What stands out worked out from the figures below

Pembroke has the most people working from home (17%).

Townsend has grown the fastest since 2010 (+2.3%).

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	Pembroke	Townsend
People
Population	7,438Lowest	9,100Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+1.3%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+2.3%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	41.9±3.3Highest 8% above U.S.	40.9±3.3Lowest 5% above U.S.
	Pembroke and Townsend are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	24%±4.6Highest U.S.: 22%	21%±3.2Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Pembroke and Townsend are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	16.4%±3.2Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	17.1%±2.1Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Townsend and Pembroke are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	32.2%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	35.5%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3.5%±1.6Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	5.1%±2.4Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Townsend and Pembroke are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$89,519±$22kLowest 11% above U.S.	$121,528±$23kHighest 51% above U.S.
	Townsend and Pembroke are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$371,500±$20kLowest 12% above U.S.	$433,200±$22kHighest 30% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,218±$354Lowest 14% below U.S.	$1,469±$313Highest 4% above U.S.
	Townsend and Pembroke are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$7,589Highest 143% above U.S.	$6,031Lowest 93% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	48.4%±21.8Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	50.6%±16.8Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Townsend and Pembroke are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	15%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	8.9%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	67.4%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	82%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1969Lowest 11 yrs older than U.S.	1976Highest 4 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	25 minLowest 7% below U.S.	37 minHighest 41% above U.S.
Work from home	17%±4.8Highest U.S.: 15.1%	10.5%±2.8Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
	Pembroke and Townsend 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	#85 of 120 in NH	#136 of 282 in MA
School district	Pembroke School District	North Middlesex
High school in town	Pembroke Academy	North Middlesex Regional
Students per teacherat that high school	13.1	13.1
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	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.