What stands out worked out from the figures below

Strafford has grown the fastest since 2010 (+6%).

Candia has the oldest population (median age 48.3).

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	Strafford	Candia
People
Population	4,306Highest	4,134Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+6%Highest NH: +4.6%	+2.7%Lowest NH: +4.6%
Median age	46.3±2.1Lowest 7% above NH	48.3±3.8Highest 12% above NH
	Candia and Strafford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	17.6%±3.5Highest NH: 18.2%	12.8%±3.5Lowest NH: 18.2%
	Strafford and Candia are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	19.4%±4.1Lowest NH: 20.1%	23.1%±4.4Highest NH: 20.1%
	Candia and Strafford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	40.2%Highest NH: 40.6%	27.7%Lowest NH: 40.6%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.4%±2.6Lowest NH: 6%	5.7%±2.6Highest NH: 6%
	Candia and Strafford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$122,105±$22kHighest 23% above NH	$119,737±$37kLowest 21% above NH
	Strafford and Candia are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$427,900±$29kHighest 6% above NH	$415,600±$46kLowest 3% above NH
	Strafford and Candia are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,635±$246Highest 10% above NH	$1,213±$554Lowest 19% below NH
	Strafford and Candia are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$6,086Lowest 9% below NH	$6,100Highest 9% below NH
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	76.3%±30.3Highest NH: 48.2%	0%±21.6Lowest NH: 48.2%
Below poverty line	8%Highest NH: 7.2%	1.4%Lowest NH: 7.2%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	93.5%Highest NH: 72.8%	91.7%Lowest NH: 72.8%
Typical home builtmedian year	1985Highest 6 yrs newer than NH	1979Lowest same as NH
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	36 minHighest 34% above NH	34 minLowest 29% above NH
Work from home	15.9%±5Highest NH: 16.8%	10.8%±4Lowest NH: 16.8%
	Strafford and Candia 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	#73 of 120 in NH	#41 of 120 in NH
School district	Strafford School District	Candia School District
High school in town	None in town	None in town
On TownTapestry
Old photos in Our Story	None yet	None yet

NH 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.