What stands out worked out from the figures below

Jackson has the most expensive homes ($719k median).

Shelburne has the most kids (12.3% under 18).

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	Jackson	Shelburne
People
Population	897Highest	530Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+26% NH: +4.6%	—
Median age	60.5±2.5Highest 40% above NH	50.3±11Lowest 16% above NH
	Jackson and Shelburne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	4.1%±4.1Lowest NH: 18.2%	12.3%±5.1Highest NH: 18.2%
	Shelburne and Jackson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	28.4%±6.4Lowest NH: 20.1%	31.7%±5.5Highest NH: 20.1%
	Shelburne and Jackson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	67.7%Highest NH: 40.6%	36.1%Lowest NH: 40.6%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3%±3.4Lowest NH: 6%	4%±4.5Highest NH: 6%
	Shelburne and Jackson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$117,986±$46kHighest 19% above NH	$93,125±$18kLowest 6% below NH
	Jackson and Shelburne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$719,300±$109kHighest 79% above NH	$280,200±$45kLowest 30% below NH
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,750±$1kHighest 17% above NH	$1,130±$62Lowest 24% below NH
	Jackson and Shelburne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$6,001Highest 10% below NH	$3,801Lowest 43% below NH
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	21.1%±59.9Highest NH: 48.2%	10%±70.4Lowest NH: 48.2%
	Jackson and Shelburne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	16.9%Highest NH: 7.2%	5.5%Lowest NH: 7.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	91.4%Highest NH: 72.8%	86%Lowest NH: 72.8%
Typical home builtmedian year	1980Highest 1 yr newer than NH	1977Lowest 2 yrs older than NH
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	19 minLowest 31% below NH	25 minHighest 6% below NH
Work from home	22.2%±10.2Highest NH: 16.8%	9.3%±6.3Lowest NH: 16.8%
	Jackson and Shelburne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	Jackson School District	—
High school in town	None in town	—
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	None yet	None yet

NH 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.