What stands out worked out from the figures below

Strafford has the most affordable homes ($431k median).

Rye has grown the fastest since 2010 (+4.6%).

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	Rye
People
Population	1,372Lowest	5,611Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-0.4%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+4.6%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	51.4±4.7Lowest 32% above U.S.	55.1±3Highest 42% above U.S.
	Rye 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%	18.2%±4Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Strafford and Rye 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%	31.7%±5.3Highest U.S.: 17.2%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	53.3%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	61.5%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	5.1%±2.6Highest U.S.: 6.4%	2.2%±1.3Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
	Strafford and Rye are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$110,833±$19kLowest 37% above U.S.	$140,655±$39kHighest 74% above U.S.
	Rye and Strafford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$431,300±$40kLowest 30% above U.S.	$1,028,100±$89kHighest 209% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,125±$789Lowest 20% below U.S.	$1,781±$156Highest 26% above U.S.
	Rye and Strafford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$7,149Lowest 129% above U.S.	$7,519Highest 141% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	44.6%±48Highest U.S.: 51.1%	44.3%±16.1Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Strafford and Rye 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%	6.9%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	88.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	85.5%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1980Highest same as U.S.	1972Lowest 8 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	23 minLowest 13% below U.S.	29 minHighest 9% above U.S.
Work from home	16.1%±4.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1%	30.9%±7.6Highest U.S.: 15.1%
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	—	#2 of 120 in NH
School district	Strafford School District	Rye 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.