Compare towns
Rye vs Wakefield vs New Castle
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Rye has the shortest commute (29 min average).
Wakefield has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.7%).
New Castle has the most expensive homes ($1701k 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.
| Measure | Rye | Wakefield | New Castle |
|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | |||
| People | |||
| Population | 5,611 |
27,793Highest |
827Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +4.6% U.S.: +7.4% |
+8.7%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+3.3%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 55.1±3 42% above U.S. |
42.4±1.7Lowest 9% above U.S. |
62.8±6Highest 61% above U.S. |
| New Castle and Rye are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Kids under 18 | 18.2%±4 U.S.: 22% |
20%±2.2Highest U.S.: 22% |
12.9%±7.1Lowest U.S.: 22% |
| Wakefield and Rye are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Age 65+ | 31.7%±5.3 U.S.: 17.2% |
19%±1.9Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
44.3%±16.1Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| New Castle and Rye are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 61.5% U.S.: 35.7% |
59.7%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
68.8%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 2.2%±1.3 U.S.: 6.4% |
4.4%±0.9Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
0.6%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
| Cost of living | |||
| Household incomemedian | $140,655±$39k 74% above U.S. |
$134,306±$14kLowest 66% above U.S. |
$176,953±$29kHighest 119% above U.S. |
| New Castle and Rye are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $1,028,100±$89k 209% above U.S. |
$723,500±$24kLowest 117% above U.S. |
$1,701,300±$267kHighest 411% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,781±$156Lowest 26% above U.S. |
$1,958±$102 39% above U.S. |
$3,501Highest 148% above U.S. |
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $7,519Lowest 141% above U.S. |
$7,779 149% above U.S. |
$8,509Highest 173% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 44.3%±16.1Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
43.7%±7.9 U.S.: 51.1% |
0%±85.7Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Rye and Wakefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | |||
| Below poverty line | 6.9%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
4.9% U.S.: 12.5% |
4.6%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | |||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 85.5% U.S.: 65.2% |
70.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
93%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1972 8 yrs older than U.S. |
1956Lowest 24 yrs older than U.S. |
1975Highest 5 yrs older than U.S. |
| Getting to work | |||
| Average commuteone way | 29 minLowest 9% above U.S. |
33 minHighest 26% above U.S. |
33 min 23% above U.S. |
| Work from home | 30.9%±7.6 U.S.: 15.1% |
24.6%±3.1Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
40.1%±19.4Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
| New Castle and Rye 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 | #2 of 120 in NH | #179 of 282 in MA | — |
| School district | Rye School District | Northeast Metropolitan Regional Vocational Technical · Wakefield | New Castle School District |
| High school in town | None in town | Northeast Metro Regional Vocational | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | — | 10.7 |
— |
| On TownTapestry | |||
| Old photos in History | None yet | 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.