What stands out worked out from the figures below

Franklin has the most affordable homes ($262k median).

Hermon has grown the fastest since 2010 (+19.3%).

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.

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

Measure	Franklin	Hermon
People
Population	8,799Highest	6,727Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+3.1%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+19.3%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	42.7±2Highest 10% above U.S.	41.1±4.7Lowest 6% above U.S.
	Franklin and Hermon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	17.8%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 22%	21.6%±4.6Highest U.S.: 22%
	Hermon and Franklin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	21.3%±3.9Highest U.S.: 17.2%	20.4%±4.7Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
	Franklin and Hermon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	19.1%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	37.6%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3.2%±1.4Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	4.8%±2.1Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Hermon and Franklin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$71,648±$4kLowest 11% below U.S.	$96,629±$22kHighest 20% above U.S.
	Hermon and Franklin are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$262,200±$22kLowest 21% below U.S.	$333,600±$32kHighest about the U.S. average
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,110±$68Lowest 21% below U.S.	$1,406±$202Highest about the U.S. average
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,886Highest 57% above U.S.	$2,761Lowest 11% below U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	38.8%±11.5Highest U.S.: 51.1%	28.2%±19.1Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Franklin and Hermon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	7%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	6.8%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	64.2%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	75.2%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1959Lowest 21 yrs older than U.S.	2000Highest 20 yrs newer than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	32 minHighest 20% above U.S.	23 minLowest 14% below U.S.
Work from home	8.3%±4.1Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	8.8%±4.2Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Hermon and Franklin 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	#112 of 120 in NH	#54 of 133 in ME
School district	Franklin School District	Hermon Public Schools
High school in town	Franklin High School	Hermon High School
Students per teacherat that high school	16.2Highest	14.6Lowest
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.