What stands out worked out from the figures below

Andover has the most kids (8.8% under 18).

Jackson has grown the fastest since 2010 (+26%).

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	Andover	Jackson
People
Population	679Lowest	897Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-8.4%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+26%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	51.8±3.9Lowest 33% above U.S.	60.5±2.5Highest 56% above U.S.
Kids under 18	8.8%±3.2Highest U.S.: 22%	4.1%±4.1Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Andover and Jackson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	27.1%±6.3Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	28.4%±6.4Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Jackson and Andover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	24.4%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	67.7%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	2.1%±2.5Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	3%±3.4Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Jackson and Andover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$49,922±$9kLowest 38% below U.S.	$117,986±$46kHighest 46% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$168,300±$22kLowest 49% below U.S.	$719,300±$109kHighest 116% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	—	$1,750±$1k 24% above U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$1,513Lowest 51% below U.S.	$6,001Highest 92% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	100%±100Highest U.S.: 51.1%	21.1%±59.9Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Andover and Jackson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	16.1%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	16.9%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	97.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	91.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1976Lowest 4 yrs older than U.S.	1980Highest same as U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	30 minHighest 13% above U.S.	19 minLowest 30% below U.S.
Work from home	23.2%±15.8Highest U.S.: 15.1%	22.2%±10.2Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
	Andover and Jackson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	Andover Public Schools	Jackson School District
High school in town	None in town	None in town
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	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.