Compare towns
Dedham vs Sunapee 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 most kids (23.8% under 18).
Sunapee has the oldest population (median age 56.7).
Readfield has the most people working from home (24.3%).
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 | Sunapee | Readfield |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 1,656Lowest |
3,416Highest |
2,651 |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
-0.7% U.S.: +7.4% |
0%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 46.5±2.2Lowest 20% above U.S. |
56.7±1.4Highest 46% above U.S. |
48.1±7.6 24% above U.S. |
| Sunapee 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% |
9.9%±3.4Lowest 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% |
33.3%±7.1Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
22.3%±4.5 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Sunapee and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 49.5% U.S.: 35.7% |
50.6%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
48.8%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.3%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
4.5%±3.5Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
3.3%±2Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Sunapee 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±$18kHighest 38% above U.S. |
$101,393±$20k 26% above U.S. |
$86,504±$8kLowest 7% above U.S. |
| Dedham and Sunapee 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. |
$393,000±$51kHighest 18% above U.S. |
$326,400±$20kLowest about the U.S. average |
| Sunapee and Dedham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,422±$607 about the U.S. average |
$1,713±$451Highest 21% above U.S. |
$1,125±$844Lowest 20% below U.S. |
| Sunapee and Dedham 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. |
$4,400Highest 41% above U.S. |
$3,392Lowest 9% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 13%±85.3Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
34.6%±10.5Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
31.3%±100 U.S.: 51.1% |
| Sunapee and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 9% U.S.: 12.5% |
12.4%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
5%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 95.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
75.9%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 min 14% above U.S. |
33 minHighest 24% above U.S. |
30 minLowest 12% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 9.3%±4.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
9.5%±4.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
24.3%±14.9Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Readfield and Sunapee 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 | — | #14 of 120 in NH | #20 of 133 in ME |
| School district | Dedham Public Schools | Sunapee School District | RSU 38 |
| High school in town | None in town | Sunapee Sr. High School | Maranacook Community High Sch |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 11.9Highest |
11.5Lowest |
| 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.