above U.S. |
$82,557±$17kLowest about the U.S. average |
$87,019±$19k 8% above U.S. |
| Wells and Meredith are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $485,300±$23k 46% above U.S. |
$508,900±$76kHighest 53% above U.S. |
$480,100±$48kLowest 44% above U.S. |
| Hampton Beach and Wells are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,350±$297 4% below U.S. |
$1,375±$130Highest about the U.S. average |
$1,149±$304Lowest 19% below U.S. |
| Hampton Beach and Wells are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,215Lowest 3% above U.S. |
$6,115Highest 96% above U.S. |
$5,006 61% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 42.1%±19.6Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
61.7%±20.2Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
48.5%±9.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Hampton Beach and Meredith are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 6.8%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
8.2%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
7.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 90.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
62.9%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
75.8% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1989Highest 9 yrs newer than U.S. |
1971Lowest 9 yrs older than U.S. |
1975 5 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 28 minHighest 4% above U.S. |
25 minLowest 4% below U.S. |
26 min about the U.S. average |
| Work from home | 17.8%±4.2Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
26.9%±6.1Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
23.7%±4.9 U.S.: 15.1% |
| Hampton Beach 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 | #22 of 133 in ME | — | #62 of 120 in NH |
| School district | Wells-Ogunquit CSD | — | Inter-Lakes Cooperative School District |
| High school in town | Wells High School | — | Inter-Lakes High School |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 11.4Highest |
— | 11.1Lowest |
| 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.