What stands out worked out from the figures below

Orford has the most people working from home (10.8%).

Whitefield has grown the fastest since 2010 (+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	Whitefield
People
Population	1,295Lowest	2,516Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	0%Lowest NH: +4.6%	+8%Highest NH: +4.6%
Median age	48.9±3.3Lowest 13% above NH	51.4±4.6Highest 19% above NH
	Whitefield and Orford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	12.3%±3.1Lowest NH: 18.2%	14.3%±4.6Highest NH: 18.2%
	Whitefield and Orford 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%	28.6%±5.4Highest NH: 20.1%
	Whitefield 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%Highest NH: 40.6%	26.7%Lowest NH: 40.6%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5%±2.1Lowest NH: 6%	5.9%±3.2Highest NH: 6%
	Whitefield and Orford 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 7% below NH	$63,125±$12kLowest 36% below NH
	Orford and Whitefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$271,900±$25kHighest 32% below NH	$240,400±$22kLowest 40% below NH
	Orford and Whitefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,263±$686Highest 15% below NH	$1,077±$160Lowest 28% below NH
	Orford and Whitefield 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	$4,394Lowest 34% below NH
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	37.8%±10.7Lowest NH: 48.2%	47.9%±15.6Highest NH: 48.2%
	Whitefield 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 NH: 7.2%	11%Highest NH: 7.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	75.5%Highest NH: 72.8%	62.6%Lowest NH: 72.8%
Typical home builtmedian year	1971Highest 8 yrs older than NH	1965Lowest 14 yrs older than NH
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	26 minLowest 4% below NH	26 minHighest about the NH average
Work from home	10.8%±4.7Highest NH: 16.8%	7.2%±4.7Lowest NH: 16.8%
	Orford and Whitefield 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	—	#86 of 120 in NH
School district	Rivendell Interstate School District	White Mountains Regional School District
High school in town	Rivendell Academy	White Mountains Regional High School
Students per teacherat that high school	9.5Highest	7.9Lowest
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.