What stands out worked out from the figures below

Orford has the most affordable homes ($272k median).

Topsham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.8%).

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	Topsham
People
Population	1,295Lowest	9,706Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	0%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+8.8%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	48.9±3.3Highest 26% above U.S.	44.7±4Lowest 15% above U.S.
	Orford and Topsham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	12.3%±3.1Lowest U.S.: 22%	19.9%±3.6Highest U.S.: 22%
Age 65+	25.5%±4.2Highest U.S.: 17.2%	24.4%±3.2Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
	Orford and Topsham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	44%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	50%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5%±2.1Highest U.S.: 6.4%	4.9%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
	Orford and Topsham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$92,571±$24kHighest 15% above U.S.	$91,028±$10kLowest 13% above U.S.
	Orford and Topsham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$271,900±$25kLowest 18% below U.S.	$360,800±$20kHighest 8% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,263±$686Lowest 11% below U.S.	$1,355±$642Highest 4% below U.S.
	Topsham and Orford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$5,836Highest 87% above U.S.	$4,259Lowest 37% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	37.8%±10.7Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	40.3%±12.9Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Topsham and Orford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	5.8%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	6.4%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	75.5%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	78.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1971Lowest 9 yrs older than U.S.	1980Highest same as U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	26 minHighest 3% below U.S.	24 minLowest 11% below U.S.
Work from home	10.8%±4.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	17.2%±4.3Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Topsham and Orford 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	—	#66 of 133 in ME
School district	Rivendell Interstate School District	RSU 75/MSAD 75
High school in town	Rivendell Academy	Mt Ararat High School
Students per teacherat that high school	9.5Lowest	12.2Highest
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.