Compare towns
Brookfield vs Orange vs Wakefield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against New Hampshire.
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Brookfield has the most expensive homes ($428k median).
Orange has the most people working from home (20.8%).
Wakefield has the most renters (3.2% rent).
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 | Brookfield | Orange | Wakefield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 567 |
320Lowest |
5,405Highest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +6%Highest NH: +4.6% |
— | +2.4%Lowest NH: +4.6% |
| Median age | 58.1±9.7Highest 34% above NH |
41.3±9.1Lowest 5% below NH |
49.4±4.1 14% above NH |
| Brookfield and Wakefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 8.6%±4Lowest NH: 18.2% |
20.6%±5.6Highest NH: 18.2% |
18.7%±3.9 NH: 18.2% |
| Orange and Wakefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 38.4%±3.4Highest NH: 20.1% |
20%±5 NH: 20.1% |
18.8%±4.7Lowest NH: 20.1% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 36.8% NH: 40.6% |
37.2%Highest NH: 40.6% |
26.2%Lowest NH: 40.6% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 5.5%±5Highest NH: 6% |
4.7%±3.7 NH: 6% |
1.4%±1.1Lowest NH: 6% |
| Brookfield and Orange are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $81,406±$31kLowest 18% below NH |
$118,750±$39kHighest 20% above NH |
$100,976±$11k about the NH average |
| Orange and Wakefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $428,000±$61kHighest 6% above NH |
$302,600±$35kLowest 25% below NH |
$322,800±$43k 20% below NH |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | — | — | $1,375±$434 8% below NH |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $5,926Highest 11% below NH |
$5,132 23% below NH |
$2,954Lowest 56% below NH |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | — | 0%±100 NH: 48.2% |
0%±82.9 NH: 48.2% |
| Below poverty line | 3.9%Lowest NH: 7.2% |
9.4%Highest NH: 7.2% |
7.2% NH: 7.2% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 98.4%Highest NH: 72.8% |
97.5% NH: 72.8% |
96.8%Lowest NH: 72.8% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1975Lowest 4 yrs older than NH |
1986Highest 7 yrs newer than NH |
1980 1 yr newer than NH |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 27 minLowest about the NH average |
28 min 5% above NH |
36 minHighest 34% above NH |
| Work from home | 13.7%±6.8Lowest NH: 16.8% |
20.8%±8.9Highest NH: 16.8% |
15.1%±9.3 NH: 16.8% |
| Orange and Wakefield 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 | — | — | #118 of 120 in NH |
| School district | — | — | Wakefield School District |
| High school in town | — | — | None in town |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | None yet | None yet |
NH 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.