What stands out worked out from the figures below

Sutton has the highest household income ($147k).

Topsham has grown the fastest since 2010 (+8.8%).

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	Sutton	Topsham
People
Population	9,452Lowest	9,706Highest
Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census	+4.4%Lowest U.S.: +7.4%	+8.8%Highest U.S.: +7.4%
Median age	44.3±2.5Lowest 14% above U.S.	44.7±4Highest 15% above U.S.
	Topsham and Sutton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Kids under 18	19.6%±3.3Lowest U.S.: 22%	19.9%±3.6Highest U.S.: 22%
	Topsham and Sutton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Age 65+	18.8%±3.2Lowest U.S.: 17.2%	24.4%±3.2Highest U.S.: 17.2%
	Topsham and Sutton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+	52.8%Highest U.S.: 35.7%	50%Lowest U.S.: 35.7%
Enrolled in collegeshare of residents	3.9%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 6.4%	4.9%±1.8Highest U.S.: 6.4%
	Topsham and Sutton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Cost of living
Household incomemedian	$147,125±$25kHighest 82% above U.S.	$91,028±$10kLowest 13% above U.S.
Home valuemedian, owner-occupied	$523,100±$47kHighest 57% above U.S.	$360,800±$20kLowest 8% above U.S.
Rentmedian gross, monthly	$1,190±$401Lowest 16% below U.S.	$1,355±$642Highest 4% below U.S.
	Topsham and Sutton are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher.
Property taxmedian, yearly	$6,763Highest 117% above U.S.	$4,259Lowest 37% above U.S.
Renters paying 30%+of income on rent	47.5%±24.4Highest U.S.: 51.1%	40.3%±12.9Lowest U.S.: 51.1%
	Sutton and Topsham 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%	6.4%Highest U.S.: 12.5%
Housing
Homeownersof occupied homes	89.7%Highest U.S.: 65.2%	78.9%Lowest U.S.: 65.2%
Typical home builtmedian year	1981Highest 1 yr newer than U.S.	1980Lowest same as U.S.
Getting to work
Average commuteone way	30 minHighest 12% above U.S.	24 minLowest 11% below U.S.
Work from home	22.7%±4.1Highest U.S.: 15.1%	17.2%±4.3Lowest U.S.: 15.1%
	Sutton and Topsham 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	#105 of 282 in MA	#66 of 133 in ME
School district	Sutton	RSU 75/MSAD 75
High school in town	Sutton High School	Mt Ararat High School
Students per teacherat that high school	12.6Highest	12.2Lowest
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.