What stands out worked out from the figures below

Stratford has the most people working from home (8.4%).

Lunenburg has grown the fastest since 2010 (-4.3%).

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	Stratford	Lunenburg
People
Population	950Lowest	1,267Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	-11.3%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	-4.3%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	49.8±16.8Lowest 28% above U.S.	51.2±4.2Highest 32% above U.S.
	Lunenburg and Stratford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	21.4%±7.6Highest U.S.: 22%	14.1%±3Lowest U.S.: 22%
	Stratford and Lunenburg are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	25.1%±9.3Highest U.S.: 17.2%	24.1%±3.6Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
	Stratford and Lunenburg are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	16.1%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	14.6%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3.2%±2.7Highest U.S.: 6.4%	2.6%±1.4Lowest U.S.: 6.4%
	Stratford and Lunenburg are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$49,583±$14kLowest 39% below U.S.	$53,125±$9kHighest 34% below U.S.
	Lunenburg and Stratford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$161,100±$48kLowest 52% below U.S.	$164,000±$11kHighest 51% below U.S.
	Lunenburg and Stratford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$775±$264Lowest 45% below U.S.	$1,025±$172Highest 27% below U.S.
	Lunenburg and Stratford are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$2,512Lowest 19% below U.S.	$2,702Highest 13% below U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	64%±53.6Highest U.S.: 51.1%	52.5%±57.6Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Stratford and Lunenburg are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	23.3%Highest U.S.: 12.5%	10.6%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	83.6%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	82.6%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1972 8 yrs older than U.S.	1972 8 yrs older than U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	23 minLowest 15% below U.S.	30 minHighest 14% above U.S.
Work from home	8.4%±4.1Highest U.S.: 15.1%	4.9%±2.9Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
	Stratford and Lunenburg are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
School district	Stratford School District	Kingdom East Unified Union School District #64
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.