Dover vs Manchester
Dover, New Hampshire versus Manchester, New Hampshire: a factual, side-by-side comparison of cost of living, housing, safety, schools, and climate. Greener figures rank better among US places.
Dover and Manchester score about the same overall (54 vs 53 of 100) — the differences are in the individual factors below.
Factor-by-factor comparison
| Factor | Dover | Manchester |
|---|---|---|
| Affordability | ||
| Median Household Income | $91k | $74k |
| Cost of Living | $56k | $54k |
| Home Value | $369k | $305k |
| Monthly Rent | $1k | $1k |
| Monthly Owner Costs | $8k | $23k |
| Property Tax Rate | 2.13% | 1.86% |
| Income Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Sales Tax | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Estimated total tax burden | 8.65% | 7.66% |
| Unemployment | 3.7% | 4.2% |
| Weather | ||
| Winter Temp (Jan) | 24°F | 25°F |
| Summer Temp (Jul) | 70°F | 73°F |
| Annual Precipitation | 47.8 in | 40.4 in |
| Annual Snowfall | 38.9 in | 52.8 in |
| Sunny Days | 174 days | 230 days |
| Summer Humidity | 61°F | 60°F |
| Comfortable Days | 82 days | 95 days |
| Safety & Wellbeing | ||
| Natural Disaster Risk | 38.3 | 32.0 |
| Air Quality | 37 AQI | 31 AQI |
| School Quality | 70.0 | 58.6 |
| Violent Crime | 505/100k | 2180/100k |
| Property Crime | 1019/100k | 2530/100k |
| Community | ||
| Population | 32,849 | 115,037 |
| Median Age | 37.2 | 37.0 |
| Racial Diversity | 0.20 | 0.39 |
| Male/Female Ratio | 0.99 | 1.00 |
| Political Leaning | D+16 | Even |
| White (%) | 86.9% | 72.8% |
| Black (%) | 1.2% | 5.0% |
| Hispanic (%) | 4.2% | 12.3% |
| Asian (%) | 4.0% | 5.1% |
| Other / Multiracial (%) | 3.8% | 4.7% |
| Getting Around | ||
| Commute Time | 23 min | 24 min |
| Walkability | 9.0/20 | 8.9/20 |
| Airport Distance | 57 mi | 47 mi |
| Lifestyle & Connectivity | ||
| Broadband Access | 92.8% | 89.5% |
| Amenities Nearby | 47.79 | 28.16 |
| Park & Nature Access | Good | Excellent |
Each figure is colored by how it ranks among all US places: green is strong, amber average, red weaker. Neutral factors (population, demographics, target-style climate) show their percentile without a better/worse claim.
Frequently asked questions
- Is Dover or Manchester more affordable?
- Manchester has the lower cost of living: its index is $54k, compared with Dover's $56k and Manchester's $54k. Median rent is $1k in Dover versus $1k in Manchester.
- Is Dover or Manchester safer?
- Dover has the lower violent crime rate. Dover reports 505/100k and Manchester reports 2180/100k (violent crimes per 100,000 residents).
- Are homes cheaper in Dover or Manchester?
- The median home value is $369k in Dover and $305k in Manchester, so homes are more affordable in Manchester.