What stands out worked out from the figures below

Greenfield has the most affordable homes ($350k median).

Strafford has grown the fastest since 2010 (-0.4%).

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	Greenfield	Strafford
People
Population	1,730Highest	1,372Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-1.9%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	-0.4%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	49.9±2.9Lowest 28% above U.S.	51.4±4.7Highest 32% above U.S.
	Strafford and Greenfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	18%±3.4Lowest U.S.: 22%	23%±5.2Highest U.S.: 22%
	Strafford and Greenfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	19.9%±4.4Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	22.1%±3.4Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Strafford and Greenfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	26.7%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	53.3%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	2.1%±1.5Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	5.1%±2.6Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Strafford and Greenfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$103,603±$8kLowest 28% above U.S.	$110,833±$19kHighest 37% above U.S.
	Strafford and Greenfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$350,300±$17kLowest 5% above U.S.	$431,300±$40kHighest 30% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,135±$79Highest 20% below U.S.	$1,125±$789Lowest 20% below U.S.
	Greenfield and Strafford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$7,264Highest 133% above U.S.	$7,149Lowest 129% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	51.8%±21.1Highest U.S.: 51.1%	44.6%±48Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Greenfield and Strafford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	5.2% U.S.: 12.5%	5.2% U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	84.6%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	88.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1981Highest 1 yr newer than U.S.	1980Lowest same as U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	36 minHighest 37% above U.S.	23 minLowest 13% below U.S.
Work from home	15.9%±5.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	16.1%±4.3Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Strafford and Greenfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	Contoocook Valley School District	Strafford 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.