What stands out worked out from the figures below

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

Sharon has the shortest commute (26 min average).

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	Sharon
People
Population	4,306Highest	1,577Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+6%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	+3.9%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	46.3±2.1Highest 19% above U.S.	45.6±7.7Lowest 17% above U.S.
	Strafford and Sharon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	17.6%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 22%	21%±5Highest U.S.: 22%
	Sharon and Strafford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	19.4%±4.1Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	25.1%±3.6Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Sharon 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 U.S.: 35.7%	37.9%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.4%±2.6Highest U.S.: 6.4%	1.5%±0.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$122,105±$22kHighest 51% above U.S.	$84,375±$17kLowest 5% above U.S.
	Strafford and Sharon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$427,900±$29kHighest 29% above U.S.	$346,700±$37kLowest 4% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,635±$246Highest 16% above U.S.	$1,386±$155Lowest about the U.S. average
	Strafford and Sharon are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$6,086Highest 95% above U.S.	$5,903Lowest 89% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	76.3%±30.3Highest U.S.: 51.1%	19.8%±17.9Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
Below poverty line	8%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	3%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	93.5%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	79.7%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1985Highest 5 yrs newer than U.S.	1981Lowest 1 yr newer than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	36 minHighest 36% above U.S.	26 minLowest about the U.S. average
Work from home	15.9%±5Highest U.S.: 15.1%	12.7%±3.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
	Strafford and Sharon 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	—
School district	Strafford School District	Sharon School District
High school in town	None in town	None in town
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.