What stands out worked out from the figures below

Plaistow has the most affordable homes ($405k median).

Walpole has grown the fastest since 2010 (+9.6%).

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	Plaistow	Walpole
People
Population	7,861Lowest	26,388Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+2.9%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+9.6%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	40.1±3.7Lowest 3% above U.S.	40.9±1.2Highest 5% above U.S.
	Walpole and Plaistow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	19.8%±4.3Lowest U.S.: 22%	25.1%±2.4Highest U.S.: 22%
	Walpole and Plaistow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	17.4%±3.7Highest U.S.: 17.2%	16.9%±1.7Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
	Plaistow and Walpole are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	34.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	67.4%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3.3%±1.4Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	5.1%±1.1Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Walpole and Plaistow are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$108,317±$13kLowest 34% above U.S.	$171,500±$16kHighest 112% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$404,500±$32kLowest 22% above U.S.	$687,100±$20kHighest 107% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,664±$187Lowest 18% above U.S.	$2,205±$222Highest 56% above U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$7,194Lowest 131% above U.S.	$8,523Highest 173% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	55.3%±16.9Highest U.S.: 51.1%	37.8%±9.1Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Plaistow and Walpole are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	4.5%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	3.6%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	78.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	83.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1978Highest 2 yrs older than U.S.	1977Lowest 3 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	29 minLowest 8% above U.S.	34 minHighest 27% above U.S.
Work from home	13.6%±4Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	28.2%±4.3Highest U.S.: 15.1%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	#66 of 120 in NH	#107 of 282 in MA
School district	Timberlane Regional School District	Norfolk County Agricultural · Walpole
High school in town	Timberlane Regional High School	Walpole High
Students per teacherat that high school	11.4Highest	11.3Lowest
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.