What stands out worked out from the figures below

Northfield has the highest household income ($93k).

Appleton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.2%).

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	Northfield	Appleton
People
Population	4,971Highest	1,360Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+0.9%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+7.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	42.6±5.1Lowest 10% above U.S.	49.2±7.4Highest 26% above U.S.
	Appleton and Northfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	20.3%±4.9Highest U.S.: 22%	15.3%±2.7Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Northfield and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	17.2%±3.6Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	26.1%±9.3Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Appleton and Northfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	23.7%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	34.1%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.1%±2.5Highest U.S.: 6.4%	3.7%±2.4Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
	Northfield and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$92,917±$15kHighest 15% above U.S.	$53,618±$19kLowest 34% below U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$288,500±$33kHighest 13% below U.S.	$235,600±$33kLowest 29% below U.S.
	Northfield and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,076±$182Lowest 24% below U.S.	$1,104±$82Highest 22% below U.S.
	Appleton and Northfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,097Highest 63% above U.S.	$3,588Lowest 15% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	24.1%±14.1Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	85.4%±100Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Appleton and Northfield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	8.1%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	9.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	71.6%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	82.6%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1979Lowest 1 yr older than U.S.	1988Highest 8 yrs newer than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	26 minLowest 3% below U.S.	30 minHighest 14% above U.S.
Work from home	6.9%±3.6Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	11.1%±3.5Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Appleton and Northfield 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	#109 of 120 in NH	—
School district	Winnisquam Regional School District	Appleton Public Schools
High school in town	None in town	None in town
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.