What stands out worked out from the figures below

Meredith has the most affordable homes ($231k median).

Rupert has the most people working from home (18.6%).

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	Meredith	Rupert
People
Population	1,467Highest	676Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-2.9%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	-2.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	54.3±4.6Lowest 40% 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	17%±4.3Highest U.S.: 22%	13.9%±3.7Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Meredith and Rupert are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	30.8%±4Lowest 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+	33.8%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	30.6%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	1.4%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	2.1%±2.5Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Rupert and Meredith are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$85,938±$16kLowest 6% 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	$230,600±$24kLowest 31% below U.S.	$362,500±$63kHighest 9% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$794±$175 44% below U.S.	—
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,630Lowest 16% above U.S.	$4,594Highest 47% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	53.1%±53.6Highest 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	7.4%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	6%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	92.2%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	93.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1976Highest 4 yrs older than U.S.	1955Lowest 25 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	33 minHighest 23% above U.S.	27 minLowest about the U.S. average
Work from home	10.1%±4.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	18.6%±9.2Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Rupert and Meredith are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	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.