What stands out worked out from the figures below

Pelham has the most expensive homes ($553k median).

Arlington has the most people working from home (35.9%).

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	Pelham	Arlington
People
Population	14,449Highest	2,598Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+10.3%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	+6%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	41.5±2.7Highest 7% above U.S.	37.6±4Lowest 3% below U.S.
	Pelham and Arlington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	22%±2.7Highest U.S.: 22%	20.6%±3.9Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Pelham and Arlington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	16.5%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	20.7%±3.2Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Arlington and Pelham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	40%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	55.9%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.9%±1.3Highest U.S.: 6.4%	3.3%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
	Pelham and Arlington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$135,956±$19kHighest 68% above U.S.	$102,308±$11kLowest 27% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$552,600±$27kHighest 66% above U.S.	$318,500±$59kLowest 4% below U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,425±$88Highest about the U.S. average	$1,191±$172Lowest 16% below U.S.
	Pelham and Arlington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$8,634Highest 177% above U.S.	$4,549Lowest 46% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	67.3%±12.5Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	77.1%±9.5Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Arlington and Pelham are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	3.7%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	7.5%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	86.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	84%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1987Highest 7 yrs newer than U.S.	1966Lowest 14 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	30 minHighest 12% above U.S.	20 minLowest 23% below U.S.
Work from home	22.8%±3.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	35.9%±10.8Highest U.S.: 15.1%
	Arlington and Pelham 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	#48 of 120 in NH	#50 of 70 in VT
School district	Pelham School District	Arlington School District
High school in town	Pelham High School	Arlington Memorial
Students per teacherat that high school	10.4Lowest	10.6Highest
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.