What stands out worked out from the figures below

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

Sunapee has the most expensive homes ($393k 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	Orford	Sunapee
People
Population	1,295Lowest	3,416Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	0%Highest NH: +4.6%	-0.7%Lowest NH: +4.6%
Median age	48.9±3.3Lowest 13% above NH	56.7±1.4Highest 31% above NH
Kids under 18	12.3%±3.1Highest NH: 18.2%	9.9%±3.4Lowest NH: 18.2%
	Orford and Sunapee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	25.5%±4.2Lowest NH: 20.1%	33.3%±7.1Highest NH: 20.1%
	Sunapee and Orford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	44%Lowest NH: 40.6%	50.6%Highest NH: 40.6%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5%±2.1Highest NH: 6%	4.5%±3.5Lowest NH: 6%
	Orford and Sunapee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$92,571±$24kLowest 7% below NH	$101,393±$20kHighest about the NH average
	Sunapee and Orford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$271,900±$25kLowest 32% below NH	$393,000±$51kHighest about the NH average
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,263±$686Lowest 15% below NH	$1,713±$451Highest 15% above NH
	Sunapee and Orford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,836Highest 12% below NH	$4,400Lowest 34% below NH
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	37.8%±10.7Highest NH: 48.2%	34.6%±10.5Lowest NH: 48.2%
	Orford and Sunapee are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	5.8%Lowest NH: 7.2%	12.4%Highest NH: 7.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	75.5%Lowest NH: 72.8%	75.9%Highest NH: 72.8%
Typical home builtmedian year	1971Lowest 8 yrs older than NH	1975Highest 4 yrs older than NH
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	26 minLowest 4% below NH	33 minHighest 23% above NH
Work from home	10.8%±4.7Highest NH: 16.8%	9.5%±4.5Lowest NH: 16.8%
	Orford and Sunapee 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	—	#14 of 120 in NH
School district	Rivendell Interstate School District	Sunapee School District
High school in town	Rivendell Academy	Sunapee Sr. High School
Students per teacherat that high school	9.5Lowest	11.9Highest
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	None yet	None yet

NH 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.