Compare towns
Dedham vs Meredith vs Readfield
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Dedham has the highest household income ($111k).
Meredith has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.7%).
Readfield has the most affordable homes ($326k 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.
| Measure | Dedham | Meredith | Readfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,656Lowest |
6,758Highest |
2,651 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+6.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
0% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 46.5±2.2Lowest 20% above U.S. |
55.5±3.7Highest 43% above U.S. |
48.1±7.6 24% above U.S. |
| Meredith and Readfield 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% |
12.6%±3.3Lowest U.S.: 22% |
18.7%±3.9 U.S.: 22% |
| Dedham and Readfield 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% |
34.2%±5Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
22.3%±4.5 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 49.5%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
45.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
48.8% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.3%±1.7Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.9%±1.2Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
3.3%±2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $111,442±$18kHighest 38% above U.S. |
$87,019±$19k 8% above U.S. |
$86,504±$8kLowest 7% above U.S. |
| Dedham and Meredith are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $356,400±$33k 7% above U.S. |
$480,100±$48kHighest 44% above U.S. |
$326,400±$20kLowest about the U.S. average |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,422±$607Highest about the U.S. average |
$1,149±$304 19% below U.S. |
$1,125±$844Lowest 20% below U.S. |
| Dedham and Meredith are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $3,942 26% above U.S. |
$5,006Highest 61% above U.S. |
$3,392Lowest 9% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 13%±85.3Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
48.5%±9.2Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
31.3%±100 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Meredith and Readfield 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% |
7.7% U.S.: 12.5% |
5%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 95.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
75.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
89.9% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983Highest 3 yrs newer than U.S. |
1975Lowest 5 yrs older than U.S. |
1979 1 yr older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 30 minHighest 14% above U.S. |
26 minLowest about the U.S. average |
30 min 12% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 9.3%±4.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
23.7%±4.9 U.S.: 15.1% |
24.3%±14.9Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Readfield and Meredith 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 | — | #62 of 120 in NH | #20 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Dedham Public Schools | Inter-Lakes Cooperative School District | RSU 38 |
| High school in town | None in town | Inter-Lakes High School | Maranacook Community High Sch |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 11.1Lowest |
11.5Highest |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.