What stands out worked out from the figures below

Benson has the most affordable homes ($242k median).

Salisbury has grown the fastest since 2010 (+2.9%).

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	Benson	Salisbury
People
Population	784Lowest	1,609Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-7.8%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+2.9%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	51.9±9.4Highest 33% above U.S.	51.5±4.5Lowest 32% above U.S.
	Benson and Salisbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	16.5%±5.2Lowest U.S.: 22%	20.1%±9.6Highest U.S.: 22%
	Salisbury and Benson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	26.9%±4.2Highest U.S.: 17.2%	24.9%±4Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
	Benson and Salisbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	32.6%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	37.3%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	7%±5.8Highest U.S.: 6.4%	2%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
	Benson and Salisbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$78,625±$8kLowest about the U.S. average	$111,591±$17kHighest 38% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$242,000±$26kLowest 27% below U.S.	$363,400±$47kHighest 9% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,113±$170Lowest 21% below U.S.	$1,917±$632Highest 36% above U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,125Lowest 32% above U.S.	$5,859Highest 88% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	53.4%±35.2Highest U.S.: 51.1%	0%±100Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Benson and Salisbury are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	5.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	7.1%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	80.9%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	96.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1975Lowest 5 yrs older than U.S.	1982Highest 2 yrs newer than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	32 minLowest 20% above U.S.	32 minHighest 21% above U.S.
Work from home	18.6%±5.4Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	23.3%±10.6Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Salisbury and Benson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	Slate Valley Unified Union School District #62	Merrimack Valley 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.