What stands out worked out from the figures below

Perry has the most kids (24.1% under 18).

Wayne has the most expensive homes ($363k 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	Perry	Wayne
People
Population	744Lowest	1,101Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-9.8%Lowest ME: +2.6%	-5%Highest ME: +2.6%
Median age	45.5±11.4Lowest about the ME average	55.6±5.3Highest 24% above ME
	Wayne and Perry are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	24.1%±4.4Highest ME: 18.1%	13.4%±3.9Lowest ME: 18.1%
Age 65+	21%±6.2Lowest ME: 22.4%	29.2%±3.8Highest ME: 22.4%
	Wayne and Perry are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	31.6%Lowest ME: 36.2%	48.8%Highest ME: 36.2%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	2.8%±1.5Lowest ME: 5.8%	6.5%±2.8Highest ME: 5.8%
	Wayne and Perry are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$82,056±$4kLowest 10% above ME	$93,194±$26kHighest 25% above ME
	Wayne and Perry are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$196,400±$13kLowest 34% below ME	$362,800±$29kHighest 22% above ME
Rentmedian gross, monthly	—	$983±$554 14% below ME
Property taxmedian, yearly	$3,132Lowest 3% above ME	$3,289Highest 8% above ME
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	27.3%±100Highest ME: 48.4%	25%±52.1Lowest ME: 48.4%
	Perry and Wayne are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	4.3%Lowest ME: 10.7%	7.9%Highest ME: 10.7%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	91.8%Highest ME: 74.3%	89.9%Lowest ME: 74.3%
Typical home builtmedian year	1990Highest 13 yrs newer than ME	1980Lowest 3 yrs newer than ME
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	26 minLowest 6% above ME	30 minHighest 24% above ME
Work from home	23.4%±11.9Lowest ME: 15.9%	26.2%±11.7Highest ME: 15.9%
	Wayne and Perry are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	Perry Public Schools	RSU 38
High school in town	None in town	None in town
On TownTapestry
Old photos in History	None yet	None yet

ME 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.