What stands out worked out from the figures below

Milton has the highest household income ($94k).

Readfield has grown the fastest since 2010 (0%).

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	Milton	Readfield
People
Population	4,538Highest	2,651Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-2.5%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	0%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	45.7±2.4Lowest 17% above U.S.	48.1±7.6Highest 24% above U.S.
	Readfield and Milton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	18.4%±5Lowest U.S.: 22%	18.7%±3.9Highest U.S.: 22%
	Readfield and Milton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	16.1%±3.4Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	22.3%±4.5Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Readfield and Milton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	21.7%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	48.8%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	2.3%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	3.3%±2Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Readfield and Milton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$94,493±$27kHighest 17% above U.S.	$86,504±$8kLowest 7% above U.S.
	Milton and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$318,400±$34kLowest 4% below U.S.	$326,400±$20kHighest about the U.S. average
	Readfield and Milton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,587±$318Highest 12% above U.S.	$1,125±$844Lowest 20% below U.S.
	Milton and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,663Highest 82% above U.S.	$3,392Lowest 9% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	63.7%±24.9Highest U.S.: 51.1%	31.3%±100Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Milton and Readfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	8.1%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	5%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	86.3%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	89.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1980Highest same as U.S.	1979Lowest 1 yr older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	33 minHighest 26% above U.S.	30 minLowest 12% above U.S.
Work from home	18.9%±6.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	24.3%±14.9Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Readfield and Milton 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	#116 of 120 in NH	#20 of 133 in ME
School district	Milton School District	RSU 38
High school in town	Nute High School	Maranacook Community High Sch
Students per teacherat that high school	10.6Lowest	11.5Highest
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.