What stands out worked out from the figures below

Ellsworth has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.5%).

Sunapee has the most expensive homes ($393k 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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Ellsworth	Sunapee
People
Population	8,657Highest	3,416Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+8.5%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	-0.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	43±2.4Lowest 11% above U.S.	56.7±1.4Highest 46% above U.S.
Kids under 18	18.4%±3.5Highest U.S.: 22%	9.9%±3.4Lowest U.S.: 22%
Age 65+	22.1%±3.3Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	33.3%±7.1Highest U.S.: 17.2%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	39.3%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	50.6%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.3%±2Highest U.S.: 6.4%	4.5%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
	Ellsworth and Sunapee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$77,375±$18kLowest 4% below U.S.	$101,393±$20kHighest 26% above U.S.
	Sunapee and Ellsworth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$242,300±$22kLowest 27% below U.S.	$393,000±$51kHighest 18% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,017±$195Lowest 28% below U.S.	$1,713±$451Highest 21% above U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,262Lowest 5% above U.S.	$4,400Highest 41% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	62.1%±15.7Highest U.S.: 51.1%	34.6%±10.5Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
Below poverty line	9.3%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	12.4%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	66.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	75.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1980Highest same as U.S.	1975Lowest 5 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	25 minLowest 7% below U.S.	33 minHighest 24% above U.S.
Work from home	7.1%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	9.5%±4.5Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Sunapee and Ellsworth 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	#63 of 133 in ME	#14 of 120 in NH
School district	Ellsworth Public Schools	Sunapee School District
High school in town	Ellsworth High School	Sunapee Sr. High School
Students per teacherat that high school	12.7Highest	11.9Lowest
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.