What stands out worked out from the figures below

Strafford has grown the fastest since 2010 (-0.4%).

Putnam has the most affordable homes ($266k 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.

Raising kidsAffordabilityOwning a homeShort commuteWorking from homeYounger crowdSettled, older crowdGrowing town

Measure	Strafford	Putnam
People
Population	1,372Highest	540Lowest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-0.4%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	-6.9%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	51.4±4.7Lowest 32% above U.S.	53.6±6.4Highest 38% above U.S.
	Putnam and Strafford 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%	17.4%±5.2Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Strafford and Putnam 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%	35.6%±3.4Highest U.S.: 17.2%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	53.3%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	31.4%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.1%±2.6Highest U.S.: 6.4%	2.8%±1.9Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
	Strafford and Putnam 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.	$92,344±$14kLowest 14% above U.S.
	Strafford and Putnam are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$431,300±$40kHighest 30% above U.S.	$266,200±$48kLowest 20% below U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,125±$789 20% below U.S.	—
Property taxmedian, yearly	$7,149Highest 129% above U.S.	$3,674Lowest 18% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	44.6%±48Highest U.S.: 51.1%	0%±100Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Strafford and Putnam 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%	7.2%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	88.9%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	95.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1980Highest same as U.S.	1971Lowest 9 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	23 minHighest 13% below U.S.	21 minLowest 19% below U.S.
Work from home	16.1%±4.3Highest U.S.: 15.1%	8.6%±5.7Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
	Strafford and Putnam are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	Strafford School District	PUTNAM CENTRAL 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.