What stands out worked out from the figures below

Patten has the most people working from home (28.7%).

Jefferson has the most expensive homes ($297k 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	Patten	Jefferson
People
Population	1,154Highest	1,013Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-13.4%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	-5.8%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	57.8±3.5Lowest 49% above U.S.	58±3.5Highest 49% above U.S.
	Jefferson and Patten are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	11.3%±2.9Lowest U.S.: 22%	12.5%±2.6Highest U.S.: 22%
	Jefferson and Patten are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	38.5%±3.3Highest U.S.: 17.2%	33.7%±9.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
	Patten and Jefferson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	25.1%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	28.4%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	1.1%±1.1Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	2.2%±1.5Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Jefferson and Patten are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$51,484±$6kLowest 36% below U.S.	$67,188±$13kHighest 17% below U.S.
	Jefferson and Patten are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$127,600±$49kLowest 62% below U.S.	$296,700±$92kHighest 11% below U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$389±$99Lowest 72% below U.S.	$867±$156Highest 39% below U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$1,199Lowest 62% below U.S.	$4,196Highest 35% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	56%±64.1Highest U.S.: 51.1%	16.7%±71.2Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Patten and Jefferson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	23.2%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	8.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	82.5%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	90.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1966Lowest 14 yrs older than U.S.	1988Highest 8 yrs newer than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	28 minLowest 5% above U.S.	35 minHighest 31% above U.S.
Work from home	28.7%±19.4Highest U.S.: 15.1%	17.5%±6.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
	Patten and Jefferson are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
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.