What stands out worked out from the figures below

Canaan has the most people working from home (15.4%).

Whitefield has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8%).

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	Canaan	Whitefield
People
Population	810Lowest	2,516Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-7.8%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+8%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	53.2±4.6Highest 37% above U.S.	51.4±4.6Lowest 32% above U.S.
	Canaan and Whitefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	15.8%±3.5Highest U.S.: 22%	14.3%±4.6Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Canaan and Whitefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	28.5%±5.9Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	28.6%±5.4Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Whitefield and Canaan are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	13.8%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	26.7%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3%±2.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	5.9%±3.2Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Whitefield and Canaan are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$55,606±$4kLowest 31% below U.S.	$63,125±$12kHighest 22% below U.S.
	Whitefield and Canaan are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$201,900±$46kLowest 39% below U.S.	$240,400±$22kHighest 28% below U.S.
	Whitefield and Canaan are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	—	$1,077±$160 24% below U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,389Lowest 9% above U.S.	$4,394Highest 41% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	17.2%±63.5Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	47.9%±15.6Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Whitefield and Canaan are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	10.4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	11%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	91.4%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	62.6%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1972Highest 8 yrs older than U.S.	1965Lowest 15 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	20 minLowest 24% below U.S.	26 minHighest about the U.S. average
Work from home	15.4%±6.5Highest U.S.: 15.1%	7.2%±4.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
	Canaan and Whitefield 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	—	#86 of 120 in NH
School district	Canaan School District	White Mountains Regional School District
High school in town	Canaan High School CTE Program	White Mountains Regional High School
Students per teacherat that high school	—	7.9
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	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.