What stands out worked out from the figures below

Merrimac has the most expensive homes ($553k median).

Strafford has the most people working from home (15.9%).

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	Merrimac	Strafford
People
Population	6,748Highest	4,306Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+6.1%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	+6%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	49.4±6.8Highest 27% above U.S.	46.3±2.1Lowest 19% above U.S.
	Merrimac and Strafford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	16.5%±6.2Lowest U.S.: 22%	17.6%±3.5Highest U.S.: 22%
	Strafford and Merrimac are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	26.7%±5.8Highest U.S.: 17.2%	19.4%±4.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
	Merrimac and Strafford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	41%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	40.2%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	2.1%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	5.4%±2.6Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Strafford and Merrimac are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$123,054±$16kHighest 52% above U.S.	$122,105±$22kLowest 51% above U.S.
	Merrimac and Strafford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$553,400±$38kHighest 66% above U.S.	$427,900±$29kLowest 29% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,352±$325Lowest 4% below U.S.	$1,635±$246Highest 16% above U.S.
	Strafford and Merrimac are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$7,399Highest 137% above U.S.	$6,086Lowest 95% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	59.3%±29.1Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	76.3%±30.3Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Strafford and Merrimac are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	9.4%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	8%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	81.3%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	93.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1982Lowest 2 yrs newer than U.S.	1985Highest 5 yrs newer than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	32 minLowest 21% above U.S.	36 minHighest 36% above U.S.
Work from home	8.5%±3.4Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	15.9%±5Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Strafford and Merrimac 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	#188 of 282 in MA	#73 of 120 in NH
School district	Pentucket	Strafford School District
High school in town	None in town	None in town
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.