What stands out worked out from the figures below

Hartford has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.4%).

Wolfeboro has the most expensive homes ($547k 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	Hartford	Wolfeboro
People
Population	10,736Highest	6,571Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+7.4%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	+2.3%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	43.2±3.9Lowest 11% above U.S.	57±1.8Highest 47% above U.S.
Kids under 18	18%±3Highest U.S.: 22%	13.7%±3.3Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Hartford and Wolfeboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	22.5%±3.3Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	34.6%±5.2Highest U.S.: 17.2%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	47.6%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	45%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	4.9%±1.7Highest U.S.: 6.4%	2.8%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
	Hartford and Wolfeboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$78,125±$7kLowest 3% below U.S.	$94,375±$22kHighest 17% above U.S.
	Wolfeboro and Hartford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$304,500±$26kLowest 8% below U.S.	$546,500±$60kHighest 64% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,218±$118Highest 14% below U.S.	$1,103±$76Lowest 22% below U.S.
	Hartford and Wolfeboro are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,773Highest 85% above U.S.	$4,531Lowest 45% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	44.6%±12.7Highest U.S.: 51.1%	12%±11.6Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
Below poverty line	11.1%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	8.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	67.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	78.1%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1979Lowest 1 yr older than U.S.	1982Highest 2 yrs newer than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	18 minLowest 30% below U.S.	24 minHighest 10% below U.S.
Work from home	13.9%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	22.9%±6.6Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Wolfeboro and Hartford 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	#34 of 70 in VT	#46 of 120 in NH
School district	Hartford School District	Governor Wentworth Regional School District
High school in town	Hartford High School	Kingswood Regional High School
Students per teacherat that high school	9.6Lowest	11.1Highest
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.