What stands out worked out from the figures below

Sumner has grown the fastest since 2010 (+5.9%).

Wakefield has the most expensive homes ($323k 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	Sumner	Wakefield
People
Population	845Lowest	5,405Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+5.9%Highest U.S.: +7.4%	+2.4%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	56.1±8.4Highest 44% above U.S.	49.4±4.1Lowest 27% above U.S.
	Sumner and Wakefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	17.2%±6.9Lowest U.S.: 22%	18.7%±3.9Highest U.S.: 22%
	Wakefield and Sumner are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	29.7%±5.2Highest U.S.: 17.2%	18.8%±4.7Lowest U.S.: 17.2%
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	15.4%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%	26.2%Highest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	1.4%±1.4 U.S.: 6.4%	1.4%±1.1 U.S.: 6.4%
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$57,750±$19kLowest 28% below U.S.	$100,976±$11kHighest 25% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$150,000±$73kLowest 55% below U.S.	$322,800±$43kHighest about the U.S. average
Rentmedian gross, monthly	—	$1,375±$434 about the U.S. average
Property taxmedian, yearly	$2,167Lowest 31% below U.S.	$2,954Highest 5% below U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	100%±100Highest U.S.: 51.1%	0%±82.9Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Sumner and Wakefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Below poverty line	5.8%Lowest U.S.: 12.5%	7.2%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	91.1%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%	96.8%Highest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1977Lowest 3 yrs older than U.S.	1980Highest same as U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	42 minHighest 60% above U.S.	36 minLowest 35% above U.S.
Work from home	18.5%±8Highest U.S.: 15.1%	15.1%±9.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
	Sumner and Wakefield are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Schools
Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading	—	#118 of 120 in NH
School district	RSU 10	Wakefield 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.