What stands out worked out from the figures below

Brookline has the most people working from home (24.7%).

Ira has the most affordable homes ($273k median).

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	Brookline	Ira
People
Population	5,736Highest	381Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+13% U.S.: +7.4%	—
Median age	41.2±1.5Lowest 6% above U.S.	54.1±5.5Highest 39% above U.S.
Kids under 18	26.7%±4Highest U.S.: 22%	10.5%±4.7Lowest U.S.: 22%
Age 65+	11.4%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	28.9%±3.3Highest U.S.: 17.2%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	57.7%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	37.1%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	6.3%±3.2Highest U.S.: 6.4%	3.4%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
	Brookline and Ira are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$171,046±$4kHighest 112% above U.S.	$71,827±$5kLowest 11% below U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$544,400±$38kHighest 64% above U.S.	$272,900±$18kLowest 18% below U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$2,500±$1kHighest 77% above U.S.	$942±$52Lowest 33% below U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$10,000+Highest at least 221% above U.S.	$4,146Lowest 33% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	23.8%±43.5Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	36.4%±100Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Ira and Brookline are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	0.6%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	14.4%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	95.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	90.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1993Highest 13 yrs newer than U.S.	1975Lowest 5 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	33 minHighest 26% above U.S.	28 minLowest 6% above U.S.
Work from home	24.7%±5.8Highest U.S.: 15.1%	2.3%±2.2Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#23 of 120 in NH	—
School district	Brookline School District	—
High school 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.