What stands out worked out from the figures below

Lempster has the most affordable homes ($242k median).

Ossipee has grown the fastest since 2010 (+0.6%).

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	Lempster	Ossipee
People
Population	953Lowest	4,521Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-3.1%Lowest NH: +4.6%	+0.6%Highest NH: +4.6%
Median age	50.8±7.2Highest 17% above NH	50±4.6Lowest 15% above NH
	Lempster and Ossipee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	12.8%±4.1Lowest NH: 18.2%	19.5%±4.5Highest NH: 18.2%
	Ossipee and Lempster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	25.4%±3.5Lowest NH: 20.1%	26.3%±5.9Highest NH: 20.1%
	Ossipee and Lempster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	28.5%Highest NH: 40.6%	24.8%Lowest NH: 40.6%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	6.1%±2.6Highest NH: 6%	2.9%±1.7Lowest NH: 6%
	Lempster and Ossipee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$86,607±$12kLowest 13% below NH	$90,521±$22kHighest 9% below NH
	Ossipee and Lempster are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$241,900±$29kLowest 40% below NH	$325,500±$23kHighest 19% below NH
Rentmedian gross, monthly	—	$1,601±$245 7% above NH
Property taxmedian, yearly	$4,558Highest 32% below NH	$4,401Lowest 34% below NH
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	100%±100Highest NH: 48.2%	72%±16.3Lowest NH: 48.2%
	Lempster and Ossipee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	7.2%Lowest NH: 7.2%	8.1%Highest NH: 7.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	98.2%Highest NH: 72.8%	82%Lowest NH: 72.8%
Typical home builtmedian year	1977Lowest 2 yrs older than NH	1979Highest same as NH
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	37 minHighest 40% above NH	33 minLowest 25% above NH
Work from home	5%±2.5Lowest NH: 16.8%	5.3%±3.7Highest NH: 16.8%
	Ossipee and Lempster 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	—	#100 of 120 in NH
School district	Lempster School District	Governor Wentworth Regional School District
High school in town	None 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.