What stands out worked out from the figures below

Candia has the oldest population (median age 48.3).

Plainfield has the most kids (23.4% under 18).

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	Candia	Plainfield
People
Population	4,134Highest	2,522Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+2.7%Lowest NH: +4.6%	+4%Highest NH: +4.6%
Median age	48.3±3.8Highest 12% above NH	38.9±6.5Lowest 10% below NH
	Candia and Plainfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	12.8%±3.5Lowest NH: 18.2%	23.4%±5.8Highest NH: 18.2%
Age 65+	23.1%±4.4Highest NH: 20.1%	19.8%±4.5Lowest NH: 20.1%
	Candia and Plainfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	27.7%Lowest NH: 40.6%	46.7%Highest NH: 40.6%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.7%±2.6Highest NH: 6%	4.8%±2.3Lowest NH: 6%
	Candia and Plainfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$119,737±$37kLowest 21% above NH	$122,656±$13kHighest 24% above NH
	Plainfield and Candia are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$415,600±$46kLowest 3% above NH	$442,400±$47kHighest 10% above NH
	Plainfield and Candia are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,213±$554Lowest 19% below NH	$1,674±$181Highest 12% above NH
	Plainfield and Candia are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$6,100Lowest 9% below NH	$7,904Highest 19% above NH
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	0%±21.6Lowest NH: 48.2%	31.8%±23.1Highest NH: 48.2%
	Plainfield and Candia are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	1.4%Lowest NH: 7.2%	5.2%Highest NH: 7.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	91.7%Highest NH: 72.8%	87.3%Lowest NH: 72.8%
Typical home builtmedian year	1979Highest same as NH	1977Lowest 2 yrs older than NH
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	34 minHighest 29% above NH	22 minLowest 18% below NH
Work from home	10.8%±4Lowest NH: 16.8%	18.1%±8.5Highest NH: 16.8%
	Plainfield and Candia 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	#41 of 120 in NH	#19 of 120 in NH
School district	Candia School District	Plainfield School District
High school in town	None in town	None in town
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	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.