What stands out worked out from the figures below

Chapman has the most kids (27.6% under 18).

Topsfield has the oldest population (median age 63.5).

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	Chapman	Topsfield
People
Population	388Highest	214Lowest
Median age	45.7±11.4Lowest about the ME average	63.5±4.9Highest 42% above ME
Kids under 18	27.6%±5.9Highest ME: 18.1%	13.1%±10.4Lowest ME: 18.1%
	Chapman and Topsfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	27.6%±3.8Lowest ME: 22.4%	44.9%±12.5Highest ME: 22.4%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	22.8%Highest ME: 36.2%	14.4%Lowest ME: 36.2%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.2%±2.6Highest ME: 5.8%	0.9%±5.3Lowest ME: 5.8%
	Chapman and Topsfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$93,125±$17kHighest 25% above ME	$48,125±$16kLowest 36% below ME
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$185,700±$22kHighest 37% below ME	$141,700±$32kLowest 52% below ME
	Chapman and Topsfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$1,850Highest 39% below ME	$957Lowest 68% below ME
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	0%±100 ME: 48.4%	—
Below poverty line	6.4%Lowest ME: 10.7%	13.1%Highest ME: 10.7%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	94.5%Lowest ME: 74.3%	95.1%Highest ME: 74.3%
Typical home builtmedian year	1982Highest 5 yrs newer than ME	1969Lowest 8 yrs older than ME
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	23 minLowest 6% below ME	34 minHighest 39% above ME
Work from home	4.8%±3.5Lowest ME: 15.9%	5.1%±6.2Highest ME: 15.9%
	Topsfield and Chapman are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	—	East Range CSD
High school in town	—	None in town
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	None yet	None yet

ME 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.