What stands out worked out from the figures below

Worcester has the most renters (57.2% rent).

Exeter has the most people working from home (19.9%).

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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Worcester	Exeter
People
Population	207,055Highest	16,151Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+14.1%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	+12.2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	33.9±0.5Lowest 13% below U.S.	45.8±2.3Highest 18% above U.S.
Kids under 18	19.6%±0.8Highest U.S.: 22%	17%±2.7Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Worcester and Exeter are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	13.3%±0.6Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	24.4%±2.8Highest U.S.: 17.2%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	35.2%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	59.2%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	14.1%±0.8Highest U.S.: 6.4%	6.1%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$70,102±$2kLowest 13% below U.S.	$110,346±$13kHighest 37% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$374,400±$7kLowest 13% above U.S.	$456,600±$21kHighest 37% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,487±$38Lowest 5% above U.S.	$1,856±$223Highest 31% above U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,733Lowest 52% above U.S.	$8,814Highest 183% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	54.2%±2.9Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	59%±11.3Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Exeter and Worcester are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	19.6%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	4.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	42.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	69.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1951Lowest 29 yrs older than U.S.	1979Highest 1 yr older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	24 minLowest 9% below U.S.	25 minHighest 6% below U.S.
Work from home	11.5%±1Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	19.9%±3.7Highest U.S.: 15.1%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#266 of 282 in MA	#22 of 120 in NH
School district	Ma Academy for Math and Science · Worcester	Exeter Region Cooperative School District · Exeter School District
High school in town	South High Community	Exeter High School
Students per teacherat that high school	14.6Highest	12.1Lowest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	None yet	59 photos →

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.