What stands out worked out from the figures below

Dedham has the most affordable homes ($356k median).

Hampton Falls has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.5%).

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	Dedham	Hampton Falls
People
Population	1,656Lowest	2,328Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+7.5%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	46.5±2.2Lowest 20% above U.S.	49.5±7.3Highest 27% above U.S.
	Hampton Falls and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	23.8%±3.6Highest U.S.: 22%	19.1%±5.6Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Dedham and Hampton Falls are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	18.7%±2.9Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	25%±3.6Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Hampton Falls and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	49.5%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	54.5%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3.3%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	3.8%±2.1Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Hampton Falls and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$111,442±$18kLowest 38% above U.S.	$166,157±$14kHighest 106% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$356,400±$33kLowest 7% above U.S.	$772,600±$76kHighest 132% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,422±$607Lowest about the U.S. average	$1,852±$475Highest 31% above U.S.
	Hampton Falls and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,942Lowest 26% above U.S.	$10,000+Highest at least 221% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	13%±85.3Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	27.2%±22.7Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Hampton Falls and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	9%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	95.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	86.3%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1983Highest 3 yrs newer than U.S.	1981Lowest 1 yr newer than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	30 minLowest 14% above U.S.	32 minHighest 22% above U.S.
Work from home	9.3%±4.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	21.8%±4.8Highest U.S.: 15.1%
Schools
School district	Dedham Public Schools	Hampton Falls School District
High school in town	None 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.