What stands out worked out from the figures below

Hooksett has the most affordable homes ($407k median).

Topsfield has the most people working from home (29.4%).

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	Hooksett	Topsfield
People
Population	15,057Highest	6,564Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+10.6%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	+8%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	41.3±1.5Lowest 6% above U.S.	42.2±1.8Highest 8% above U.S.
	Topsfield and Hooksett are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	17.4%±2.9Lowest U.S.: 22%	24.8%±4.7Highest U.S.: 22%
	Topsfield and Hooksett are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	17.3%±2.4Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	22.4%±3.8Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Topsfield and Hooksett are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	39.6%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	71.8%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	8.9%±1.6Highest U.S.: 6.4%	3.8%±1.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$117,962±$11kLowest 46% above U.S.	$195,718±$16kHighest 142% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$407,000±$26kLowest 22% above U.S.	$853,400±$40kHighest 157% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,661±$206Highest 18% above U.S.	$1,115±$538Lowest 21% below U.S.
	Hooksett and Topsfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$6,554Lowest 110% above U.S.	$10,000+Highest at least 221% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	41.7%±16.4Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	41.9%±40.8Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Topsfield and Hooksett are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	3.3%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	7.5%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	80.6%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	90.4%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1988Highest 8 yrs newer than U.S.	1969Lowest 11 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	27 minLowest about the U.S. average	28 minHighest 4% above U.S.
Work from home	13.4%±3.1Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	29.4%±8.1Highest U.S.: 15.1%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#30 of 120 in NH	#172 of 282 in MA
School district	Hooksett School District	Topsfield
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.