What stands out worked out from the figures below

Strafford has the most kids (23% under 18).

New Castle has grown the fastest since 2010 (+3.3%).

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	New Castle
People
Population	1,372Highest	827Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-0.4%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+3.3%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	51.4±4.7Lowest 32% above U.S.	62.8±6Highest 61% above U.S.
Kids under 18	23%±5.2Highest U.S.: 22%	12.9%±7.1Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Strafford and New Castle 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%	44.3%±16.1Highest U.S.: 17.2%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	53.3%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	68.8%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.1%±2.6Highest U.S.: 6.4%	0.6%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$110,833±$19kLowest 37% above U.S.	$176,953±$29kHighest 119% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$431,300±$40kLowest 30% above U.S.	$1,701,300±$267kHighest 411% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,125±$789Lowest 20% below U.S.	$3,501Highest 148% above U.S.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$7,149Lowest 129% above U.S.	$8,509Highest 173% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	44.6%±48Highest U.S.: 51.1%	0%±85.7Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Strafford and New Castle are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	5.2%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	4.6%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	88.9%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	93%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1980Highest same as U.S.	1975Lowest 5 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	23 minLowest 13% below U.S.	33 minHighest 23% above U.S.
Work from home	16.1%±4.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	40.1%±19.4Highest U.S.: 15.1%
Schools
School district	Strafford School District	New Castle School District
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.