What stands out worked out from the figures below

Grantham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+14%).

Strafford has the most expensive homes ($431k 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	Grantham	Strafford
People
Population	3,465Highest	1,372Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+14%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	-0.4%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	50.4±7.5Lowest 30% above U.S.	51.4±4.7Highest 32% above U.S.
	Strafford and Grantham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	19.1%±6.6Lowest U.S.: 22%	23%±5.2Highest U.S.: 22%
	Strafford and Grantham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	17%±6.9Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	22.1%±3.4Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Strafford and Grantham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	59.6%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	53.3%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4.8%±6Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	5.1%±2.6Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Strafford and Grantham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$106,403±$54kLowest 32% above U.S.	$110,833±$19kHighest 37% above U.S.
	Strafford and Grantham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$343,100±$39kLowest 3% above U.S.	$431,300±$40kHighest 30% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	—	$1,125±$789 20% below U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$7,605Highest 144% above U.S.	$7,149Lowest 129% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	—	44.6%±48 U.S.: 51.1%
Below poverty line	0%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	5.2%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	100%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	88.9%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1987Highest 7 yrs newer than U.S.	1980Lowest same as U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	23 minLowest 15% below U.S.	23 minHighest 13% below U.S.
Work from home	13.8%±6.2Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	16.1%±4.3Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Strafford and Grantham 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	#6 of 120 in NH	—
School district	Grantham School District	Strafford School District
High school in town	None in town	None in town
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	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.