What stands out worked out from the figures below

Strafford has the highest household income ($111k).

Appleton has grown the fastest since 2010 (+7.2%).

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	Appleton
People
Population	1,372Highest	1,360Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-0.4%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+7.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	51.4±4.7Highest 32% above U.S.	49.2±7.4Lowest 26% above U.S.
	Strafford and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	23%±5.2Highest U.S.: 22%	15.3%±2.7Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Strafford and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	22.1%±3.4Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	26.1%±9.3Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Appleton and Strafford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	53.3%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	34.1%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.1%±2.6Highest U.S.: 6.4%	3.7%±2.4Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
	Strafford and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$110,833±$19kHighest 37% above U.S.	$53,618±$19kLowest 34% below U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$431,300±$40kHighest 30% above U.S.	$235,600±$33kLowest 29% below U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,125±$789Highest 20% below U.S.	$1,104±$82Lowest 22% below U.S.
	Strafford and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$7,149Highest 129% above U.S.	$3,588Lowest 15% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	44.6%±48Lowest U.S.: 51.1%	85.4%±100Highest U.S.: 51.1%
	Appleton and Strafford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	5.2%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	9.7%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	88.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	82.6%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1980Lowest same as U.S.	1988Highest 8 yrs newer than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	23 minLowest 13% below U.S.	30 minHighest 14% above U.S.
Work from home	16.1%±4.3Highest U.S.: 15.1%	11.1%±3.5Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
	Strafford and Appleton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	Strafford School District	Appleton Public Schools
High school in town	None in town	None in town
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.