What stands out worked out from the figures below

Jefferson has the most affordable homes ($297k median).

Lyme has grown the fastest since 2010 (+1.7%).

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	Jefferson	Lyme
People
Population	1,013Lowest	1,710Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-5.8%Lowest NH: +4.6%	+1.7%Highest NH: +4.6%
Median age	58±3.5Highest 34% above NH	48.6±7.8Lowest 12% above NH
	Jefferson and Lyme are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	12.5%±2.6Lowest NH: 18.2%	19.5%±3.4Highest NH: 18.2%
Age 65+	33.7%±9.1Highest NH: 20.1%	26.5%±2.8Lowest NH: 20.1%
	Jefferson and Lyme are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	28.4%Lowest NH: 40.6%	70.1%Highest NH: 40.6%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	2.2%±1.5Lowest NH: 6%	3.3%±1.9Highest NH: 6%
	Lyme and Jefferson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$67,188±$13kLowest 32% below NH	$133,906±$15kHighest 35% above NH
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$296,700±$92kLowest 26% below NH	$645,000±$64kHighest 60% above NH
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$867±$156Lowest 42% below NH	$1,418±$130Highest 5% below NH
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,196Lowest 37% below NH	$10,000+Highest at least 50% above NH
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	16.7%±71.2Lowest NH: 48.2%	52.8%±29.8Highest NH: 48.2%
	Lyme and Jefferson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	8.7%Highest NH: 7.2%	4.4%Lowest NH: 7.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	90.5%Highest NH: 72.8%	80.5%Lowest NH: 72.8%
Typical home builtmedian year	1988Highest 9 yrs newer than NH	1977Lowest 2 yrs older than NH
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	35 minHighest 29% above NH	21 minLowest 22% below NH
Work from home	17.5%±6.3Lowest NH: 16.8%	27.2%±5.4Highest NH: 16.8%
	Lyme and Jefferson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	—	Lyme 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.