What stands out worked out from the figures below

Harmony has the most affordable homes ($128k median).

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	Harmony	Strafford
People
Population	2,344Highest	1,372Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-3.9%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	-0.4%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	41.8±7Lowest 7% above U.S.	51.4±4.7Highest 32% above U.S.
	Strafford and Harmony are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	22.9%±3.7Lowest U.S.: 22%	23%±5.2Highest U.S.: 22%
	Strafford and Harmony are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	17.7%±2.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	22.1%±3.4Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Strafford and Harmony are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	17.1%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	53.3%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	5.1%±2.6Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Strafford and Harmony are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$58,600±$11kLowest 27% below U.S.	$110,833±$19kHighest 37% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$128,300±$15kLowest 61% below U.S.	$431,300±$40kHighest 30% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$788±$40Lowest 44% below U.S.	$1,125±$789Highest 20% below U.S.
	Strafford and Harmony are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$2,805Lowest 10% below U.S.	$7,149Highest 129% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	43%±18.6Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	44.6%±48Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Strafford and Harmony are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	9.1%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	5.2%Lowest 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	1975Lowest 5 yrs older than U.S.	1980Highest same as U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	26 minHighest about the U.S. average	23 minLowest 13% below U.S.
Work from home	8.1%±4.4Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	16.1%±4.3Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Strafford and Harmony are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	PANAMA CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT	Strafford School District
High school in town	PANAMA HIGH SCHOOL	None in town
Students per teacherat that high school	8.5	—
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.