What stands out worked out from the figures below

Deerfield has the most affordable homes ($415k median).

Bedford has grown the fastest since 2010 (+10%).

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	Deerfield	Bedford
People
Population	5,158Lowest	23,746Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-0.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+10%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	51.8±3.6Highest 33% above U.S.	45±2.2Lowest 16% above U.S.
Kids under 18	13.2%±3.7Lowest U.S.: 22%	22.7%±2.5Highest U.S.: 22%
Age 65+	22.9%±4.2Highest U.S.: 17.2%	20.5%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
	Deerfield and Bedford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	44.4%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	63%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	7.9%±3.4Highest U.S.: 6.4%	4.7%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
	Deerfield and Bedford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$106,136±$14kLowest 31% above U.S.	$167,418±$12kHighest 107% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$414,900±$37kLowest 25% above U.S.	$612,100±$26kHighest 84% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,334±$318Lowest 6% below U.S.	$2,099±$274Highest 49% above U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,824Lowest 87% above U.S.	$9,803Highest 214% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	26.1%±15.1Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	59.4%±15.3Highest U.S.: 51.1%
Below poverty line	7.8%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	2.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	78.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	82.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1972Lowest 8 yrs older than U.S.	1990Highest 10 yrs newer than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	18 minLowest 33% below U.S.	25 minHighest 4% below U.S.
Work from home	17.5%±6.2Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	27%±3.4Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Bedford and Deerfield 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	#156 of 282 in MA	#7 of 120 in NH
School district	Deerfield · Frontier	Bedford School District
High school in town	Frontier Regional	Bedford High School
Students per teacherat that high school	11.1Lowest	13.5Highest
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.