Compare towns
Dedham vs Wolfeboro vs Readfield vs Otis
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).
Wolfeboro has grown the fastest since 2010 (+2.3%).
Readfield has the most people working from home (24.3%).
Otis has the most affordable homes ($283k 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 | Wolfeboro | Readfield | Otis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 1,656 |
6,571Highest |
2,651 |
705Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | -2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+2.3%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
0% U.S.: +7.4% |
+0.1% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 46.5±2.2Lowest 20% above U.S. |
57±1.8Highest 47% above U.S. |
48.1±7.6 24% above U.S. |
54.7±3.1 41% above U.S. |
| Wolfeboro and Otis 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% |
13.7%±3.3Lowest U.S.: 22% |
18.7%±3.9 U.S.: 22% |
16.6%±7.8 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% |
34.6%±5.2Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
22.3%±4.5 U.S.: 17.2% |
20.9%±8 U.S.: 17.2% |
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 49.5%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
45% U.S.: 35.7% |
48.8% U.S.: 35.7% |
34.8%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 3.3%±1.7Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
2.8%±1.8 U.S.: 6.4% |
3.3%±2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
0.6%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $111,442±$18kHighest 38% above U.S. |
$94,375±$22k 17% above U.S. |
$86,504±$8kLowest 7% above U.S. |
$101,250±$27k 25% above U.S. |
| Dedham and Otis 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. |
$546,500±$60kHighest 64% above U.S. |
$326,400±$20k about the U.S. average |
$282,500±$23kLowest 15% below U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,422±$607 about the U.S. average |
$1,103±$76Lowest 22% below U.S. |
$1,125±$844 20% below U.S. |
$1,563±$734Highest 11% above U.S. |
| Otis 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. |
$4,531Highest 45% above U.S. |
$3,392 9% above U.S. |
$2,263Lowest 27% below U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 13%±85.3 U.S.: 51.1% |
12%±11.6Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
31.3%±100 U.S.: 51.1% |
35.7%±100Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Otis 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% |
8.2% U.S.: 12.5% |
5%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
7.8% U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 95.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
78.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
89.9% U.S.: 65.2% |
89.5% U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1983 3 yrs newer than U.S. |
1982 2 yrs newer than U.S. |
1979Lowest 1 yr older than U.S. |
1990Highest 10 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 30 min 14% above U.S. |
24 minLowest 10% below U.S. |
30 min 12% above U.S. |
42 minHighest 58% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 9.3%±4.3 U.S.: 15.1% |
22.9%±6.6 U.S.: 15.1% |
24.3%±14.9Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
5.1%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Readfield and Wolfeboro 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 | — | #46 of 120 in NH | #20 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | Dedham Public Schools | Governor Wentworth Regional School District | RSU 38 | Otis Public Schools |
| High school in town | None in town | Kingswood Regional High School | Maranacook Community High Sch | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 11.1Lowest |
11.5Highest |
— |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.