What stands out worked out from the figures below

Gorham has the most affordable homes ($162k median).

Sturbridge has the most people working from home (19.8%).

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	Gorham	Sturbridge
People
Population	2,682Lowest	9,960Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-5.3%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+6.5%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	53.9±3.6Highest 39% above U.S.	47.2±2.6Lowest 21% above U.S.
Kids under 18	12.5%±3.9Lowest U.S.: 22%	20.7%±3Highest U.S.: 22%
Age 65+	31.7%±6.8Highest U.S.: 17.2%	19.8%±3Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	20.7%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	49.3%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	6.7%±2.8Highest U.S.: 6.4%	4.6%±1.5Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
	Gorham and Sturbridge are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$61,275±$7kLowest 24% below U.S.	$136,759±$15kHighest 69% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$161,600±$49kLowest 51% below U.S.	$425,800±$18kHighest 28% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$838±$83Lowest 41% below U.S.	$1,193±$398Highest 16% below U.S.
	Sturbridge and Gorham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,334Lowest 39% above U.S.	$6,520Highest 109% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	41%±20.3Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	42%±17.7Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Sturbridge and Gorham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	4.3%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	3.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	71.6%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	86.3%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1971Lowest 9 yrs older than U.S.	1982Highest 2 yrs newer than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	23 minLowest 14% below U.S.	38 minHighest 43% above U.S.
Work from home	1.7%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	19.8%±4.8Highest U.S.: 15.1%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#57 of 120 in NH	#89 of 282 in MA
School district	Gorham Randolph Shelburne Cooperative School District	Sturbridge · Tantasqua
High school in town	Gorham High School	Tantasqua Regional Sr High
Students per teacherat that high school	9.0Highest	7.7Lowest
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.