What stands out worked out from the figures below

Grafton has the most affordable homes ($343k median).

Rye has the most kids (18.2% under 18).

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	Grafton	Rye
People
Population	666Lowest	5,611Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+4.6%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	59.2±4.4Highest 52% above U.S.	55.1±3Lowest 42% above U.S.
	Grafton and Rye are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	5.9%±3.7Lowest U.S.: 22%	18.2%±4Highest U.S.: 22%
Age 65+	34.2%±2Highest U.S.: 17.2%	31.7%±5.3Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
	Grafton and Rye are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	48.4%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	61.5%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	7.1%±5Highest U.S.: 6.4%	2.2%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
	Grafton and Rye are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$76,111±$7kLowest 6% below U.S.	$140,655±$39kHighest 74% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$343,200±$85kLowest 3% above U.S.	$1,028,100±$89kHighest 209% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,288±$174Lowest 9% below U.S.	$1,781±$156Highest 26% above U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,843Lowest 55% above U.S.	$7,519Highest 141% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	53.8%±69.4Highest U.S.: 51.1%	44.3%±16.1Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Grafton and Rye are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	4.5%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	6.9%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	89.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	85.5%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1978Highest 2 yrs older than U.S.	1972Lowest 8 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	24 minLowest 8% below U.S.	29 minHighest 9% above U.S.
Work from home	15.8%±5.4Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	30.9%±7.6Highest U.S.: 15.1%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	—	#2 of 120 in NH
School district	Athens Grafton School District	Rye School District
High school in town	None in town	None in town
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.