What stands out worked out from the figures below

Meredith has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6.7%).

Rupert has the most affordable homes ($363k 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	Meredith	Rupert
People
Population	6,758Highest	676Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+6.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	-2.2%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	55.5±3.7Lowest 43% above U.S.	57.8±9.7Highest 49% above U.S.
	Rupert and Meredith are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	12.6%±3.3Lowest U.S.: 22%	13.9%±3.7Highest U.S.: 22%
	Rupert and Meredith are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	34.2%±5Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	42.3%±8.1Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Rupert and Meredith are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	45.9%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	30.6%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	2.9%±1.2Highest U.S.: 6.4%	2.1%±2.5Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
	Meredith and Rupert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$87,019±$19kLowest 8% above U.S.	$88,229±$36kHighest 9% above U.S.
	Rupert and Meredith are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$480,100±$48kHighest 44% above U.S.	$362,500±$63kLowest 9% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,149±$304 19% below U.S.	—
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,006Highest 61% above U.S.	$4,594Lowest 47% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	48.5%±9.2Highest U.S.: 51.1%	20%±100Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Meredith and Rupert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	7.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	6%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	75.8%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	93.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1975Highest 5 yrs older than U.S.	1955Lowest 25 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	26 minLowest about the U.S. average	27 minHighest about the U.S. average
Work from home	23.7%±4.9Highest U.S.: 15.1%	18.6%±9.2Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
	Meredith and Rupert 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	#62 of 120 in NH	—
School district	Inter-Lakes Cooperative School District	—
High school in town	Inter-Lakes High School	—
Students per teacherat that high school	11.1	—
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.